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We’ve all heard the phrase “new year, new me” but what about “new year, new study habits”? The new year can be a time where you assess your current study habits to see what is working and what might be a hindrance to your success. With the new quarter set to start in a couple weeks, reflecting on your current study habits can help you prepare yourself for your upcoming workload.

Ways to improve study habits:

Set small and realistic goals – setting large goals can be overwhelming and place too much pressure on you; whereas smaller goals are more achievable and less stressful.

Don’t focus on your grade – focusing on your grade can put added stress on you and cause you to feel discouraged if that grade is not achieved; instead, focus on learning and increasing your knowledge, which will naturally produce a better grade since you’re taking in the information rather than just memorizing it.

Review the material at the end of the week – this is a good habit to develop because it will keep the information fresh in your mind instead of getting pushed back. It will decrease your likelihood of cramming before a test as well (McWilliams, 2014).

Get a study group together – If you are part of a cohort, you will be with them throughout your entire program, so getting together to review material will be very beneficial. You can review information together and someone’s strong suit might be your weakness, so you can learn from each other.

Find ways to help retain information – this can be done in several ways. Flashcards are a great way to retain information and provide a quick way to review what you’ve learned. Rewriting notes can help you take the information and put it into your own words, which reiterates what you’ve learned and helps with comprehension. Taking practice tests online can help reveal gaps in knowledge and prepare you for upcoming exams (Coursera, 2023).

Developing strong study habits before the start of a quarter can help set you up for success, and these habits will stay with you throughout your time in school. Please also read through the How to Study guide on the library’s website for more tips and resources to improve your study habits.

Coursera. (2023, November 29). 11 good study habits to develop. Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/articles/study-habits

McWilliams, F. (2014). New year, new study habits: How to make changes in the new year. Method Learning. https://info.methodlearning.com/blog/bid/103729/New-Year-New-Study-Habits-How-to-Make-Changes-in-the-New-Year

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New Year, New Study Habits