I will be honest with you. I was that person in high school that rarely, if ever, studied and still made good grades. That worked for me...in high school. A thing that I have noticed, however, is that if I really want to retain things in the long term, I actually need to study now. As do a lot of other people I’m guessing. Therefore, I have some simple study tips that I myself have picked up.

1. Consistency

Study at least a little bit every day. Yeah, yeah… I know. You just need those weekends so that you can let go and not have to focus on school. Well, I’m not trying to stop your weekend plans. I’m just asking you to make time during that weekend to study just a tiny bit. No, it won’t take you five hours. Whatever fragments of time you have during the weekend, just use those to memorize for a little bit.

2. Stop Procrastinating

This is a good tip for anything, but it’s an even better tip when it comes to studying or doing homework. Do not tell yourself you will study after you play just one more match in a video game or after you watch just one episode. I’ve been there, I feel your pain, but chances are, you’ll play more than just one match and you’ll watch more than just one episode. Then you’ll feel stressed when you finally finish goofing off and realize that you have no more time. Do it beforehand, then you won’t have to worry the whole time you watch those three seasons.

3. Flash Cards

Honestly, before now, I’ve always hated flash cards. They took a long time to make and by the time I finished them, I had no desire to study. Now, however, I realize the only time they take a long time is when you’re making them. Otherwise, they’re really easy to carry around and you can even bring them with you and get a few minutes of studying anytime you’re waiting anywhere. On top of that, if you don’t want to tote around those flashcards, you can even download an app to make flashcards online and carry your flashcards on your phone.I personally recommend quizlet. It’s super convenient!

4. Have a buddy assist you

Whether it’s a buddy from class that you can study with or just a really nice friend, using this method is beneficial. If you have the flashcards from the third tip or if you just have a paper with definitions on it, this tip will work for you. It’s simple, all you have to do is get the friend to read the question or definition to you and you answer it. Even if you get it wrong, it will help you if you get your friend to tell you what you missed. Then you can turn around and have them tell you the answer and you tell them the question/definition. This is a valuable form of studying, because you’re hearing information both from yourself and others. The more you recite something or hear someone else reciting something, the easier you will remember it. It helps even more if you and your buddy are taking turns answering, because once you’re the question asker, you will both see the definition and hear it from someone else. Even if you don’t have a buddy, just read it aloud to yourself. Hearing things really makes them easier to remember.

I hope you consider using some of these tips for your classes. It’s never too late to form good studying habits!