How to Study Effectively: 8 Research-Backed Study Tips to Help You Study Smarter

There’s a science to studying effectively. Understanding these proven techniques will improve your performance at university and help you better grasp your course content.

Each year, you will take more challenging classes in your area of study. Your university-level workload will grow, and you will have to learn to use your study time wisely to be successful.

We’ve compiled these eight research-backed study tips especially for international students. After all, studying in a different country and potentially in a different language is challenging enough! Improve focus and deepen your understanding by applying these study tips for students.

How to Study Effectively: The Science of Learning

First, let’s get a few things straight: Just reading isn’t studying. Studying while also looking at social media isn’t effective. All-night study sessions (also known as cramming) right before a test are not a long-term strategy for success.

Most students get to university and have to figure out how to study. Without help, it’s easy to develop less-effective study habits. Cramming the night before the test may lead to short-term recall, but it doesn’t help you actually learn the material as well as active learning methods do.

To take an active learning approach, start by thinking about how you learn, or your preferred learning style. What has worked well for you in the past? What are your learning strengths, and where do you struggle? Then, apply what you know about yourself to your study methods. This is called metacognitive, self-regulated learning, and studies show it can be worth an additional seven months of progress when used well.

Another way to look at this is to have a growth mindset when it comes to learning — and learning how you study best. What is a growth mindset compared to the alternative, a fixed mindset? See the chart below:

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset Attributes

Before we get into our list of study tips, remember to think about how you learn and be active in your learning. A healthier growth mindset means it’s OK not to know the answer and that, sometimes, you achieve a less-than-perfect grade.

Treat yourself with care and accept that you don’t know everything about your courses from the start. Embrace learning and seek out help when you need it. The following eight proven study tips will give you a good foundation for success.

8 Proven Study Tips to Help You Study Smarter

Study Tip 1: Plan and Organize Your Study Time

Want to create a better study schedule? Luckily, there are plenty of apps for that, and many of them have free versions. Take advantage of technology. Find tools that help you organize your time, develop time blocks, and break up seemingly impossible tasks into manageable chunks.

MyStudyLife, for example, has modules to help you:

1. Manage your class schedule

2. Create task lists

3. Set reminders

Here are five other planning apps for you to consider, as well:

Top 5 Alternatives to MyStudyLife for Higher Education Students

Notion: Rating: 4.8★ (iOS) | 4.7★ (Android)

Best for: Customizing an all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and schedules.

TickTick: Rating: 4.8★ (iOS) | 4.7★ (Android)

Best for: Task management with calendar integration.

Power Planner: Rating: 4.8★ (iOS) | 4.6★ (Android)

Best for: Academic scheduling and GPA tracking.

iStudiez Pro: Rating: 4.4★ (iOS) | 4.5★ (Mac)

Best for: Academic planning with class and assignment tracking.

myHomework Student Planner: Rating: 4.6★ (iOS) | 4.4★ (Android)

Best for: Straightforward digital academic planning.

Study Tip 2: Master Your Active Recall

Active recall is a research-backed active learning strategy that’s proven to help students study. Simply rereading or reviewing your textbook or notes before a test is not an active recall study tip. Instead, think about ways you can repurpose the information you learn into something new.

Here are four active recall methods for you to try:

1. Flashcards: Active recall research states that writing questions on one side and answers on the other side of a piece of paper is one of the most effective strategies for studying.

2. Concept mapping: Studying the relationships between terms and ideas helps students learn them better.

3. Practice tests: Find old exams to study or, even better, create your own. There are apps, such as Quizlet, or you can use an AI tool such as ChatGPT to help you.

4. Retrieval practice: How good is your memory? This study tip forgoes notes and requires students to recall what they can from memory first.

Several other active recall methods are available. Some methods focus on teaching what you learn to other students (The Feynman Technique), while others are very deliberate about when and how you study, such as before bed or in intervals.

