25 Powerful Study Habits Of Highly Successful Students

It is no fairy tale that many students gain admission but only one emerges successfully as the best graduating student. Do you know why? It is because such successful students have come to understand that there are certain habits that must be strictly adhered to, for academic excellence.

These habits are what I am about to open your eyes to without reservations. To be an excellent high school, college or university student, there are certain poor habits you need to drop like trash!

Similarly, there are exceptional habits you need to imbibe day in and day out to become part of you.

These success habits are what differentiates a student struggling to pass exams from a student excelling effortlessly. They are habits that push you to cross over that thin line between an average B and an excellent A.

If your hands are not too busy, you can pick up your pen and note down these strategic habits I am about to show you to become a successful high school, college or university student.

It works for all categories of students, anyway.

1. Do not read under pressure 

Pressure makes you understand less. Pressure is a contrasting force that makes you want so much information than your brain can absorb easily at the moment.

You only end up reading to absorb temporarily and if you are asked about what you just read, it may take you several minutes to recollect.

Why? Because you read under pressure, you rushed, you didn’t take your time, and you want to cover your booklet within the limited time you have within your grasp.

It does not work that way. Keep calm. You need to understand how to read to absorb at your convenient pace and that will take me to habit number 2 habit of successful students.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

2. Read early enough

Do not wait until the exam timetable of your college or university is passed before you get the motivation to read. Instead, motivate yourself to read as early as the semester or term begins. Read it without the pressure of having to think about how prepared you are for the next day’s exam.

When you read in this manner, you tend to enjoy every bit of it. You can even make a game out of it, play music to take a break and take enough time to ask yourself about what you have gained at the end of the day.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

3. Jot down your words

As a studious student, after you might have finished reading, you should jot down what you have assimilated in a separate book. That is how to be successful at what you do as a student in school.

You could name the book whatever you deem fit for it. Examples are my preparation book, my memory book, my success book. What you write in the book is what flows out of your mind naturally; it sticks better because you wrote it from the understanding of what you have read.

Now, compare what you have written in your success book to what is in your lecture note, if it is not out of line or context, then you are a genius already.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

4. Take a break and continue

To become a highly successful student in high school, college and university, you need to learn to read at length. Reading for eight hours or more is no big deal as long as you have your goal in mind.

Your goal here is to be a highly successful student.

However, when you get tired of reading, you could take a short break; make a call, chew on something, chat with a friend online, stretch your legs, take a selfie (Lol.), and then continue from where you stopped until you have exhausted the number of hours you planned to use.

You must have covered or almost covered your lecture notes by then.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

5. Learn from your colleagues 

It is a known fact that asides from you, there are other serious-minded students in your class. Amazingly, these people are like-minded when it comes to academic goals and they also love to discuss with people who think in their direction.

It is your obligation to discover such people in your class. Most of them are not the loud extroverts that you see hanging around the classroom all the time, they spend more time in the library or to themselves; they use their time judiciously and ensure they are not distracted by too many events.

Reach out to them, know what they are also working on, rub minds together on your latest findings and it wouldn’t be bad to become a friend to a fellow outstanding student. Remember, birds of a feather flock together.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

6. Relate with your lecturers 

Your lecturers are paid to teach you what you need to know as a student. You need to open up to them if there is something you do not quite understand about their lecture notes or explanations.

Visit their offices to know more about what you were taught in class; you could go with a friend if you do not feel comfortable going alone.

This will portray you as a serious-minded student to your lecturer and he will be willing to spend more time explaining the details to you. All you need is to assemble your thoughts together and know why you want more explanations before you finally show up in his or her office.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

7. Research

At the end of the class, you could also go ahead to do your personal research using library books or online information such as Quora.

Valuable and useful information now flies everywhere on the internet, pick two or three online sources and add their examples, definitions, charts, graphs, pictures, explanations and illustrations to whatever has been given to you in class.

If you prefer to use the library, pick books related to the topic and read wide, compare and contrast, add to the knowledge you already have and pen it down into your success book.

With this, when your lecturer sees the extras in your exam sheets, he will be quite impressed that you went further from what he has given. The truth is, no lecturer or examiner will see such extra work and not try to take note of such an intellectual student.

