How to Study More Efficiently
Being a High School student requires a lot of hard work when it comes to studying. We go to school five days a week and after school the studying is not over; because then homework must be done. Also many extra curricular activities require studying, like the theory in many sports or the process of receiving a driver’s licence. In the society today students have to study hard to obtain good grades which takes a lot of time. Luckily, there are several ways to improve your learning by studying more efficiently.
To see how much time teens in High School spend on studying I made a survey. The survey shows a result of 60 students at VRG Djursholm and how many hours they study per day. The survey indicates that the average teen studies about 1,5 to 2 hours a day. However, the students also said that this was just an average estimation and that during some weeks they have to study more. VRG is one of the most high achieving High Schools in Stockholm where the students graduate with a grade point average of 18 according to a post on Stockholmskatalogen.se. Therefore this is the result of motivated and hardworking students. 
As a VRG student myself I also study about 1,5 hours a day. Some weeks less and some weeks a lot more, depending on how busy the test schedule is. In my spare time I run track, play the piano, hang out with friends, do chores and study for my drivers licence. Among all these activities, school has always been my priority since it is the foundation for my future. Therefore my other interests and activities have sometimes been suffering in the past when there has been a lot in school. Now, after learning how to study more efficiently I feel that I have much more time for extracurricular activities. Learning how to study more efficiently is not very hard and in the following text I will explain several scientifically proven study techniques that will help you studying more efficiently too.
One way of studying more efficiently is by varying the studying which can be done in two different ways. The first way is to alternate the study location. An online article from US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health shows the result from a research about the efficiency of varying the study place. The article says that if we study in different places, like one day at the kitchen table and the next day at the public library, it will help us remember what we study better. Changing the studying location will force the brain to create new associations with the subject you are studying which will make the memory of the subject stronger.
The second way the studying can be varied is by studying more than one topic at a time. For example, instead of studying one hour of just maths, divide the hour by three. Study 20 minutes maths, then 20 minutes Spanish and lastly 20 minutes biology. The American Psychological Association has a research saying that by varying subject often the brain learns different strategies and adapts to the topic faster. Because of the adapting process the brain tends to remember the study sessions better.
Another way that will make you study more efficiently is by taking breaks. The breaks will help to improve your focus while learning and this is shown in another study by US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. The best break that will benefit your learning is a work out. According to an article in BBC News, exercise will increase the focus of the brain even more. The exercise will improve the brain processing speed and helps you learn faster.
“Study before going to bed”
My last tip is to study before going to bed. This tip might sound strange since it is very important to sleep to be able to learn. Certainly sleep is very important and I do not want this tip to make you stay up longer, but it is a good idea that instead of using your phone before bed, read some in your textbook. A research from University of Notre Dame, Indiana, shows that studying before going to sleep will help you remember and processing the material better. During sleep the brain strengthens new memories and therefore studying before falling asleep might help you. Furthermore it can also be beneficial to take naps during long study sessions since the memories will strengthen. Just make sure not to nap for too long so you will disrupt your sleeping schedule!
To summarize the main strategies of studying more efficiently is to vary both location and subject while studying. Take work out breaks and study before sleep. I hope you will find these tips helpful in your everyday life and that they will help you receive more free time. Finally I want to wish your studies good luck and I hope these tips will help you to achieve the goals you reach for.
Skribent: Sofia Persson
Bilden tillhör Sofia Persson