Top 17 Effective Study Tips for College Students in 2024

Study = the act of texting, eating, and watching TV with an open textbook nearby.

I’m sure this is NOT how you, a brainy trailblazer and/or future Nobel laureate, would define effective study.

But if you’re reading this, chances are you’re still wondering how to study effectively. It could be that you’ve mastered the art of procrastination rather than that of proactive action. Or you’re perhaps desperately seeking refuge from the looming academic mountains ahead?

College life is like a rollercoaster – thrilling, occasionally nauseating, and sometimes you just want to get off.

Fear not though. Some sanity is about to be injected into the madness. As a teacher of university students, I’ve got study tips for college that will make your academic journey feel like much less of a chore.

So put on your favorite study playlist (I know you have 1!) and get ready to transform study sessions into a productivity powerhouse. Let the study revolution begin.

What Is Effective Study?

Effective study involves a systematic approach that will help you study smarter and improve your academic performance. Basically, you’ll get better grades come exam time. That can only happen if you have a strategy (check out my “5 IELTS Reading Tips” post to find out why).

But good study habits do so much more. Thanks to them, you can gain a better understanding of any given subject, will be less stressed, are going to engage more with the course material, and might even enhance your overall physical health. Who doesn’t want all that?

I also have a post about overcoming learning limiting beliefs which you might want to have a look at as well.

Effective study entails:

• time management strategies
• awareness of learning styles
• revision techniques
• productivity boosters.

What Are My Study Tips for College Students?

Let’s begin with time management.

Time management strategies are the superheroes of efficiency, the saviors of schedules, the guardians of the ever-elusive work/study-life balance. Is there anything more alluring than being able to tick off every item on your to-do list like a productivity ninja?

Study Tip 1: Identify Your Targets.

What tasks do you have to complete? Add their deadlines and make a note of why they are important.

Like so:

Study Tip 2: Prioritize.

How urgent and important are the tasks? Something might be urgent but not important, or important but not urgent. If a task is neither urgent nor important, don’t do it. Get some fresh air instead or even a good night’s sleep!

Study Tip 3: Break Down Tasks.

What sub-tasks can you create out of a big one?

Use SMART objectives for this. They need to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

Say you have 1 hour to spare. Don’t decide to do something overly ambitious like “Find sources for report and take notes.” This is too general (What kind of sources?), not easy to measure (How will you know if you have enough sources?), and is likely to take more than 1 hour, which means it’s not achievable.

See below for an example of how the Economics essay task above can be broken down.

Study Tip 4: Create a Study Schedule.

When exactly will you do everything? This is what a study plan is about.

In the study schedule example below, see how sessions are connected to assessment, using a color code: green for Reading & Writing activities, blue for Listening & Seminars, and orange for Presentations. Fun stuff is included too. No one expects you to learn 24/7!

Study Tip 5: Use a Time Management App.

How to eliminate distractions in order to develop study skills?

Keep track of how you spend your time by using an app like Time Meter for Android or Hours for iOS.

Now let’s talk about awareness of learning styles.

Learning styles are preferences about how you understand, organize, and remember new information.

Think of these as pizza toppings – everyone has their favorite, and there’s always that one person who insists on putting pineapple on everything.

There’s an overwhelming number of theories about learning styles – about 70 models! One of the most popular ones is called VAK, short for Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic.

Visual learners learn best by seeing. They are the pepperoni enthusiasts, savoring every detail on the visual feast of words and slides.

Study Tip 6: If You Are Visual, Use Pictures, Handouts, Charts, Maps, Infographics, Timelines, Visual Aids, Color Coding, and Reading.

Auditory learners learn best by listening. They are like the cheese lovers, melting into the sweet symphony of lectures and podcasts.

Study Tip 7: If You Are Auditory, Focus on Live Listening, Recordings, Discussions, Debates, and Repetition.

