Study skills series

Effective Habits for Effective Study

Prepare yourself to succeed in your studies.
Try to develop and appreciate the following habits:

Take responsibility for yourself
Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time, and your resources
Center yourself around your values and principles
Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important
Put first things first
Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself;
don't let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals
Discover your key productivity times and places
Morning, afternoon, or evening?
Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive.
Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges
Consider yourself in a win-win situation
When you contribute your best to a class, you, your fellow students, and even your teacher will benefit.
Your grade will be one additional check on your performance
First understand others, then attempt to be understood
When you have an issue with an instructor (a questionable grade, an assignment deadline, etc.) put yourself in the instructor's place.
Now ask yourself how you can best make your argument given his/her situation.
Look for better solutions to problems
For example, if you don't understand the course material, don't just re-read it. Try something else!
Consult with the professor, a tutor, an academic advisor, a classmate, a study group, or your school's study skills center
Look to continually challenge yourself