Productivity app: Evernote is a free cross-platform app that lets you store, organise and search your own study notes, web clips, audio, diagrams and photo’s.
The Pomodoro Technique: you work/study in 25-minute bursts alternating with 5 minutes of break time. Each of these work sessions is called a “pomodoro”, Italian for tomato (the shape of the 25-minute Pomodoro timers.) After every 4 pomodoros, you get a longer 15 minute break to decompress, check Facebook, step outside for a bit, grab a snack, or anything else you can fit into 15 minutes.
Keep healthy and balanced when studying. Exercise regularly, eat healthily and take time to relax and rest your body and mind.
Studying isn’t just about passing an exam – it is an effort to learn things. Look for interesting things to take away from every experience.
Divide study time into sections that make sense and work for you. Set a small but real reward for achieving each goal (e.g. 2 sections of a chapter), and stick to it.
Make a study schedule you can stick to; make one like your class timetable. Studying regularly as you go along helps you learn more of the material, each week.
Practice studying by yourself or with friends. Test yourself with old exams, do quizzes and flash cards – review and discuss with a small group of friends.
Outline and rewrite your notes in a way that makes sense to you and your learning style. Connect similar concepts using your own words and structure.
Bring everything you need when studying, nothing you don’t. Bring study books, paper and examples; leave unneeded distractions elsewhere.
Where you study is important: choose a quiet place with no distractions, somewhere you can concentrate and can count on to use for the next few years of studying.