One can study effectively or ineffectively. Here are a few guidelines for becoming more effective in your study habits:

1. Reviewing is more important than cramming. How to review? Right after a class, read and think about your notes for 10-15 minutes. Then right before the next class (same class, just the next time it meets), review those notes again for 10-15 minutes. Next, on weekends, review all of your notes for all classes for the week (perhaps 2 hours). And once a month, review all of your notes for all classes for the month/semester (perhaps all day on a weekend). This is important because for remembering, 15 minutes a day for 4 days (60 minutes) is actually better than studying 90 minutes at one time. I'm not quite sure of the exact number comparison, but it is a fact that reviewing in small chunks of time is more effective for remembering and understanding than studying in a large, single chunk of time. This guideline also applies to writing. That is, writing a little bit on one's essay every day or two will result in a better essay than writing the entire essay at one sitting.

2. When studying the night before a test, be sure to get a good night's sleep. (If you've been reviewing all the time, you won't need to cram.) Lack of sleep interferes with the ability to remember what one studied.

3. When studying, avoid carbohydrates and sugar, but eat more protein, which helps you keep awake and alert.

These are a few basics. If you want more information, go to University of Texas Learning Center's Resources page for handouts on studying and learning.