Improve Your Studying With These 5 Study Hacks
Study smarter, not harder
By Toni-Ane Garland Oct 15, 2026
Studying Takes Time, So Be Efficient
It is recommended that for every class you are taking you should block out an extra hour from your day to study. Sometimes, life makes it where it is harder to have enough time to do so. During these times, you can still study with less time and retain the information. Here are 5 study hacks to remember!
Prioritize Practice Over Notes
When I was in college I found myself spending time making sure my notes were perfect. I wanted them to be properly sectioned and nicely highlighted. Don’t get me wrong, having neat notes are important, but you’re wasting precious time. Whatever notes you do have from class, create practice exercises. Our brains remember better with repetition and actions. You’ll find that through practice you will understand how concepts are used, allowing you to have a deeper understanding of them.
Write Notes After Watching Lectures
Sometimes when we are given short educational videos, we have a tendency to stop after every section and copy what was written word for word. It helps to just watch the video fully without any pauses. Then write down what you grasped from the video from memory. See how much you can write, if you couldn’t write much, you can tell you weren’t actively watching the video. Then watch it another time and add to your notes anything you missed. Why does this work?
Flow State and Momentum: Watching a continuous narrative or a well-paced Instructional Video maintains deep brain synchronization in regions responsible for attention and visual-event organization.
Avoiding Disruption: Constantly hitting pause and play can break your mental rhythm, drag out study time unnecessarily, or let your mind wander to distractions.
First-Pass Overview: Sometimes watching a segment straight through first gives you the "big picture" or context, after which you can go back and re-watch or pause on specific complex parts
Use A Timer
When you set a timer, it creates a sense of urgency which boosts your natural motivation. Also if you set a timer for 30 minutes, it makes larger tasks feel smaller. Since you adhere to a scheduled time, when you take a break, it feels more rewarding.
Know What You’re Studying Based On Priority
The key to any good study session is to have a plan. Roughly jot down which subjects to study based on priority, so you’re not studying for something that’s way down the line. If you have a Math test coming up next week, but a Science quiz isn’t until 2 weeks later, you should study Math first. Also consider your comfortability in a subject. If you know you have been performing badly in Social Studies, you should spend what little time you have left studying that.
Hold Micro-Sessions
High School students manage many classes. There’s a lot to study for and it can get overwhelming. Some of us live extremely busy lives and don’t have the time. Consider holding micro-sessions, which are tiny blocks of time you dedicate to studying while another activity is happening. For example, if you are on the bus to school, while you’re waiting, open your textbook and get to reading. Busy moms, while you are washing dishes, listen to your lectures in the background. You should always find ways to slip in time to study.
Studying will make your classes smoother. Some may find these hacks helpful, but it all comes down to your preference and learning style. What are your personal study hacks? Let us know in the comments. Last bit of advice, don’t wait until the night before to study!
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