The Best Time to Study

This is one of the hardest questions to answer for every college student. 

I remember that when I was first starting classes at college, an incredible math professor said something that would mark the rest of my academic life: “There’s nothing like NOW to start studying.” Her opinion was interesting to me at the moment because I could not comprehend why it was necessary for her to repeat such a basic notion to a bunch of college students. It wasn’t until a few weeks later when my classmates were trying to cram up weeks of lessons three days before the exam. I followed her advice, and studied the subjects she delivered right away.

This helped me clear out my schedule for the future, and increased my chances at scoring high notes in the terms. Another professor later explained why this was important for people that were doing something at this academically demanding level: “having time to study is the difference between prepared and mediocre professionals.” Because yes, you can graduate, but the knowledge you get will be crammed up in your brain and will be harder to reach whenever you need it.

For people starting college, this bit of advice it’s the difference between high grades and restful nights, and problems sleeping and binge study sessions. You need to figure out what’s the best time to study and start doing it right away. This will depend on the availability of your time and the capacity you have to invest it completely into studying. It will also vary according to the kind of study session and memorization you are trying to achieve. Let’s separate into two main categories:

• Before class: The lessons you want to skim and know before the professor explains them in class. These themes can be read throughout the day without much effort, as you only want to grasp it and get a general idea.
• After class: Knowledge acquired during the lessons it’s often vital for test time. That’s why you need to devote at least an hour a day reading your notes or other information to really get the information you were taught during the lessons.

For the after class portion, there are three times people might choose to study, and for that, I will explain each of them:

• Morning: In the morning, you can experience one of the most relaxing study sessions of the day. Right after you wake up your brain is rested and it’s more likely to retain information than after it’s been bombarded with it during the day. Your body is also rested, and your energy levels are at the top. Make sure to eat a great breakfast and then devote to study.

• Afternoon: Afternoons are for most people, one of the busiest times of the day. For people that work, it can be impossible to find time to study during the afternoons. The perks are: plenty of natural light to avoid harming your eyes. The downfold? Most people are insanely active during the afternoons, so you’ll get more chance at being distracted.

• Night: While the night is indeed calmer and you’ll get fewer distractions from friends and social media, the fact that you spend your nights reading and memorizing will take a toll on your brain eventually. You need to rest and invest in yourself in order to be at the top of your game during the day. If you prefer this time to study, make sure to have a cup of coffee, water, and some salty snacks to keep you awake.

You need to find the alternative that works best for you when it comes to studying. My suggestion? Do it every day, and use each option of time whenever you can. That way you’ll have the knowledge fresh in your brain and will have more chance to study with calm and peace before terms. This is especially important if you enroll at Marconi International University, as they offer not only academic activities, but also opportunities to experience culture with abroad programs available to students that go the extra mile and are prepared for the future with great grades.

Even if you pick a fixed time to study, you need to study throughout the day.

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