1. Strive to achieve all the goals you set for yourself.
The 90/10 rule means that for every 10 minutes you spend planning, you save 90% of the time in completing tasks. Plan specific goals to work toward, and don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to cover everything. Prioritize the most important subjects and tasks. Instead of scrolling through social media, grab a piece of paper and set your university entrance exam goals: Where do you want to apply? What score do you expect to achieve? Are you determined to succeed? Then break down each task leading to that goal. As someone once said, we may never have enough time to do everything, but we always have enough time for the most important things. Prioritize your subjects and daily study plans. Set a clear schedule for your day, week, month, and beyond. Focus on what’s most important first.
Strive to achieve all the goals you set for yourself.2. Avoid sitting for long periods of time.
The optimal study time is 45 minutes, followed by a short break. If you feel like you’ve forgotten what you just learned, don’t force yourself to recall it immediately. The key to effective studying is to give your brain a break, and the knowledge will naturally come back. If you want to review, do it after a 10-minute break. To retain information better, review after 10 minutes, then after a day, a week, and a month.
Avoid sitting for long periods of time.
Sitting too long can harm your health.3. Use effective memorization techniques.
When studying, it’s crucial to understand the essence of the topic. Identify key features, how to apply concepts, rules, and theories, especially formulas and theorems. When taking notes, summarize the essential points so you can recall the entire lesson from memory when you revisit your notes. Avoid writing unnecessary details that waste time. Note-taking should be efficient, helping you consolidate methods that allow for quick memorization and long-term retention. Here's how you can approach it:
- Create an outline
- Mentally rehearse the material
- Write it down
- Use mind maps
Especially for formulas, theorems, or concepts, summarize the key points so that when you open your notes, you can recall the entire lesson without needing to refer to the book. Avoid writing lengthy, unnecessary notes that waste both time and effort. The goal is to organize methods like mental rehearsal, note-taking, and outlining to facilitate quick memorization and long-term retention.
Use effective memorization techniques.
The forgetting curve4. Engage both hemispheres of your brain.
The left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for logical thinking, while the right hemisphere is for imagination and creativity. To maximize learning efficiency, both hemispheres need to be activated. You may not know that using your imagination can significantly improve your ability to memorize subjects. Try applying your imagination to various subjects and you'll be amazed by the results. In our typical learning environment, we mostly engage the left hemisphere by focusing solely on verbal instruction. This leaves the right hemisphere underutilized, often leading to distraction. To learn effectively, we need to find ways to engage both sides of the brain. One of the simplest methods to enhance memorization is to use your imagination. Start imagining more as you study and see the difference it makes.
Engage both hemispheres of your brain.5. Listen to baroque music while studying.
If possible, try listening to Baroque music as background while studying. This type of music is especially effective for improving your English vocabulary, reducing the time needed to memorize words compared to studying without it. However, if you're sensitive to sound, it’s best to study in silence.
Give the Baroque piece below, excerpted from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, a try. If you're someone who finds background music distracting or ineffective, then it's better to study without music.
Listen to Baroque music while studying.6. Avoid studying right after a big meal.
It’s best to rest for 15 to 20 minutes after eating before sitting down to study. Why? Simply because when you're full, your brain struggles to concentrate. The saying "a full stomach makes the brain sluggish" holds true. After eating, it’s much harder to focus and retain information.
Avoid studying immediately after a big meal.7. Incorporate light physical activity.
Physical activity helps relax the nervous system and brain after intense study sessions. Simple, enjoyable exercises like taking a walk or cycling can be beneficial. Avoid vigorous exercise; a light walk or stretching is enough to give your brain a break and restore focus.
Incorporate light physical activity.8. Choose a quiet time and space.
Ensure that your mind is in a peaceful environment. Avoid noise and distractions to improve focus. Ideally, sit near a window to enjoy natural light and fresh air. Being close to a window allows you to benefit from both natural lighting and a well-ventilated space, which enhances your ability to retain information.
Choose a quiet time and space.9. Avoid staying up too late; studying in the early morning is more effective for retention.
Studying in the morning and noon is far more effective than studying late at night, especially for subjects that require memorization. Avoid staying up past 10 PM as your brain, after a full day, becomes too stressed to retain new information. When you finish studying, take a break and review key bullet points to check what you've remembered. This process helps store the information in your subconscious before you go to sleep.
In the afternoon, cognitive ability tends to decline after dinner, but a new cycle begins, and mental capacity gradually improves until around 9 PM, after which it drops again. Avoid staying up past 10 PM because, after a full day of work, our brains are usually saturated and less receptive to new information. When you stop studying, quickly skim through the notes you’ve reviewed to gauge how much you’ve absorbed. This helps transfer the information into your subconscious memory before you sleep.
Avoid staying up too late; studying in the early morning improves memory retention.
Staying up late can lead to fatigue and lack of sleep.On average, a person needs 8 hours of sleep per night, primarily during the night, to allow the brain to rest and erase the memories from the previous day. This way, you'll wake up with a fresh mind that is ready to function at its best. Additionally, during deep sleep, especially in the dreaming phase, the body releases growth hormones that promote physical development.
The brain underperforms when it doesn't get enough sleep.
Feeling drained and sluggish
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