A wise man once said, “It’s not who I am underneath, it’ what I do that defines me.” Even though the wise man is the caped crusader from Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, nobody can deny the aptness of this statement. Interestingly, this applies to you as well (even if you don’t fight crime in a spandex suit). Your habits do define you.
Talking about habits, students are often accused of developing certain habits that affect their studies. The worst part is that students don’t even realise the impact of these habits until it’s too late. If you are trying to identify which study habits are good for your academics and which aren’t, this blog can serve as the roadmap to your quest.
Here are the most common study habits that have a major influence on a student’s academic career:
Leaving everything for the eleventh hour:
Procrastination does not require any introduction. We are all guilty of giving in to this habit every now and then. And since it seems rewarding in the beginning, most students fall for it right away. How many times did you have to skip your sleep to finish your assignment? Probably, too many times. You wouldn’t have to sacrifice your naptime if you could just start early.
However, an early start is always a better option between the two. Prepare a time table and try to stick to it. This will remind you of all the things you need to do by the end of the day.
Relying heavily on the internet:
Thanks to the expansion of the internet, accessing necessary information has gotten a lot easier. Students don’t need to visit the library and spend hours to look for research materials. They can simply do a keyword search and get the information in just a few seconds. However, there’s a downside to this practice.
The Internet is an open platform where anyone can post anything. So, there is no guarantee that everything that’s found on the internet is true. If you use online data to support your arguments without verifying its authenticity, your assignment may lose its credibility. It is always recommended to verify the source of information before using it for research, especially if it’s from the internet.
Skipping classes for fun:
I don’t want to sound like your grumpy old teacher, but skipping classes is not as cool as you might think. If you have another engagement or in case you are feeling under the weather, then you are allowed to take the day off. However, if you just want to chill with your buddies instead of attending the school/college, it might not be great for your academics.
What most students don’t realise is that a majority of the questions for the final exams are mostly based on the lectures. So, if you skip the class on a regular basis, you may miss out on a lot of things that can help you score better in the finals. Also, the professors often share insights about certain topics in the class that you cannot find in the textbook.
Finishing all the chapters in one night:
Since most students have the tendency to procrastinate until the last minute, they often need to finish the entire syllabus at one go. That way, they might be able to cover the whole paper in one night, but a human brain can only remember a limited amount of information. If it is flooded with new information at once, it only remembers the information in bits and pieces.
Unless you have an eidetic memory like Dr Sheldon Cooper, your last-minute effort is not going to save you during the exams. It is better if you study one chapter a day. It is also useful if you study different subjects on alternate days. Obviously, you need to start early for that. Otherwise, you will be risking your grades.
Favouring multi-tasking:
Multitasking is a useful skill that can save a lot of time. However, it is not beneficial for the students. A study done by the researchers at the University of Michigan suggests that multitasking can slow down productivity by a significant amount. Unfortunately, most students are oblivious to the fact, and they pursue multitasking anyway.
You may have found yourself checking your mobile phone while studying. That’s a common thing for millennials. While you may think you deserve the break (which isn’t wrong), checking the phone too many times can disrupt your concentration. That is just one example of multitasking. It will be better if you dedicate your focus on one task at a time, and then go to the next one.
Not asking questions in the class:
Most teachers complain that students don’t ask questions in the class. It’s not that the students aren’t inquisitive. It is the fear of embarrassment that stops them from asking questions. Most students are convinced that asking a question can make them look stupid in front of the whole class. So, they prefer to stay quiet. And that has turned into a habit now.
If you have a genuine query regarding the lecture, you should clarify it by talking to your professor. Also, students don’t clarify their doubts in the class because they are guided by the assumption that the internet has all the answers to their queries. If you really want a better understanding of the lessons, have a little faith in your teachers and communicate with them.
To conclude,
“Old habits die hard.” And it is going to be harder to get rid of them if you do not recognize them in the first place. I am not of the opinion that all study habits are bad. There are plenty of common habits that boost the academic performance of a student. However, the bad ones are more prevalent. Now that you know all about the common ones, I hope that you will work on them to build a better future for yourself.
PS: Author provides students with CPM Homework help
