Getting back into study or trying to keep your motivation up to study can seem a bit daunting at times. Life is busy and it is easy to get distracted, however the following tips can help you to stay on track and make the most of your study time.
Have a time and place to study
Set up a desk in a space that you feel relaxed and comfortable in. This might be somewhere at home or perhaps at your local library. Choose a time that works for you. It could be first thing in the morning, or in the evening after work or after the kids have gone to bed. Whenever and wherever it is, make it work for you and stick to it. Setting aside time every day to study will allow you to keep on top of your work and enable you to make it a part of your lifestyle.
Make notes and read over them
It’s important to go over what you’ve already studied to make sure that you really understand it. Make notes, highlight key words that can help trigger your memory. If you can, explain your newly found knowledge to someone else, this will help to reinforce it. Set aside some time every week to go over the work you’ve done that week. If you’re stuck on something ask for help, that’s what your teachers and tutors are there for.
Talk with others
Speaking with other people who are doing the same course you are, or who are perhaps doing a job that you’d like to do may also give you some useful insight. They can offer different views and perhaps some useful tips. It’s also great if you have someone else you can study with. This could be face-to-face or even online; you can bounce ideas off each other and offer one another support. But don’t forget to stay on track!
Keep yourself motivated
Keep reminding yourself why you’ve decided to study and why you’re doing all this hard work. Is it to improve your skills in a certain area? To change your career path or to get a better job? Schedule in time to treat yourself. Whether it be a walk in the park or a coffee with a friend, it is important to make some time to do other things that you enjoy doing.
Studying can seem overwhelming at times but if you develop a daily routine, stick to it and keep reminding yourself of your end goal it won’t take long until it becomes second nature.
If you need some help to develop good study skills Learn Local organisations can help you. Find out more here http://learnlocal.org.au/wycl/job-and-study-skills/