There are at least 13 good study habits that you can develop. Explore the full list so that you can use the tips to do them effectively, and find out the psychological reasons why they work.

By gaining effective study habits now, you can expand your knowledge throughout your life.

Anybody can develop good study habits to make studying more effective, efficient, and enjoyable.

A great way to begin is to start small with one or two new habits and work your way up to bigger changes.

It’s also important to set realistic and achievable goals for yourself.

Of course, it is no secret that you need to study to gain new knowledge and earn good grades.

However, creating an effective study plan isn’t easy – if it were, every student would get straight As.

It can be especially challenging when juggling competing responsibilities, such as having to do well in your CCA, attending tuition lessons for most of the subjects you are taking in school, or wanting to lead a balanced social life.

Luckily, you’re not doomed to poor grades or late-night cramming sessions.

With the right strategies and a little practice, you can develop good study habits and improve your academic performance.

You’ve probably heard your teachers lecturing (nagging?) about the importance of studying, especially in the weeks leading up to a major test.

But what are good study habits, and how can you gain them?

Here are 13 effective learning habits to help you ace your next exam and to get more out of your study hours.

Take a closer look at how you can implement each of these habits:

1. Learn How To Take Notes During Class

It all starts with taking quality notes during class.

Think of these resources like a blueprint or map – the more detailed, accurate, and thorough your notes, the easier it will be to build your knowledge.

You might assume you should scribble down everything the teacher says, but that’s not the most productive approach.

Instead, you should focus on capturing key concepts and making connections between ideas.

Sketchnoting is one of the most effective and fun note-taking strategies. It combines hand-drawn pictures and text to record key information.

You might draw doodles to represent critical concepts and use arrows to connect related ideas.

This approach can help you retain information more easily.

For example, if you need to remember the structure of a water molecule, you can visualize the illustration you drew in your notes.

No matter which method you choose, create a backup of your notes.

You can take a photo of handwritten notes or upload digital ones to the cloud.

That way, you won’t have to worry about losing them before your study sessions – and exams.

2. Use Spaced Repetition And Take Practice Tests

Movies and TV dramas often show students having last minute cram sessions all night, overnight right before a test, but you have to resist the urge.

Trying to cram everything at once will only leave you exhausted and stressed – not how you want to feel before a major exam.

Instead, use spaced repetition to master your study material without burning out.

This evidence-based technique involves reviewing information at different intervals to improve attention and retention.

For example, you might study every other day for a week, then once a week during the month leading up to a test.

Cramming all of your studying might help you get a better grade on a test, but studies show that spacing your study session out over a longer period of time can help you retain the material you learn.

Really holding onto the material you learned (and making exam seasons less stressful) requires consistent and well-spaced study sessions.

Instead of saving your studying before a test, briefly review the material you learned once a week.

If you are studying for an exam, space out your studying up to several weeks (or even months, depending on the test) leading up to the exam day. This can help you retain the information long term.

Practice tests are another excellent way to reinforce what you’ve learned.

Tests and practice tests have been long seen as useful tools to help students learn and retain information.

Besides revealing gaps in knowledge and reducing exam anxiety, being tested makes us retrieve information from memory – a powerful, science-proven way of holding onto information we’ve learned.

Don’t have a practice exam?

You can use several ways to “test” yourself and gain the same benefits.

Try using your own words.

Expressing an idea in your own words increases your understanding of a subject and helps your brain hang on to information.

After you read a section of text, summarize important points by paraphrasing.

Many websites offer free quizzes on every subject that are taught in Singapore schools.

These active learning techniques will help you find gaps in your knowledge, so you can fill these knowledge gaps before the real test.

3. Focus and Take Breaks

Every great study routine includes regular breaks.

According to a 2022 meta-analysis, resting for even ten minutes can improve focus and reduce fatigue.

You may feel tempted to scroll through Instagram or TikTok during your break, but don’t get sucked into the social media vortex.

Instead, avoid looking at your devices, and give yourself a quick mental reset.

One effective method is to take a short walk to soak up the fresh air outdoors, enjoy a small snack.

When you return to your study table, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to hit the books again.

4. Prioritize High-Intensity Focus Sessions

Pacing is key to building good study habits.

Short, highly focused study sessions are typically more effective than long, boring ones.

You can create a productive study routine where you set a timer for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break.

After you repeat these intervals four times, reward yourself with a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

Another common system is to work for around 50 minutes, then give yourself a 15- to 20-minute break.

This method will help you strike the right balance between active studying and rest.

When you decide the best amount of study time, you can schedule breaks.

Taking intentional breaks has been linked to better retention, increased attention, and boosts in energy.

A few ways you can give yourself a break include:

1. Take a short walk
2. Listen to a mood-boosting song
3. Relax with a friend
4. Stretch
5. Meditate
6. Zone out and daydream
7. Have a snack
8. Take a shower
9. Clean your desk or room

5. Eliminate Distractions

Let’s face it: It’s easy to get sidetracked while studying, especially if you’re looking for excuses to procrastinate.

Maybe you keep glancing at your phone, or a family member interrupts you.

Before you know it, you’re unfocused and can’t remember anything you’ve been studying.

Avoid this issue by eliminating distractions.

Leave your phone and smartwatch in another room, and ask your family and friends to respect your study time.

Picking a good location to study can be the first step in keeping yourself focused on your work.

But you will encounter many types of distractions that can reach you no matter where you choose to work. Some tips on minimizing these distractions include:

Turn off your Wi-Fi: If you’re working on a computer and you don’t need your Wi-Fi, try turning it off. This can prevent you from inadvertently wandering into the distracting parts of the internet.