Kinesthetic learners gather information by moving and touching. They are the spicy jalapeños, craving hands-on experiences and tossing textbooks aside like yesterday’s crust.

Study Tip 8: If You Are Kinesthetic, Learn Through Physical Movement, Projects, Experiments, and Field Trips.

A word of caution here, however.

You don’t need to think of yourself as 1 type of learner. You might have a predominant style, which – by all means – you should embrace unapologetically. But be open to moving between different styles depending on the task at hand.

Revision techniques are next.

Revision literally means “to see again.”

The initial encounter with information is like the first time you watch a film. The plot unfolds, characters make their entrances, and concepts play out like scenes in an epic production. But, as with any film, details fade with time, and the vivid colors of understanding begin to blur.

This is where revision steps onto the stage. It’s a revisit, a reunion with characters you once knew but have since stashed away in the archives of your mind. As you “see again,” the script becomes clearer, the dialogues resonate, and the once obscure plot points reveal their significance.

Plus, statistically, we all forget 80% of what we have learned. So we definitely need revision!

Study Tip 9: Set Up Revision Blocks.

Known as the Pomodoro Technique, this involves 30-minute revision blocks (25 minutes of studying, followed by a 5-minute break) or 1-hour ones (50 minutes of studying, followed by a 10-minute break).

Just don’t let the break turn into a Netflix marathon.

Study Tip 10: Re-take Notes.

Trying to capture a professor’s Gandalf-like wisdom during a fast-paced lecture by making neatly organized notes is – no matter what anyone tells you – unrealistic.

The key to effective note-taking is re-taking notes.

How can you take good notes the second time around?

Start by identifying key points and present these concisely. Abbreviations (etc.; e.g.; info; p. for page; para. for paragraph) really help here, as does the linear note-making system:

You might also want to create a mind map to show how ideas are connected. Here’s a mind map on mind mapping:

I recommend mind mapping apps like MindGenius and SmartDraw.

Study Tip 11: Use Interleaving.

Imagine trying to learn salsa, quantum physics, and cookie baking simultaneously. Does twirling in a dance studio with a Physics book in one hand and a mixing bowl in the other come to mind?

That’s interleaving.

You’re basically switching between subjects during a study session in order to make more connections between ideas.

If you don’t switch too often and you realize that this will be challenging at first, interleaving will work wonders.

Study Tip 12: Go for Peer Testing.

Having effective study habits doesn’t necessarily mean studying alone.

As a college student, set a time to study with someone every week. Or join a study group after attending class.

The easiest way to peer test is by asking each other questions to check if both you and your study partner know the answers.

Study Tip 13: Use Memory Aids Such As Mnemonics and Flashcards.

If you have to remember a sequence, take the first letter of each word and combine them to make a new word or sentence. This is known as a mnemonic device.

What do you think the example below is about?

You guessed it. The order of the planets based on their distance from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

As for flashcards, you can go old-school and use paper ones like the ones below. Write down facts you need to learn by heart – a keyword or question on one side, then the definition or answer on the other side. (Side note: If you’re worried about the legibility of your handwriting, follow the 11 steps in my “How to Improve Handwriting” guide for quick results.)

Alternatively, try Quizlet, a site that has millions of ready-made flashcards to play revision games with.

Finally, we have productivity boosters.

Study Tip 14: Cultivate a Growth Mindset.

“My achievements are a reflection of my intelligence and personality. If I perform well, it’s because I’m smart or a great person. If I perform poorly, it’s because I’m stupid. If I find something difficult, I won’t be able to learn it. If I don’t have a talent for something, there’s no point making an effort.”

NOT a growth mindset, right?

This is a growth mindset:

“My achievements are a reflection of what I have learned. Regardless of where I am now, I can always get better. That applies to my intelligence and skills. If I find something difficult, I have to make more of an effort. I like challenges because they give me the chance to improve.”

According to Carol Dweck, a fixed mindset hinders progress. If you don’t think you can change, you don’t even try.