 

 

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

Read: A blind student who graduated as the 4th best student

8. Ask questions

If you don’t understand something, ask questions. Are you confused? ask questions. If you got a different explanation for your question, ask again.

Your questions were roughly answered, ask again. The time is short to ask questions, just ask quickly. If you do not feel good about the analysis, ask questions.

A different view from everyone else? ask questions. Heard something similar to the crux of the matter but a different approach was used, ask questions. If you do not have an idea of the process or conclusion, ask questions.

If bored with the class (Lol), ask questions. Asking questions helps you to think more and be alert.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

9. Have a reasonable reading group

There are other people out there too that are keen on becoming highly successful students and all you have to do is to locate them and speak to them about the purpose of the group and its impact on individual members of the group.

When you get a positive response, you can agree on a meeting spot and time for your reading schedules. It is also important that highly successful students in a group adhere strictly to the rules of the group to ensure its sustainability.

If this doesn’t work for you as a person, that is, you don’t like studying in groups, you could forgo this idea. I understand we all have different things that work for different people.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

10. Do your assignments on time

If given an assignment in class, do it on time. Research in the library and go online for more information on the assignment. If you do not know how to go about it, refer back to numbers 6 and number 8 of this article.

If that does not help, refer to your reading group and discuss with others, who knows who might be of help in your group.

Else, attempt the assignment in your own little way, it will shock you that you are on your way to getting it right or very close to the right answer because you did your own due diligence.

This is the right process to become a successful student in school. No room for mediocrity.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

11. Know your marking scheme

It is clearly evident that all courses and subjects have a marking scheme that the examiner uses to mark your scores and grade you.

The marking scheme shows the gravity of the scores allocated. If a particular question gives you more marks, you need to give it more attention and ensure you get it right.

If the time is not on your side, you need to ignore the questions with smaller marks and concentrate on the questions with bigger marks before your time runs out.

Some universities and colleges have a printout of their marking schemes, which entails how a student should answer a question to get the full mark.

If such a printout is within your reach, get it and study it well to know how well to answer your exam questions when the time comes.

15 habits of highly successful students
15 habits of highly successful students

Read: How to concentrate on studies when in love

12 Read with fun

Yes! Reading can be fun for those who know what brings them relief. For some, it is listening to music while reading and for others; it is eating while reading (Funny right?).

At this point, you need to know what works for you, the target is to read as much as possible to cover up your notes and keep you well-prepared for your tests, assessment and examinations.

When you are well prepared for an exam, you need not indulge in exam malpractice or feel inadequately prepared. Reading adequately is what makes you walk into the exam hall with your shoulders high.

A guy smiling at his books
15 habits of highly successful students

13. Finish your syllabus

I have mentioned severally in this article that you should strive to read the whole of your notes. Weak-minded students will say it is not possible but strong-willed students will agree with me that it is highly possible.

Whether you think it is possible or not, your lectures will not spare you the headache of regretting how you almost read that part of your note that came out as your high-mark question.

Even the bible says whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all diligence. So read with all diligence, my pal.

A guy trying to cover up his books
15 habits of highly successful students

14. Learn from your tests

It is not a bad thing to have more wrong scores than right scores but learn from them so that you won’t fall victim the second time.

If after you receive your unfavourable test results, you still sit relaxed as if nothing happened, then you are not ready to be a highly successful student.

Smartness teaches you to learn from your mistakes and improve your acts. Work on your weakness and maintain your strength.

failed tests
15 habits of highly successful students

15. Revise and Revise

After reading your notes, you should revise. Do this from time to time. It will make your notes fresh in your head.

It gets easier as you do it more often which makes you an expert. By the time you revise for the last time, a few minutes before the exam time, your brain becomes photographic.

Then the pages of your notes will play in your head like the popular prison break season film. Lol.

For you to be a highly effective and successful student at any level of life, you need to repeat these habits day in, day out. Make them a part of you. Make sure you do not feel comfortable when you don’t do them.

Give attention to the details of your academics and you will see yourself climbing the ladder of success.

A girl revising her books
15 habits of highly successful students

16. Do not try to compete

If you look closely at successful students, you will notice they didn’t even plan to become the best. They just wanted to do well personally.

Then they noticed that the initial success brought a handful of positive things and they just continued to maintain it, without having to brag about it.

