Costa Mesa Tutoring Tips: 5 Time-Saving Study Tips

Tips from a Private Costa Mesa Tutor: 5 time-saving study tips

One thing very few students have is an abundance of time. It seems like as soon as one assignment is finished another one is given and as soon as one test is taken another one is on the horizon. This is frustrating for students who are trying to squeeze in sports, volunteering, test prep, and other afterschool activities. If students can cut out unnecessary work and become more efficient, their lives will be a lot easier, and they will experience less stress throughout their high school career. Each student is tackling a different set of subjects and has their individual set of strengths and weaknesses, but there are a few tips every student can take to save time.

1. Annotate

Many students forget what they read within a few minutes of finishing a chapter or text. Because of this, they end up re-reading chapters over and over again when they review for an end-of-chapter quiz or major exam. As a way to save time students are encouraged to annotate or take notes as they are reading so they can refer to specific important elements they identified the first time around. Although annotation takes a few extra minutes now, it saves hours later in the term.

2. Organize

High school students spend a lot of time looking for note cards or papers they have misplaced from earlier in the term. This is time spent unnecessarily and keeps students from efficient study practices as well as their free time. Organization is a key element to staying on top of things during the high school years, but many students need help from a parent or tutor to find a great organizational system that works for them. One way to get started is to store information electronically where countless amounts of information can be saved in one place (READ: 5 things to do before taking the fall SAT).

3. Find a great study buddy

If students can find an excellent and motivated study buddy, preparing for exams will take about half the time it used to. Students can break up a number of vocabulary words or terms they each need to look up and summarize different concepts within longer chapters and then discuss it with each other. However, it’s important to find a study buddy who is interested in succeeding but is also comfortable speaking up if they don’t understand a specific concept. Finding a great study buddy, or group, is highly valuable to any motivated high school student.

4. Eliminate distractions

It’s easier said than done, but eliminating distractions is one of the most effective ways to save time while studying for an important exam. It seems like there are so many more interesting things to be done when a difficult task is in the immediate future. However, the more students procrastinate, the more they prolong stressful and confusing study sessions. It’s a good idea for students to take a few minutes before they sit down to study and think about what might cause a disruption throughout the afternoon. Is there cell phone on? Are they going to get instant messages on their laptop? Is social media a distraction? Do they have a proper notebook, pencil, calculator, dictionary, etc. already in front of them? Thinking about a few basic things can make a big difference when it comes to making a study session efficient.

5. Create a vocabulary folder

Most high school study guides contain jargon; words that are related to a specific topic or field. These words can be difficult to memorize, to put it mildly. One great way to save time when studying is to create an organized folder of vocabulary words and terms either on 3 x 5 cards or electronically, so students can build upon their list of terms overtime. By the middle of the semester, students will be able to avoid repeatedly looking up words because they already have their homemade glossary. This might take the average student an extra few minutes now but can save them a ton of time, later on, making their study more efficient and their stress level lower.

Make the most out of your study sessions with the help of private Costa Mesa academic tutoring from TutorNerds. From foreign languages to test prep, we have you covered! Call us today to book your tutor.