7 Worst Study Mistakes You Should Avoid

If you’re like anything we were in high school, most likely, you don’t know any better. You don’t have any study techniques. You’re just used to picking your book and a highlighter and then start reading.

But it does not have to be that way as there are better ways to study. And before you beat yourself up because you are unfamiliar with effective study methods, know this - it isn’t your fault.

A lot of schools focus more on getting through the curriculum that they forget to teach their students how to learn. So, if your teacher has not taught you how to study effectively, how are you going to know?

It’s like expecting a child to ride a bike or clean their bedrooms without being taught. It’s crazy. Right? But you should face the common studying mistakes.

Sometimes it can be hard to face these mistakes. We’d rather sweep them under the carpet instead of confronting them. But if those mistakes are not confronted, things will never start going your way.

But unless you have a clue of the mistakes you’re making, you’ll hardly take appropriate actions. Here you’ll find some common study mistakes done by students.

This happens most of the time. You leave an assignment unattended until it's too late, leaving you with little time to study enough. So you end up throwing a few ideas together for the sake of completing the assignment. The result is half-baked ideas that aren’t appealing, and chances are they have many errors.

One of the most common mistakes that students do when studying is having no definite goal. They continue learning without a clear target in their minds. In the end, many students get lost before achieving anything substantial.
Ask yourself: “what do you target to score in your coming exams?”

Be honest when answering this question. Assess your abilities carefully so you can set a realistic target score. In your assessment, think about your interests, how capable you are in retaining information, and the effort you intend to put daily.

Once you’ve determined your goals, it will be easier to plan to achieve them.

Are you the kind of student that believes that you’ll pass your exams just by listening to your tutors religiously, reaching to a point where you don’t attempt to study on your own? Then you are making a costly mistake.

Teachers and tutors are meant to direct you toward the success path.  But to traverse the path and achieve your goals is your responsibility. Your tutor will give you the notes, advice, and some relevant study materials to help in your preparations. But, you’ll have to study them keenly on your own.

So never allow your fate to lie in the hands of your tutors or teachers. Believe in yourself and take steps that will benefit more.

Ever heard yourself saying things like: “I’m stupid” or “mathematics is not my subject.” Then your mindset is getting in the way of achieving what you need to learn. Here’s why: the only way you can improve on any subject is through hard work and practice. Students who know this and apply it perform better than others.

Sitting for extended periods prevents our brains to be sharp. Studies have shown that activities such as walking helps boost creativity, productivity and promotes sharper thinking.

This is a big mistake that we’ve seen students make - going without a proper plan of action. They don’t put their priorities or their curriculum right.

It’s natural that when the results come, they’ll not favor them. If you want to succeed in your studies, you should avoid this mistake. Have a proper plan, keep focus while studying and you’ll see positive results over time.

What we eat affects our way of thinking and performance. Would the most successful athletes like Usain Bolt eat fried chicken before racing? In the unlikely scenario they ate, how would they perform? Poorly, right?

In the same way, if you’re eating stuff that contains ingredients that make you drowsy, you might find yourself not being able to concentrate when studying. So, it is important to avoid them.