When it comes to the consequences of actions, it shouldn’t be a matter of competition but a personal decision.

One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater personal goals.

17. Don’t Try To Do All Of Your Studying In One Sitting

Have you ever stayed up late studying only to find that keeping your eyes open required more effort than studying itself?

 If so, a change is necessary. Successful students rarely attempt to squeeze all of their studies into just one or two nights and instead spread it out across shorter periods of time.

You must strive to be persistent in your studying and to have frequent, albeit briefer, study sessions if you want to be a successful student.

Read: Foods that boost your memory

18. Study Simultaneously

Not only should you schedule when you’ll study, but you should also establish a regular, daily study schedule.

Studying will become a routine part of your life if you do it at the same time every day and every week. Each study session will be more fruitful since you’ll be psychologically and emotionally more prepared.

It’s acceptable if occasionally unexpected occurrences force you to alter your plans, but you should immediately resume your regular schedule after the event has gone.

19. Have A Clear Objective For Every Study Session

Without a plan, simply studying is ineffective. You must be well aware of your objectives for each study session.

Set a study session aim that complements your overall academic goal before you begin. This strategy will help you to study smart for exams in less time.

20. Never Put Off Your Schedule

It is very simple and frequent to put off studying since you don’t care about the subject, you have other things to do, or the task is challenging.

Successful students DON’T put off doing their homework.

The effectiveness of your study session will decrease if you put off starting it, and you risk not finishing what needs to be finished.

Rushing is the primary source of mistakes, and procrastination causes it as well.

21. Before Beginning An Assignment, Always Go Over Your Notes.

Naturally, you must have notes to review before you can analyze your notes. Make careful to always take thorough notes in class.

Review your notes carefully to ensure you are aware of how to accomplish the assignment before beginning each study session and any individual task.

Reviewing your notes can help you remember key information you learned during the day and ensure that your studying is focused and efficient.

35 SELF-HELP SOLUTIONS TO STOP EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE

22. The Most Challenging Topic Should Come First

You should begin with your most challenging assignment or subject because it will demand the greatest effort and concentration.

The remainder of your work will be much simpler to finish once you’ve finished the hardest task.

Unbelievably, beginning with the subject that is the most challenging will significantly increase the efficiency of your studying and your academic results.

23. Be Careful Not to Be Distracted

Everyone becomes sidetracked occasionally. It might be the TV or it may be your family. Or perhaps it’s just too silent.

Some individuals learn more effectively when there is some background noise.

Being distracted when studying will cause you to lose focus and your line of thought, both of which will make your studying very ineffective.

Find a quiet area to study so that you won’t be interrupted or distracted before you begin. This is a peaceful cubicle in the back of the library for some folks. For others, it’s in a public space with some background noise.

29 PIECES OF ADVICE FOR STUDENTS STARTING UNIVERSITY

24. Find What Works for You and Do It.

Never study while you’re feeling weary or sleepy, according to successful students.

In order to focus better on their studies when they get home and settle down with their books or notes, effective students discover ways to recharge when their energy is low (such as going for a walk around the block or eating a snack).

Successful students can identify their own study “rhythms” and plan their workload accordingly.

25. Be self-motivated to study

If your purpose of studying hard is to compete with others, then frustration might get to you when you don’t.

However, when you are self-motivated and always trying to be a better version of yourself; whether you fall or rise, you are not under pressure.

That pressure itself is a killer of success. When you are easily self-motivated to study, you will discover your own strength effortlessly. One of your drives could be to win a scholarship opportunity abroad. This video below shares some insights as regards that.

Good luck to the successful student that you are. Kindly share with others.

There’s an online community specially created for you to get all the motivation and vibes you need to succeed as a student.

Do you want to join this great community of students from all around the world?

Click here

 

Join the community below for more free tips

Explicit Success Scholars Facebook community

Explicit Success Scholars Telegram community

Share with love

Post Author: Abimbola Joseph

Abimbola Joseph is a creative content developer who derives pleasure in encouraging individuals to be the best they can be in all relevant facets of life. She believes that we all have a better version of ourselves which can be leveraged to impact others and make the world a better place. Connect with me on Instagram @abimbolajoe.

2 Replies to “25 Powerful Study Habits Of Highly Successful Students”

  1. Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after checking through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *