11 Good Study Habits to Develop

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. 

Learn more about how to develop great study habits. 

Good study habits to develop

These 11 tips can help you get more out of your study hours. Try these ideas to improve your study habits:

1. Find a good place to study.

2. Minimize distractions.

3. Determine the best amount of study time.

4. Space out your studying.

5. Set study goals for each session.

6. Reward yourself.

7. Study with a group.

8. Take practice tests.

9. Use your own words.

10. Ask for help.

11. Take care of yourself.

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

1. Find a good place to study.

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 loud, noisy 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 [1]. 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.

2. Minimize distractions.

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. You might also try a focus app, like Forest or Focus To-Do, that can block distracting apps and set timers for study sessions.

• 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.

Should I listen to music while I study?

Listening to music while you study has some benefits; it can boost your mood and calm anxiety or stress. Stick with calming, wordless songs while studying, and save the upbeat numbers for breaks.

3. Determine the best amount of study time.

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. One common system is to work for around 50 minutes, then give yourself a 15- to 20-minute break. A few ways you can give yourself a break include:

• Take a short walk

• Listen to a mood-boosting song

• Relax with a friend

• Stretch

• Meditate

• Zone out and daydream

• Have a snack

• Take a shower

• Clean your desk or room

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4. Space out your studying.

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. 

5. 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.

6. Reward yourself.

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 [2]. 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.

7. Study with a group.

Forming a study group has several benefits. Group members can help one another work through difficult problems, provide encouragement, hold each other accountable to studying goals, offer different perspectives, and make studying more enjoyable. Even explaining difficult concepts to others can help with comprehension and retention. 

If you have a group study session, set a goal the group will work towards and take periodic breaks as you would studying by yourself.

8. Take practice tests.

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, study-backed 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 the following methods:

• Create flashcards

• Write your own questions

• Search for practice questions online

• Have a friend quiz you

9. Use 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. 

10. 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 professor, teaching assistant, friend, or study group member for new ways to understand what you’re stuck on. Feel like you can benefit from being coached through a subject? Consider looking for a tutor.

And don’t forget the myriad online tools that might be at your disposal, like the Khan Academy. A quick search through Google or YouTube can also surface helpful articles or videos on subjects you’re trying to grasp.

11. Take care of yourself.

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.

Start building study habits on Coursera

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. Explore more personal development courses from leading universities and institutions on Coursera. Sign up for a free 7-day trial and start learning today.

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