57 Examples of Study Habits

John Spacey, March 19, 2023

Study habits are repeated and sustained learning behaviors and approaches. As these are repeated many times over the course of your academic life, they can make a big difference to your results over time. Study habits have two major flavors -- productivity habits that relate to focusing and getting things done and study skills whereby you use effective techniques to learn with your time. The following are common study habits.

Analogies – develop comparisons to better understand things.	Asking questions.
Blocking – study one subject at a time.	Breaking down larger tasks into smaller ones.
Challenging assumptions in study materials.	Comparing and contrasting.
Composing a list of questions that you have.	Creating flashcards.
Creating lesson plans – how would you teach the materials to someone else?	Cultivate self-discipline and resolve.
Cultivating genuine interest and curiosity for a subject.	Doing practice tests.
Draw mind maps to organize information.	Drawing conclusions.
Drilling flashcards.	Explain concepts to someone else – learn by teaching.
Focusing for a preset period of time.	Following a study schedule.
Getting sleep and proper nutrition.	Going to libraries, cafes, outdoor spots or other places where you find you can focus more.
Highlighting key information.	Identifying assumptions.
Identifying themes in materials.	Interleaving – study multiple subjects in a single session.
Joining a study group.	Leverage spaced practice – learn over time to allow your mind to process.
List what you don’t understand yet.	Maintaining health and balance e.g. going for a jog to clear your mind for a while.
Organizing your study materials.	Paraphrasing text or summarizing a chapter.
Participate in class discussions.	Positive thinking – you can do this.
Practicing active listening – e.g. take detailed notes in class.	Practicing active reading – highlighting and making notes
Preview – read through a table of contents first.	Quiz yourself.
Read and ponder – explore your curiosity about a subject.	Reading materials to discern main points.
Reflecting on material.	Removing distractions.
Reviewing class notes.	Reviewing notes regularly.
Seeing things with a sense of humor – don’t take studying too seriously.	Setting priorities – e.g. complex and obscure topics last.
Setting specific goals for each study session.	Study early and often as opposed to cramming.
Summarizing a chapter.	Take notes while reading.
Taking concise notes.	Use a variety of sources such as textbooks, notes and web.
Use a variety of study techniques to avoid boredom.	Use abbreviations to simplify information.
Use drawings and visualizations to understand information.	Write reflections on materials.
Writing a thesis statement.	Writing an argumentative essay.
Writing an outline of materials or a topic area.

Study habits are personal and reflect how you learn and how you manage to focus and maintain some semblance of discipline. You can experiment with what works for you and improve things over time. Experimenting with different approaches can introduce variety and reduce the boredom commonly associated with intensive study.

57 Examples of Study Habits

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