Study Habits

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• Develop a study routine and follow it exactly, every time. I'm not saying that you should schedule your life away. But having an efficient study time will allow you to free up the rest of your day. Keeping a planning notebook will  help you balance your time. "Time is the stuff life is made of," use it well!
• In making your study schedule, don't study each subject for the same amount of time. If you are studying material that requires figuring out what the author is saying, study for a longer period of time. If you are studying new material, you should break it up into small chunks that you devote part of every day to study. However these study periods should be shorter, about one-half hour each day. If you are reviewing old material, it may not take as much time or need to be as frequent. In memorizing, study for a period of 15-30 minutes, then do something else; go back to the memorizing if you have not learned it the first time.  
• Study periods should scheduled for appropriate lengths of time. Its important that they are neither too short nor too long. If the period is too short, you will not have time to get into the subject and may end up wasting your time. If the study period is too long, you may become tired or bored and won't remember much of what you study. Its better to break study up into small manageable chunks than burn out cramming to late.
• While a class in "underwater basket weaving" may not seem to have any direct influence on your career plans, it may serve a useful purpose in your education, such as teaching you patience. Develop a good attitude toward each class. If you try to see the reason behind taking each course it will make your studies more meaningful.
• The environment in which you study can have a big effect on how efficient your study time is. Check your place of study for the following conditions:
• Comfort - Make yourself comfortable, but not too comfortable. A desk and straight-backed chair is usually best. Never study in bed, your bed is a place to sleep, not study, and you'll find out that if you study there sleeping is about the only thing you will get done.
• Equipment - Have everything you need nearby. You might want to buy a school supply organizer/box to keep all of your pencils, paper, dictionaries, calculators, etc. organized and close at hand. You don't want to spend your valuable study time jumping up and down getting things.
• Interruptions - Eliminate interruptions. Try posting a "do not disturb sign" on your door and turning on your answering machine. If this still isn't enough go somewhere where people can't reach you like to the park or the library.
• Lighting - Place your light opposite your dominant hand so you don't have to deal with shadows while your writing and don't place your light too close to your work.
• Neatness - No, I'm not your mother, but when it comes to studying neatness counts. You need plenty of room to work so don't let yourself be cramped by a dirty desk. don't be cramped. Your study time will go better if you take a few minutes at the start to straighten things up.
• Noise - Minimize distracting noise. Find out what kind of noise level works for you. Some people work better with some sound and some like silence. Find what works for you and adjust your environment. If you need absolute silence try studying at the library and not in your dorm room. Your roommate may be terrific but they may be a distraction.
• Temperature - If your room is too hot or cold you can't concentrate. Its always better to be a little cool than hot. You can always throw on a sweatshirt.