Studying, although commonly regarded as unpleasant, is an inevitable effort that high school students must make in order to maximize their chances of attaining a favorable grade. Many factors may affect how much or how well you study, like your level of interest in the topic at hand or the time you are able to dedicate to it. As the year progresses and tests are becoming much more frequent, I have studied enough to be able to identify a few study habits as my own. For example, I prefer static silence to coffee-shop ambience, the familiarity of my PC desk to the library, and the sense of endless time to the reminding hands of a clock. Of course, these are just circumstances I consider ideal; I do not often have the luxury or convenience of working when and where I choose. While you may not either, you can make the best of whatever situation you’re in with a few general pointers:

• Get rid of any distractions that could impede your studying. This includes distancing yourself from noisy siblings, turning off your phone, and even blocking websites that you know you are likely to visit. Do yourself a favor, and don’t make studying harder than it already is.
• Don’t procrastinate. Cramming for a test is stressful and seldom advantageous. The time restraint that you’d have working against you would hinder your memory and concentration.
• Before you study, have a plan. This requires a solid understanding of what you need to study for. Are you studying for a test based mostly on your ability to recall facts? A test that requires you to write free-response essays? A test that involves heavy critical thinking? Adapt your studying techniques to the type of test you expect to be taking and give yourself an explicit goal to reach (i.e. specifying a set of pages to read in your textbook, instead of just sifting through it for two hours). It’s like running – you run more efficiently when you’re running to a destination than when you’re running aimlessly. Creating a distinct plan allows you to optimize your time and simplify your studying.
• Take frequent breaks. While this might seem counterproductive at first, it’s anything but a waste of time. Breaks will refresh your mind, increasing your focus and productivity when you get back to work. This doesn’t mean taking a break every two minutes, but studying to the point of exhaustion will leave you burned out, unmotivated, and unable to absorb information properly. I recommend taking a 5-10 minute break every hour or so, but use your best judgement and give yourself time to relax when you need to.
• Try studying in a new environment. It is a good idea to have a designated study area, as consistently studying at a certain desk or in a certain room may train your mind to work better there. But if you’re bored of the same atmosphere, switch it up! Go to the library, to the park, to your local cafe. Not only is changing the scene scientifically proven to enhance your retention, but it might be as exciting as studying gets.
• Study actively. When you study mindlessly (i.e. passive reading), you may often find that information you take in slips away as quickly as it comes. To avoid this, stimulate and engage your brain more. Rewriting your notes, answering sample questions, and using flash cards are all examples of active study. Simply absorbing information doesn’t guarantee that you actually understand any of it, so methods like these will force your head to truly learn and process what you take in, thoroughly preparing you for your exam.
• Motivate yourself. This tip depends solely on you. There is no way to teach motivation. Just remind yourself of both your short-term and long-term goals, reward yourself for your successes, and remember that nothing worth having comes easy.