After years of struggle, hard work, and proper entrance examination training, you finally manage to get into (say) an Ivy League University. With the air tickets in your hands and Visa in your pocket, you’re probably dreaming of making it big there and securing top grades in your class and achieve your goals.
However, things aren’t always that easy, or that simple. Life in the US is completely different than the life you lead in India, and so are the colleges and universities. Time management is key, no matter if you’re a student or if you’re working.
We want to help, though. Here are few useful study tips to help you make the most of your study time, and to help you improve your study workflow:
- Have Study Goals
No two ways about this one. There’s enough and more credible research on the fact that goal-setting has helped people become successful in life.
There’s a bit more to it, though. Make sure you set realistic goals, and understand how much effort you’ll need to put in to achieve them. Also, develop a study plan to achieve these goals.
This takes us to the key study tip.
- Prepare A Study Plan
No one understands the value of time better than a student who hasn’t studied for the whole year and has exams the next day. That grin on your face right now is all the proof you’ll need!
It’s really important to think ahead, so that you can break from the cycle of cramming for exams. The secret to this is to create a study plan and follow it—as simple as that! This will help you get organised, and to make the most of the available time.
- Assess Your Time
A daily period of self-assessment is key for students; you’ll understand how much time you’re actually studying. This means jotting down everything you’re doing for an entire week; keep tabs on the time you spend on attending classes, travelling, playing, exercising, and ‘just hanging out.’
That last one is probably the biggest eater of your time, so watch out!
Crunch the numbers, and see how much time you actually spend studying. If you aren’t too happy, then it might be time to try and balance your schedule a little better.
- Take Study Breaks
It’s no secret: you can only maintain zen-like levels of concentration when you give your brain ample time to recover. This can be anything; a short 10-minute walk, a chat with a friend, or a hot steaming cuppa of fresh joe.
- Test Yourself
Testing yourself with regular quizzes goes a long way in your preparation for D-day. You can blow off some steam from your mental pressure cooker, and analyse yourself in terms of exam preparation.
- Collaborate With Other Students
Having a few study partners often helps. With today’s communication tools in your pocket, you won’t even need to meet up. Simply use these online tools to communicate and share notes and ideas, and take your preparation to the next level!
- Stay Positive
Maintaining a positive attitude is a great idea, because why not? There’s no question whether it’s good for your studying process. Focus on positive outcomes and how you can achieve them. At the risk of sounding like an inspirational cat poster without the cat, don’t let the negative stuff weigh you down.
When it comes to success in a US university, there are no hard and fast rules you need play by. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.
Try a couple of different approaches, and stick with the one that works best for you.