STUDY
TIPS
By Herman Matthee, Subject Specialist
‘Success is no accident. It takes hard work, perseverance,
learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what
you are doing or learning to do.’ – Pelé (soccer player)
Studying is not meant for the night before a test, exam or assignment deadline. Luckily, it is never too early, or too late, to
develop good study habits. The sooner a learner develops good study habits, the easier their future studies will be and the
greater their chances of getting good marks on a consistent basis.
Here are some suggestions on good study habits:
1. Pick a place and time
While some learners study most effectively in the morning, others operate better at night. Learners should find a time that
works for them and should arrange study sessions within those times. However, most learners study effectively in a quiet,
comfortable space that is free of distractions.
2. Study every day
Daily revision of the work learnt that day will greatly help learners to remember the work later on when studying for tests or
examinations. It also helps them to understand the work, which makes studying easier and helps to avoid excessive stress.
If learners struggle to find an hour or two for revision they might need to cut back on some, but not all, of their activities.
3. PLAN study time
Studying is rarely efficient when unplanned. Here are some suggestions on how learners can plan their study sessions
efficiently.
• Set alarms to remind learners of the start and end times of their study sessions. That way they can focus on their studies or
relax during breaks without having to watch the clock.
• Use a wall planner as a visual reminder of scheduled study sessions. Highlight important dates such as exams, tests,
assignment due dates, birthdays, sports days, and more. That way, learners can see when they might have more time
available to focus on their studies.
• Make to-do lists of activities and chunks of learning material that need to be completed by the end of the day or week.
Breaking information into manageable chunks makes it easier to plan and allows learners to track their progress.
4. Discover the learning style
Each person has a preferred learning style. Identifying the learner’s learning style could help to adapt their study practices
so that they can better retain information. Although there are many study techniques, these general styles provide useful
guidelines to helping the learner succeed.
• Visual learners respond best to material presented in a written or visually interesting way. They could use mind maps,
colours, summaries, diagrams and even images to study the material.
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