The Ultimate “Do”s and “Don’t”s for Study

Whether you be a student or not, systematic studying has become a key part of our life in this rapidly changing world. So, how do you feel about studying?

Hard? Too Much? Stressful?

How come? There are so many methods on the internet about how to study, and people know these, but learning is still difficult. What is the greatest obstacle?

The answer is surprisingly simple: We know a lot, but do nothing.

The fundamental question is how to implement the learning methods we know, or namely how to develop a good habit of learning. Here are the “do”s and “don’t”s I find helpful.

“Do”s

Do set realistic and concrete goals. It is too easy to set over-ambitious goals and ending up not being able to finish it. For example, a goal of “reading 100 pages of xxx” would be too vague. Will it take a whole day or a few hours? Is it possible to absorb the material with such intensity of reading? More than likely, it will be difficult to read with 100% concentration and to reach the goal.

It is the no.1 principle to follow the goals each time, though breaking these can be so easy and comes with little immediate consequence. But, if you keep breaking your goals, your learning may soon become disorganized and you will soon find your productivity to go down.

A feasible goal, for the same reading example, would look like “read xxx pages of xxx in xxx hours, make mind map to ensure comprehension”. The time component is indispensable for goal-setting. To get a good return for the time investment, it is advisable to tell yourself to create mind map or notes so that you are not just skimming through without thinking.

Do think about which study method fits you the best. There are quite a number of different methods to achieve efficient learning, a famous one being the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes timed focus followed by 5 minutes of break, and then continue the cycle). However, some people may prefer longer and consecutive study sessions to attain optimal concentration. For them, Pomodoro technique may not be ideal.

It is important, therefore, not to copy some methods from other people without thinking about whether they suit you. Try different learning methods and pick the one with which you think you can get the most out of your study time. It is a good idea to keep note of how much you complete in some given time and the learning method you use. Over time you will find the best approach of learning.

Do clarify everything you don’t understand. Especially if you are a high school student, coursework can get demanding in the latter years of high school. Without a solid foundation in the first years, one can struggle to follow up in junior and senior years. On the flip side, a thorough understanding helps all the way through high school and college.

There are many online learning sources out there, such as Chegg and Quizlet. Online tutoring is also easily accessible now. In case you encounter topics not sufficiently explained in class, online tutoring can provide great help. I recommend GoPeer.com as a great platform for online classes which offers fixed, affordable rate to students. Sign up using the link https://gopeer.org?code=ruoyul to earn $20 credit.

It is human tendency to procrastinate and to avoid difficulties. However, when it comes to learning, do get prepared to face challenges, and celebrate the moment of epiphany when everything starts to make sense all of a sudden.

“Don't”s

Don’t have anything other than the study materials you need. It is not uncommon to have different tabs and applications open all the times on your laptop, some for social media, some for gaming, and some for study. This is typical. But you may underestimate how easy it is to be distracted with all these extraneous information sources.

You may think that you have the mental capacity to resist the temptation to respond to a friend's message or a pop-up notification on social media. You do not. The best way to overcome distraction is to remove all causes of distraction out of your notice. If you have nothing on your table except for pen and paper, and nothing on your laptop except for what's required for your study session, you can almost certainly study till the end undisturbed.

Don't sacrifice break time. This is easier said than done. Studying is extremely exhausting and brings anxiety. Apparently, after a period of concentration, your mental and intellectual performance will go down, and physically, your eyes will be dry and back painful due to extended time sitting. But you may not even realize these, because you are immersed in thinking and maybe the anxiety over the next deadline or exam.

Think about how you felt during some of your study sessions. Have you ended up burning out because you could not figure out the answer for homework or struggling to understand what you need for the coming exam? In these cases, did you feel a tendency to simply invest more effort and time into it straight away? This is so normal. But typically things won't work out. You may be stuck for long, and the longer you get stuck, the more anxious you get, the more you want to have your work finished, which in turn detracts your attention from the work itself and you will only be stuck even longer.

How to break the cycle? Try take a break! Though a stretch of leg or eye relaxation may not be the panacea, it can give a different angle in looking at the problem.

Don’t take failures TOO seriously. Trust me on this, NOTHING is as important as you think. I did not have a smooth academic journey at high school or college. I got horrible exam scores after months of revision, during which time I experienced uncountable breakdowns. It was a painful time when I think about it now. Neither did I ensure a good GPA for some time. I used to be dismayed about my performance too, until I realized in retrospect that no failure will be significant over a few years.

Yes, if you try to accept these failures as the imperfections of your high school time, just by telling yourself "It's fine. I will take that." You will start to feel better. It is a miracle! The secret lies in giving up the "perfectionist" mood. It is so easy to be shocked by failures, but too difficult to immerse in the joy of success.

Go ahead and study now, with these new perspectives, and best of luck in everything you try to study!