Study Skills - Help Young People Study Smarter, Not Harder

Many young people don't know how to study efficiently and effectively. By knowing how to study students maximize their time, improve their learning and also reduce stress. Research indicates that successful students follow smart study habits to maximize their effectiveness.

Here are eight smart study habits you can help your secondary school student develop at home:

1. Listen carefully when assignments are given at school. Your student should be aware of what each assignment requires and what teachers expect. Careful listening is an often-neglected study skill.

2. Study at a suitable time. Students need to set aside regular time within their most productive hours.

3. Choose a study area free from distractions. Studying smart requires concentration so encourage your student to eliminate distractions such as telephones, television and loud music.

4. Review the day's work. This enables a student to recall what was done and plan ahead.

5. Allot time for each task. Set aside short periods for study that require your young person to concentrate better and reduce the chance of boredom.

6. Complete one assignment or task at a time. It helps sometimes if a student completes easier tasks first that will allow time for the harder ones. This also helps prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed with work.

7. Take regular short breaks to renew energy. The habit of taking a break helps productivity, but a break should last no more than five minutes.

8. Review completed work periodically. Check over the work you have done to check for errors and omissions.

9. Review each subject periodically so that you stay on top of concepts taught. Allocate a subject a day to review for five or ten minutes each day.

10. Ask for help if needed. Successful students have a habit of using the help and assistance that teachers and other adults offer.

Encourage these smart study skills to become habits rather than activities that young people do once in a while. It is their consistency that makes them such a potent force for young students.

Michael Grose is The Parent Coach. For seventeen years he has been helping parents deal with the rigours of raising kids and survive!! For information about Michael's Parent Coaching programs or just some fine advice and ideas to help you raise confident kids and resilient teenagers visit http://www.parentingideas.com.au