Study Tip 3: Try Spaced Practice Studying

Cramming means putting off studying until the last day or two and then spending as much time as possible trying to learn everything you need to know for the big test.

This technique doesn’t promote a long-term understanding of concepts. Instead, try to distribute your learning over time. Spaced practice involves multiple, shorter learning sessions over weeks or months instead of days. Sustained learning in shorter bursts helps students absorb the class material better.

Spaced practice isn’t just a theory. More than 200 research-based studies conducted over the last century confirm that the spacing technique generally helps students retain information over the long term better than single, sustained sessions, no matter how long they may be.

Here’s a great reference sheet from the UC San Diego Department of Psychology that shows students how to study smarter, study less, and retain more using the spaced practice technique.

Study Tip 4: Take Strategic Notes

Taking strategic notes is an essential part of active learning. There are several ways to take strategic notes — pick the one that fits your learning style best. The idea is to be intentional: Why take notes? What are you trying to accomplish? Answering questions like these can help you understand how to study better and learn better.

One popular method among successful students is called the Cornell note-taking system. Professor Walter Pauk from the prestigious Ivy League university popularized this method, which divides studying into three thought areas:

1. Notes: What are your professors saying during a lecture? What do they write on the board during class? The same technique can be applied to a video or multimedia learning exercise.

2. Cues: What questions do you have? What concerns or thoughts come to mind after the learning session ends? What prompts can you think of for continued action or learning?

3. Summary: What did you learn in this session? Wrap up the most critical points.

Study Tip 5: Understand, Don’t Memorize

There is a difference between memorizing information and understanding information. For instance, you could learn how to say something in a foreign language by listening to the sounds, remembering them, and repeating them without understanding their meaning. For your university course material, understanding is key.

Two popular study tips to foster understanding are creating concept maps and learning by teaching.

Concept mapping explores the relationships between essential terms and ideas that you might learn in a class. Either alone or collaboratively, students list all the concepts that were discussed on a sheet of paper or a digital interface. Sometimes called a brain dump, the first step is just to list the main points.

Then, you create connections between these ideas, linking them together. Understanding how to connect main points promotes a deeper understanding of the course material itself.

Another way to help you understand is to teach what you learn to others. The Feynman Technique, for example, includes these four steps:

1. Break down the complex concepts into their fundamental components

2. Teach what you’ve learned to someone else

3. Identify gaps in your understanding and go back to your source material

4. Simplify complex concepts by using analogies

According to Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, you can only truly understand a concept when you can relate it to another person using ordinary language. A recent study of people who learn English as a second language shows a 17% improvement in English exam scores after trying the Feynman Technique.

Study Tip 6: Optimize Your Study Environment

With so many distractions in this world, it can be difficult for students to pay attention and study effectively. Building a productive environment can help. Silencing digital distractions, scheduling specific focus periods, and designing an area to study are great ways to improve your ability to learn. Here are some additional tips:

1. Find your peak productivity time and create a routine

2. Associate different tasks with different study spaces

3. Organize your study materials

Study Tip 7: Utilize Resources Effectively

Your primary reason for being at university is to learn, so it makes sense that several different resources are available that promote learning. Find the ones that work well for you and use them. Online learning tools, instructor office hours, and library resources are great examples of resources that help students study smarter.

You should also consider joining a study group. Several research studies show that one of the most effective study tips for students is to work with another person or in a small group. Study groups help you stay accountable and make connections, both in the content you are learning about and with other students in your classes.

Bonus: You might make new friends!

Study Tip 8: Practice Self-Care and Balance

The last and most crucial study tip for students is to take care of yourself. You will not be able to do well on an exam, in a course, or even at university if you don’t take care of your body and your mind. Eat healthy foods. Exercise. Take breaks. Set limits. Accept that learning means sometimes getting a bad grade. Apply a growth mindset to improvement.

Above all, make sure you get enough sleep. Studies show that sleep can improve memory retention and recall by 20 to 40%.

What Are the Most Famous Study Methods and Techniques?

