11 Study Hacks For College Students

As wonderful as college life is, it can also be troublesome. Money is scarce, picking the right dorm for you and making friends all over again. This is why it is extremely important to teach and help each other whenever we can. Be it college hacks, tips and tricks we’ve learned along the way ourselves, or even little hacks that will make our lives easier.

At Bright Side, we continue to stand by people, and this article might just show you some hacks and tips for an easier college life.

1. Study groups are a must during college life.

One hack for studying effectively is creating study groups. This way, you not only have your school buddies with you which can make learning fun, but everyone can pitch in and offer the information they have accumulated so far. It is a very effective way of sharing information and finding out things you may have missed.

2. Chewing gum helps with studying.

If you like chewing gum, this might be music to your ears. Gum does not only keep your breath fresh, but it turns out it also has cognitive benefits. Gum increases performance during tests, studies show, especially in the first 20 minutes.

This might be due to something specialists refer to as “mastication-induced arousal”, meaning that the act of chewing gum wakes us up more, it keeps us engaged in the task at hand. This, too, is a great school life hack for those that lack concentration during tests.

3. Changing places helps you study more efficiently in college.

There are no rules that state that school work must be contained to your home only. Changing it up a bit might be effective too.

Parks, coffee shops, even libraries, might help you get in a relaxed mood and facilitate the process of learning. Moreover, getting some fresh air while doing so is a plus. Put this down as another college life hack!

4. Sticky notes are crucial when doing school work.

Among the most important life hacks for school are sticky notes. They are a crucial item when it comes to college life. They are very helpful when reading, to remember certain words, names, etc. Very easy to use, too.

You can either use them to mark a certain page in a book, or to stick them onto any page if you’d like to highlight certain definitions.

5. Speaking out loud when learning will help you memorize everything faster.

While learning, try and practice self-explaining. You can do this by asking yourself questions such as “What was the text about? What are some ideas I picked up from it?” This way, you can re-visit everything you just learned.

Moreover, hearing yourself talking loudly will help you remember everything easier. This is a great college hack, since you will have to hold presentations and projects, during which you must talk openly to people.

6. Hydration is key when doing any college project, or taking an exam.

Sitting an exam is so much easier when you keep a water bottle on hand. Turns out, water intake works wonders for our brain.

This is because our brain consists of around 75% of water, and when we give it even more, the results are great. So don’t forget to hydrate and keep a bottle of cold water with you whenever you can, it’s a college life saver!

7. As a college student, it is essential to save money.

As a college student living in a dorm with roommates, money is important for a smooth sailing. The key here is saving your money, and setting a budget for each month. This will help you stay on top of things and make you feel like you really are taking college life in your hands, as you should be. Make sure not to spend money on random things, since this might mess up the whole plan.

8. Dark chocolate helps with studying and memorizing.

Flavonoids, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-packed chemicals found in dark chocolate, are quite beneficial for studying. Scientific research has shown that after eating chocolate, memory and concentration were increased for about two hours.

Compared to white or milk chocolate, dark chocolate contains more cocoa, which studies have shown to have beneficial properties such as: lowering blood pressure, protecting the heart, and lowering the risk of diabetes. You can add this to your list of college life hacks.

9. Watching documentaries can help any college student.

Studying can get boring at times, only looking down at some notes for hours on end. Why not upgrade from this to visual aids. What some college students are not aware of, is that documentaries, movies, even theater plays are a great way of learning.

For a lot of people, actually seeing the things you have just learned about helps a lot, since you have the image fixated in your mind. This is also called visual memory.

10. Taking a break from the dorm life is needed.

Living with roommates can get overwhelming, especially if it’s the first time living in a dorm. One of the best dorm hacks is to make sure you get out of the dorm room whenever this happens. It’s important to have a designated spot for when you want to get away from the small room, crowded halls, or having no TV to look at. This way, when you get back to your room, you’ll feel more at peace.

11. Working with a reward system will help you out.

What college students need to know, is that rewards are a great way of stimulating yourself and making yourself feel like you’ve just finished a big school task. Let’s say you’ve just finished making a schema of a project that took a while to do. Have a chocolate bar or some ice cream. If you went 30 minutes without checking your phone, have another reward.

We’ve all struggled with the need to check our phones once in a while, working or studying. A big step you can take is to turn the notifications off on your phone. This way you won’t get distracted by that notification sound, which always makes you wonder if it’s a new message, a like or a new tweet.

Do you have any more advice you’d give a fresh college student? We’d be curious to hear some more in the comments!