Studying is a strenuous task for many and often causes one to eventually drift off to sleep within an hour of starting it. Is it the bed? Monotonous topics? The reasons are manifold! But as it happens, it can eventually take a serious toll on your studying pattern, especially when you are in class 9th. The 9th grade is considered to be a tough one, and many students find it difficult to cope with the stress it is accompanied by.
The actual focus should be on rectifying this problem, and not on decoding the reasons. As it happens, there is no one sure-shot way of improving your study habits. And so, we have compiled some of the best ways of tweaking your study habits in class 9, in this list that should be of great help to you!
Know Your Learning Style
Everyone has their learning style. While some learn by watching videos, others prefer reading textbooks. As such, before you sit down to study, you must identify your learning style to maximise retention. Start your journey to improving your study habits by brainstorming the methods that suit you best, and would help you learn better. Do you enjoy learning through visual aids such as diagrams, videos, pictures, etc, or by reading the textbooks and supplementary material? Once you are familiar with the style, you will be on your way to an enhanced learning experience.
Variety In Studying Areas
While a study table is considered to be the “ideal” place for studying, you should try finding some new cosy, study spaces in your house. Trends show that changing studying spots frequently helps students in learning better. This happens because your brain associate different study material to different spots that helps in better retention using association. While choosing a spot, make sure it is free from any and all kinds of distractions and will help you keep going.
Keep Distractions At Bay
Do you easily get pulled towards your phone while studying? If yes, then we have a problem here. Mobile phones, and social media, among a range of other factors can break your concentration while studying makes it difficult to return to it.
As such, you must keep distractions at bay. You can deposit your mobile phones to your parents, put them in a closet far far away from you, or even deactivate your social media accounts when exams are just around the corner. You can also take the help of various apps like Focus Booster and AntiSocial. These apps block your usage of apps that you frequently use with a timer for breaks. These apps will also provide your productivity report to make you feel accomplished!
Set A Routine/Timetable
The key thing here is consistency. As such, set up a routine/timetable. Devote a few hours every day to all subjects, and you will be good to go! As soon as you’ll start following a timetable to a T, you’ll find it difficult to return it to your old habits. Doing something as part of the routine causes our minds to get conditioned to commitment and routine, and help in developing good study habits.
Practice Does Make You Perfect!
It is no breaking news that practice makes a man perfect! It truly does, and you can see it for yourself by practising it. The idea is to practice daily so everything you study gets engraved in your long term memory and makes it easier for you to recall what you have studied. When a person is in the habit of indulging in practice daily, he just can’t forget the concept. This, in turn, makes him a lifelong learner.
Mnemonics Are In!
Mnemonics or Mind Tricks are shortcuts to learning. They will help you in remembering things by associating them with something for easy recall.
These can be Acronyms like VIBGYOR or can be humorous statements like “My Very Elegant Mother Just Serves Us Nine Pizzas” which is a fantastic way of memorising planets. Associating daily learning with these types of Mnemonics will help you in better retention and will also help you in developing an easy, and effective learning style. Go on, be creative! Create your own!
Bored Of NCERT? Get Some Reference Books!
While NCERT books are considered sufficient for class 9th, they can be quite boring to many. As such, you can always go for some reference books, that will give you added knowledge related to the topics you have studied in the class, while also providing you with various tips and tricks to ace your exams. The most famous books include RD Sharma for maths, RS Agarwal, and CBSE Question Banks. Solution books are also available online. You can easily look up RD Sharma Solutions Class 9 PDF, RS Aggarwal Solutions for Class 9, and so on!
FF Plan – Favourite First Plan
As the name suggests, it is better to start with your favourite subject whether it is Maths, Social Science, and so on. The idea is to develop interest initially. Once the interest is built, you will be able to study the less interesting subjects with ease.
Healthy Diet, Wealthy Sleep
The importance of following a balanced diet can’t be stressed enough! After all, eating a balanced diet not only benefits our body but also helps in maintaining a healthy mind. A healthy mind is an asset for a healthy body and together they aid learning. Along with a healthy diet, good 7-8 hours’ sleep will help in keeping your mind refreshed and would aid in improving your study habits.
Plants or No Plants?
Plants have a soothing tendency that will naturally relax you while studying. A relaxed mind is better equipped to deal with everyday challenges. Apart from Plants, music is a proven method that aids concentration by improving brain function.
Treat Yourself
Reward yourself for little accomplishments. This would not only help in building good study habits but would also help in increasing your willpower. It is a behaviour modification method that works through motivation. It will give you a push for achieving your daily goals.
These few tips when inculcated in a study routine will help you sail through your class 9th with a breeze. and will make you lifelong learners.