As summer comes to an end, and the new school year is gearing up, it is time to prepare for the upcoming school year by reminding students of good habits and study behaviors. Implementing these 8 study habits into daily routines, will guide students through the upcoming school year by giving them the advantage of preparedness.

#1- Keep an Updated Calendar

Organization is key to setting yourself up for success. During the school year, random responsibilities and assignments will be thrown at you at the last minute. It is extremely helpful to have your responsibilities you already have set up, written down, to put you in the best position for when these hurdles are thrown at you. Keeping a calendar helps you to lay out your day to day schedules that will help lead to less stress.

#2- Write Down Goals 

Keeping an up to date list of a few goals can be motivational to push you to achieve your goals during the stressful school year. A popular method for goal setting is writing down 3 goals that you could accomplish in the short term and 3 to accomplish in the long term. Applying this to school, you could do quarterly goals and yearly goals. Being able to cross goals off and having a written reminder of what you would like to achieve, gives motivation to persevere during hard times and get to the end!

#3- Dedicate Time Everyday For Your Goals

Writing down goals is not the only important part of setting yourself up for success. Dedicating time everyday to make progress on what you want to accomplish is even more pivotal than just writing down the goals you have. This step is what turns your goals into a reality. Staying motivated can be hard, especially toward the end of the year, but even giving yourself 15-30 minutes everyday will make you thank yourself at the end. 

#4- Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is the most important part of keeping yourself stimulated and able to function at your best during the school year. As the days are longer and filled with less stimulating activities during the school year, being able to get proper sleep not only prevents falling asleep during classes, but allows your brain to function at a higher level, along with better focus and concentration for your school days. It is important to note that sleep schedules are especially important for teenagers because of brain development. 

#5- Stay on a Study Schedule 

Consistency is key with any sort of goal. Similar to step number 3, making sure to make time to study is important, though might not be enough to keep you engaged and learning. Taking breaks after a certain amount of time studying and stopping studying after a certain time at night. It has been proven that pushing yourself in the timing of studying can have a negative effect on learning. 

#6- Pay Attention In Class/Be Aware and Alert When Learning

Though it might seem obvious, being aware while you’re physically in class and participating in class conversations can reduce major stress and the need to additionally study and spend time making up for missed information. The effects of not being an active listener in school can be the cause of many things bothering students and cause additional stress in organizing time and tutors to get involved. 

#7- Ask For Help When Needed

When times start to get harder and more is put up on your plate, make sure to ask your teachers or instructors for help. Even asking simple questions for clarification can give you an advantage rather than sometimes spending hours of time independently to relearn information using internet resources.