Be mindful of your phone: If you find yourself distracted by your phone, you can take steps to minimize the intrusion. Turning off your notifications, keeping your phone out of sight in your bag, or giving it to a friend to keep you from checking it too often can help you stay focused.

Study with a friend: Sometimes studying with a friend or two, whether or not you’re working on the same material, can help keep you accountable and focused. Make sure you each are on the same page about studying and keeping one another distraction-free, at least until it’s time to take a break.

6. Organize A Conducive Study Space

Establishing a conducive study place is essential to developing a good study plan.

If you prefer to study from home, set up a desk and add lighting to help you focus. If you’d rather go out, look for quiet coffee shops and libraries.

Of course, a study space isn’t just a specific location; it’s also a state of mind.

Avoid studying when you’re in a bad mood, and make sure you have a set amount of time without interruptions from other life commitments.

Finding a good location to study is one of the most important elements of studying well.

Look for a place with minimal distractions and an environment where you feel you can focus.

A school or public library, a coffee shop, or a quiet corner of your house can all be good places to start, and you can experiment to find the best study environment for you.

Should I stick to one place to study? Not necessarily. As researcher Dr. Tracey Tokuhaa-Espinosa explains to Harvard Summer School, the “right” environment often changes.

“Sometimes you need to be in a busy, crowded space and do your work … other times, you need to be quiet.

Different people need different things at different times to reach the same goal.

It can be beneficial to find three or four places you like to study and switch locations when you’re feeling stuck or need a change of pace.

That said, everybody is different. Find what works best for you.

7. Create A Structured Study Schedule And Goals

Set yourself up for success by creating a study schedule.

Use a calendar to block out specific times to work on each class and stick to your plan.

This schedule should be practical and feasible, so make unachievable plans like you will study for 10 hours every day during the 3 months before your national exams.

You should also use the SMART framework to create goals that are:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-relevant

Goal setting allows you to plan and focus your time to study more efficiently.

Whenever you achieve small wins, you’ll feel more motivated to keep studying.

8. Master Task Prioritization And Time Management

Time management is critical for creating good study habits.

Schedule your study sessions for your most productive periods, such as the morning or after your siblings go to bed.

If you’re not sure where to start, divide your tasks into four categories:

1. Urgent and important
2. Not urgent but important
3. Urgent but not important
4. Not urgent and not important

You can free up more time for studying by delegating or ignoring tasks that are unimportant and not urgent.

9. The Importance Of Rewarding And Taking Care Of Yourself

As you work on gaining effective study habits, don’t forget to take time for self-care.

According to a 2024 study, getting adequate sleep and staying hydrated can improve cognitive performance and mood.

Eating a healthy diet also helps you stay energized and focused.

Research dating back to the 1960s shows that rewarding yourself with treats – “bribing” yourself – can help you accomplish the tasks you don’t want to do by promising yourself something you do want.

Telling yourself you’ll get a small reward if you finish the section you wanted to get through, or perhaps a larger reward if you have a productive day of studying, can be good motivation to get to your goal.

Small rewards can be a candy bar, a hot drink from your favorite coffee shop, a quick game of your choice, or a short episode of a TV show.

Bigger rewards for a long day of studying or getting done with an exam can include getting your favorite meal, spending some time relaxing with friends, or making time for your favorite activity.

Your brain is a vital organ take care of it by taking care of yourself.

Get regular exercise, eat well, stay hydrated, get good sleep, and take care of your mental well-being.

Sleep: Getting regular and consistent sleep can increase cognitive function, including helping you pay better attention and do better on tests. Everybody’s sleep needs differ, but people typically need between seven and eight-and-a-half hours of sleep a night. Plus, getting more sleep can make you happier and benefit your social life.

Food: Try to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, plant sources of proteins, nuts, and unsaturated oils like olive oil into your diet, all of which have been linked to better cognitive performance.

Exercise: Exercise brings oxygen to the part of your brain responsible for thought, encourages the development of new nerve cells, and boosts brain cell connections. This makes for brains that are more neuroplastic and efficient – plus it brings a host of other health benefits, like lower blood pressure, reduced mental stress, and weight control.

Mental wellness: Mental health is important because it helps us deal with stress, improves our relationships with others, allows us to live more meaningfully, and be more productive in our work. Exercising, eating well, and getting good sleep can boost our mental health. But you can use other ways of fortifying mental strength, such as connecting with others, practicing gratitude, meditating, and developing a sense of meaning in life.

10. How Can I Focus 100% On Studying?

Avoiding distractions will help you achieve total focus.

Find a quiet place to study, and don’t let yourself get distracted by technology.

11. Set Study Goals For Each Session

Set study goals for each session of studying you have.

These can be time-based or content-based.

For example, you might aim to study for two hours or review three chapters of your textbook – or both.

Be gentle with yourself if you didn’t get through as much material as you had planned; sometimes studying can take longer than expected.

Keep taking well-spaced breaks, and schedule another study session.

12. What Is The Best Study Method?

For many students in Singapore, spaced repetition is one of the most effective study methods.

It involves reviewing the same material at increasing intervals to improve recall and retention.

13. Ask For Help

You might find yourself stuck on a problem or unable to understand the explanation in a textbook.

Somebody who can walk through the issue with you might provide the fresh explanation you need.

Approach your teacher or tuition teacher, friend, or classmate for new ways to understand what you’re stuck on.

Study habits like minimizing distractions, rewarding yourself, and asking for help can help you get the most out of your study sessions.

Forming good habits can be difficult, but starting with small, achievable steps can set you up to have consistent study habits for the rest of your life.