Eat, sleep, study, repeat.

As students return to campus and summer fades away, homework and studying slowly become a part of daily life. Some students may find themselves struggling with study habits and knowing which ones lead to the most success.
Stephanie O’Brian, director of Upward Bound, works with several high school students to become better equipped for college.
“When it comes to studying, I think most students struggle with three things the most: time management, the inability to focus and limit distractions, and not knowing how to study in a way that is both effective and efficient for themselves,” O’Brian said.
Although O’Brian does not think there are right or wrong ways to study in general, she does believe there are right and wrong ways for each person.
“Some people study amazingly well with classical music on, but that would drive me insane,” O’Brian said. “It doesn’t make me better or worse, just different.”
When it comes to studying, O’Brian said students should know themselves and figure out what methods work best for them. She also believes that physical care of the body might be the one study habit that is most important.
“I would urge my students to tend to their physical self — truly get enough sleep, drink enough water, eat nutritious food, exercise your body and stretch your muscles,” O’Brian said. “We abuse our bodies and brain all of the time yet expect them to perform at peak performance constantly,” O’Brian said.
Location is also a very important aspect of studying.
John Mark Warnick, director of Academic Resource Services at Harding, said students should abstain from studying in places where they might get easily distracted. He also suggested not studying or doing schoolwork in bed.
“Don’t do your homework while lying in bed because that is your place of sleep, and if you combine the two tasks, your brain has difficulty separating them,” he said.
Warnick said he also believes taking handwritten notes and asking the professor for help are habits that will always be helpful no matter what age we are.
Junior Dalton Allen said he struggles with knowing how to prioritize his classes and manage his time well as a student athlete. However, he discovered reading over his notes and rewriting them helps the information become second nature for him.
Allen also said he has some study habits unique to him that he believes help him the most.
“Sometimes I like talking to myself while I’m doing homework. I slap myself to motivate and psych myself up,” Allen said.
Whether it is studying with music in the background or talking out loud while doing homework, study habits can be unique to every student.
“Not everyone learns the same way, and recognizing that about yourself can help you work more efficiently,” Warnick said.