Once in high school, regular study becomes more important. Study time is completely different to doing set homework.
Students in high school should regularly review work covered in class, summarise key ideas and do additional reading and research on topics, as well as practise tasks such as essays and maths problems.
Suggestions for effective studies
There is no one ‘best’ way to study. Students often find different methods and times to study to suit themselves. The key is regular study, not cramming before a test or exam.
Some suggestions for effective study time include:
- no mobile device use – no social media, messaging or calls during study time
- finish any homework for the day before starting study – remember they are separate
- focus on one topic at a time
- highlight class notes or handouts
- prepare summaries in your own words to revise concepts and skills learnt in class
- draw diagrams, mind maps or brainstorms to show the main ideas and links between them
- explain a topic or key concept to someone else
- prepare glossaries of technical language for the topic or course, include examples of appropriate use
- memorise short quotes
- read summaries aloud – you can record yourself and play them back while travelling
- write key concepts on flash cards with an explanation on the back to use for quick recall testing
- read widely about topics being studied – add any new information or quotes to your summary (remember, when you use words or passages from a source such as a book, article or website you must reference them and use quotation marks).
The best study is active study – not just reading pages and pages of notes. Try creating summaries and lists, drawing mind maps, practising answering questions, teaching someone else about a topic and so on. Active study helps move content from short-term to long-term memory. When reading over notes, try to read them aloud.