We’ve discussed several of the most famous study methods already. Active recall, spaced practice, self-quizzing, and teaching others are almost always on the lists of best study techniques. 

Here are five additional study methods that are well-known, tested, and found to be helpful for students. A few are especially helpful for learning a new language. 

1. SQ3R: SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. This reading comprehension method helps students actively engage with what they are reading and has been proven in studies to elevate reading proficiency and engagement in English language learning. Learn more about SQ3R.

2. The Pomodoro Technique: With the Pomodoro Technique, students time box their study sessions to 25 minutes and then take a short, five-minute break before starting again. Creating manageable chunks helps students maintain focus. Learn more about the Pomodoro Technique. 

3. Mind mapping: Start with a central idea and then branch out from there, mapping relationships between concepts. Where concept mapping converges ideas by finding relations, mind mapping shows how ideas diverge from a central concept. Learn more about mind maps. 

4. Immersion: This is a great technique for learning a new language and involves surrounding yourself with, for example, English, as much as possible. If you are studying in the US, consider a passive study technique that you can do while you talk with friends, order food, or even watch TV and listen to music. Learn more about immersion. 

5. Krashen’s Theory: This method involves speaking more and memorizing grammatical rules less. Krashen combines five hypotheses to promote using a language instead of just studying it, trying to learn just a little bit above one’s current understanding, and recognizing how the human mind and emotions can affect learning aptitude. Find out more about Krashen’s Theory.  

How to Choose the Best Technique for You

Try to be flexible in your approach to studying: some tips work better for some subjects than for others. Try to develop your focus and concentration skills. Don’t be discouraged by test anxiety or information overload — most students feel those ways at some point or another.

If you find yourself saying that you work better under the pressure of last-minute cramming, take a step back. Ask yourself if you genuinely feel that way or if it’s the only study method you really know. Many students find that after they adopt procrastination management techniques, they actually achieve better grades and retain information better through active, intentional learning techniques.

And remember, there are resources available to you at university! If you are feeling overwhelmed or homesick, or if you need someone to help you develop a better study plan, Shorelight advisors have experience helping international students overcome these challenges and meet their goals.

Study at the Best Schools with Shorelight’s Help

While these study tips provide a strong foundation for academic success, putting them into practice is difficult, especially if you are in a new country and educational system. Having the right support system becomes crucial — particularly for international students adjusting to US universities.

Shorelight helps students get the support they need academically to meet their goals. From English language tutors to fun community-building activities, it means a lot to know that someone is there and that they have your back.

Shorelight helps students transition to their new environment, find social activities, and create a better study environment, just like in tip number six above. Shorelight also helps students find tutors and group study opportunities, as well as many other resources, just like tip number seven.

Hear from Fellow International Students

Here are a few quotes directly from international students who excelled in their program with the help of Shorelight.

Ali, from Saudi Arabia, discusses study groups for nursing students at the University of South Carolina:

“I would do group studies — a lot of students with me, we would study together. There were some SI [supplemental instruction] sessions that would really help me. There is a new program that nursing school provides called ‘PASS’, it’s only for nursing college [students] and they offer their own tutoring and SI sessions for nursing students, either for lower or upper division.”

Kate, an accounting and finance major from Vietnam, discusses tutors and resources for students feeling homesick at Cleveland State University:

“CSU Global helps first-year students get involved on campus and then smoothly transition from their own home countries to US college life. There are also tutoring centers for all subjects, and if you are feeling homesick, counselors are available to help you feel more comfortable.”

Mariana, a chemistry major from Mexico, discusses the comprehensive services she benefited from while studying at American Collegiate, Los Angeles:

“I think that that jump from Mexico to the United States would have been a lot harder if I hadn’t come to American Collegiate. All the advisors are very thorough; they explain how the system works, how to improve. [Advisors are] available every day [and] the tutoring services helped me thrive.”

Ready to study effectively for your exams? Shorelight academic advisors can help >