Study Tips From the Study Station Community (Launch 2)

As part of Launch 2, students were invited to share their study tips with the rest of the Study Station community. Many students shared insightful, detailed and useful tips, some similar and some unique - in no particular order, here are our top 10!

1. Time Yourself - by Ariel H, Grade 9

“When studying for a test or doing homework, put your phone far away from yourself and set a timer for the amount of time you are going to study (around 45-60 minutes is a good duration), then you can take a break after the timer ends, but make sure to also time your break. I find that if I write a “To-Do List” for the day and schedule my breaks between items on the list, it doesn’t work out very well because some things take longer than others, so instead, I would usually make a day plan that separates each event by amount time rather than the amount of work. This would normally keep me focused and eager to do as much work as possible before the timer runs out.”

2. Teach! - by Adele C, Grade 10

“By going over the material as if you are teaching someone, you can recognize which areas you are confident in and which areas you need extra review. In addition, writing notes as if you are teaching them the concept would help you gain greater understanding of the main concepts. For abstract concepts finding analogies or connections in your work to real life would also help! For problem heavy subjects, mixing up the problems and going through the solution step by step and emphasizing why you are using x method, would “teach” yourself when to use a certain method over another. For concept based subjects, explaining that concept to a friend, sibling, parent etc. will ensure you have a strong grasp on the given idea.”

3. Make a Review Sheet - by Caitlin L, Grade 12

“I normally create review sheets for each unit ahead of a test. Usually, I will write rough notes while in class, and then transfer it to a neat, organized sheet of paper after class. The act of condensing information to its most essential parts is really helpful in deepening your understanding, and also super helpful for exam preparation! My extra preference for this tip is using thick graph paper / coloured paper solely to create a difference between rough notes and polished review notes.”

4. Reducing Time Wasters - by Evelyn L, Grade 8

“Lots of people schedule or time block their day, but that skill is progressive and very hard to master. It takes a lot of experimentation and time to be able to schedule and manage time perfectly. A simple way to start is by looking at time wasters. By going to settings [on your phone or device] and analyzing screen time, you will see that you probably spend a lot more time on social or entertainment areas than you thought. The next step is to limit this time, I personally use Limit from freedom.to which helps me reduce and take better control of where I spend my time.”

5. Study Smart, Not Hard - by Alyssa G, Grade 11

“Every subject has a particular focus and different methods of studying will be effective depending on the subject. As an example, logic-based courses such as math or physics rely heavily on problem solving, so crunching as many practice problems and taking the time to understand your formulas and when to use them is most effective. Other more content heavy courses such as biology really require you to memorize and understand, so you might be better off taking the time to make detailed notes, notecards, quizlets, etc.. Understanding what the focus of your course is and approaching your studying based on that focus will make your studying much more efficient and effective!”

6. Recording Lessons (with permission) - by Khushali S, Grade 12

“This tip can really help students in senior/ university years. After getting the consent of your teacher, recording your lectures (ex. via voice memos) and listening to them again later can be a huge benefit. Hearing a lesson again can solidify your understanding even better and is handy if you have time during commutes or breaks.”

7. 7 Day Plan - by Sneha E, Grade 12

“So, my “7 Day Plan” is a complete breakdown of what I do to prepare for an assessment in advance. The reason why I started studying so early is because I used to cram two nights before and my marks used to reflect that! My seven day plan starts with: collecting important materials and resources from libraries and other notes for studying. Then, I start organizing what is actually required for the test by making a list of the topics and running by my teachers to make sure I don’t miss anything. After that, I usually start to study on day 3 of my plan and split up and study different topics each day by using various methods, not just one. I like to use quizlet, tinycards, past exams and tests from upper years [if allowed]. Then on days 6/7 I do past exams to really make sure I have the content down. This really helped me get past the procrastination and my marks improved drastically!”

8. Lots to Remember, Short Descriptions - by Harleen R, Grade 10

“My tip is for those who are visual learners - map everything out on paper and try to create relationships between topics. First begin with a main topic, then branch off from the main topic and write a heading for each subtopic and then finally write notes or points underneath, then continue the pattern. An example to help you visualize: imagine your main topic was studying and then your subtopics would be visual, kinesthetic and auditory and finally your points underneath is how they work, different study tips for each learning style and pros and how can you find your learning style.”

9. Getting Into the Right Mindset - by Kelly N, Grade 10

“Before you start studying, I suggest that you get into a relaxed mindset. From my experience, being stressed or antsy will do nothing but keep you from being present and focused. So, before studying I always make sure that I am feeling comfortable and cozy. I make myself a cup of tea, put on soft music and then head straight to my desk. But, no matter how cozy you feel, always make sure to take breaks to stretch and move around.”

10. Memorizing Content for Auditory Learners - by Catherine W, Grade 11

“When memorizing large amounts of content for classes such as history or biology, it may help to record saying your notes out loud and separate them into different topics/sections. By saying the information aloud, you are already beginning to memorize and then can replay the audio recordings multiple times until all the information is memorized. It is also effective to listen to the recordings on the way to school and is an opportunity to go over any topics/sections that are frequently forgotten. This ensures that all recordings are organized and are useful when final exams come around and you already have audio recordings to replay again.”

A huge thank you to EVERYONE who submitted a study tip and participated in Launch 2 - hopefully these tips will help you become much more prepared for a successful school year, regardless of what type of learner you are! For more tips, motivation and inspiration, visit the “HUB” on the Study Station website.