You will not absorb concepts the first time around! It is essential to make arrangements to review the content multiple times (either before or after hearing it in class) and to not just passively read, but take notes or answer questions in order to engage with the materials. I highly recommend reading from multiple sources to make sure that concepts really click in your mind, and are not based on the one specific description you happen to have in your notes.

Practice. No matter your subject, whether essay based, mathematical or problem solving orientated, you will not become good at something unless you do it. In school, teachers hand out homework to students to enforce that they practice, but in higher education it is not always the case that you will be handed weekly tasks. Utilise textbooks and other resources to answer questions / create your own work. Only then will you be developing skills and not just intellectual understanding.

Take advantage of the experts! Whether this is your class teacher, mentor or professor, they are there to help you learn. Seek them out outside of lesson time / lectures or via email for clarity on any gaps in your understanding, especially if there isn’t time for a quick question in class. Try not to get caught up in how “basic” or “fundamental” you think the knowledge is supposed to be, and make sure not to leave until you actually understand. Many students will get an answer and accept it whether or not it was helpful to them, feeling too embarrassed to ask again. There is no need to worry. Asking them to reexplain in a way that works best for your mind says nothing about you. Be honest and kind to yourself. Honestly reflect on your needs and meet them! If you need lots of breaks in order to manage a certain number of hours each day, then give them to yourself. If you are getting distracted, then study alone in a library or café (studying with friends is not for everyone, even if you really want it to be). Making accommodations for yourself is infinitely better than burning out all the time and inevitably giving up. Consistency is essential for learning and enjoying your routine will boost your studies by a long way. 

Revise as you go. An important part of being truly independent in your studies is becoming sufficiently organised that you can create the tools for your revision as you go. It is rarely necessary or efficient to write out everything your teacher says. Make your notes as brief as possible and you will have a concise set of information from which making revision cards etc will be so much easier.

Organise your calendar. Make sure to specifically set aside time in your calendar after class to make and go over your revision materials as well as for studying and having breaks. Remember that breaks are for recharging and nothing else. Your meals can be in your calendar too, or at least gaps for them. Planning your studies at the start of each week will take away so much mental work in the moment when it comes to deciding what needs doing. There is also no need to be a slave to your timetable. Readjust and reschedule tasks throughout the week as much as you need (online calendars such as google calendar, outlook and notion let you move things around more easily than pen and paper).

Try out study techniques. There are countless resources on the internet for the best studying methods and they all have merits, but at the end of the day it all comes down to what works best for you, and yes this involves trial and error, the earlier the better so that you can establish a reliable and consistent routine going forward. Do what works, not what sounds impressive.

Unfortunately in life there is never one perfect path, but embracing these ideas help to provide a sense of direction, and can serve as a reminder of the mindset required for the transition into independent study.

– Mía Iles Pérez