Don’t be one of those college students that doesn’t even try.

With a growth mindset, you believe your efforts will succeed. Therefore they will. 

Study Tip 15: Use Productivity Apps.

• Forest (iOS and Android)

In Forest, you can plant a seed that will grow a tree. If you stay focused you can build a whole forest. But if you lose concentration and use your phone, your trees will wither!

• AppBlock (iOS and Android)

With AppBlock, you can set up a profile and decide which times you need to study. During these times the app will block online distractions.

• FocusNow! & Zero Willpower (iOS)

FocusNow has different sounds to create white noise. And with Zero Willpower, you can block websites if you feel you don’t have enough self-control.

• Cold Turkey (Windows PC)

Cold Turkey will block different websites or even your whole computer so you can focus on study.

Study Tip 16: Face Your Fears.

It’s not easy dealing with fear of assessment, fear of failure, or fear of not measuring up to someone’s expectations.

Learn to control this feeling. Failure might not occur at all, especially if you stay organized and have study strategies.

Even if it does, remember that in the symphony of life, failure is a note, not the entire composition. It is a passage, not the entire story. Though palpable at the time, fear is a mere prelude to the crescendo of the success story that follows resilience.

Study Tip 17: Get More Study Tips.

You can never have enough study tips for college.

A book like Stella Cottrell’s “Study Skills Handbook” offers additional study tips so you can study even smarter.

Key Considerations for Successful Study in College

• A little bit of study every day is much better than a cram session in higher education, even if you don’t have a big exam coming up.
• When you sit down for a review session, you should collect all materials from your college classes, tune out distractions, and set specific study goals. Also ensure that your study environment is suitable.
• When you re-write class notes, express ideas in your own words and imagine a much younger sibling will read and need to understand them. Simplicity = clarity.
• Active studying (using, for example, Tips 10 and 13 above) means taking responsibility for your own learning.
• Physical activity might give you a new perspective on key concepts and course materials. It also helps you avoid unnecessary stress. So don’t underestimate the importance of taking breaks to go for a walk or to the gym.

Conclusion

If there’s something busy college students need, it’s ways to study smarter in a world that demands so much from them.

I wish I had benefitted from as many study tools and tips when I was a student, but I’m glad to be able to offer them now, after years spent teaching university students.

Happy studying.

Also check out my best English grammar books post if you want fast improvement.

If you’re preparing for university life as an international student who needs a good score in IELTS first, read all about the IELTS exam fee in my post.

Here is the video version of this blog post:

FAQs

1. What are the top 5 tips for effective studying?

If I have to prioritize, I’m going to choose Tip 3 (breaking down tasks), Tip 10 (re-taking notes), Tip 13 (using memory aids), and Tip 14 (cultivating a growth mindset).

Also, being aware of your predominant learning style (see details above) is crucial as you don’t want to go against it.

2. How can I focus 100% on studying?

In my experience, students focus best when they a) become keenly aware of the stakes of future exams and b) eliminate distractions.

To do the latter, let tech come to the rescue. Apps like Forest, AppBlock, FocusNow!, Zero Willpower, and Cold Turkey (details above) have a reward system that most students like. More importantly, some block websites or any other online distractions so you can do revision, practice tests, etc.

3. Which study method is best for me?

If you’re preparing for an exam, it’s very effective to learn from previous examination papers. Get a hold of and do as many as you can to significantly improve your test taking strategies.

If your objective is to retain information, you might want to focus on independent study first, using flashcards and the kind of memory aid that works for you (details above).

Afterward, consider joining a study group and do peer testing. This doesn’t have to be stressful. Make it fun by organizing a competition or working in teams rather than solo.

Finally, find out what type of learner you are so you can adapt accordingly. My post talks about the VAK model, but there are others. Do an online test such as the one that uses the personality archetypes created by the famous psychologist Carl Jung.

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