5 signs you’re studying badly and what to do instead

By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed.

This blog post reveals five signs you’re studying poorly and what to do instead.

Because schools rarely teach students how to study, students are often left to their own devices. Naturally, this includes a lot of trial and error, and often settles for “study” methods that might get a lot of hype but don’t actually work.

How do you know if you are studying badly? How do you know if you are using the right study strategies? If you regularly experience any of the following signs, you are probably studying poorly.

Sign #1 You’re Studying Badly: You study a lot but still don’t do well on tests

I hear students say all the time that they “studied for hours” but still bombed the test. Or they stayed up all night studying but still didn’t do well. If that’s you, you’re probably studying badly.

What is actually happening:

If you study a lot but still do poorly on tests, chances are you’re overestimating the actual amount of time you actually study during a study session.

For example, let’s say you start studying at 4:00 p.m. and stop studying at 7:30 p.m. Mathematically, it looks like you studied for three and a half hours. But this is highly unlikely.

First, it’s WAY too long to study without a break. In fact, it’s almost impossible to concentrate for that long without taking a break. So in that three and a half hour period, you probably didn’t Really studied for up to 60 minutes when you subtract phone distractions, snacks, zoning, bathroom breaks and googling random things… right?

The solution:

1. Ditch the epic study sessions and use spaced repetition instead.
2. Limit your study sessions to no more than 45 to 60 minutes.
3. Take legitimate study breaks.
4. Stop denying when you’ve lost focus and do something about it. refocus.
5. Remove ALL distractions from your study space.
6. Create a study plan so you know exactly what you’re studying the moment you sit down. use my awesome free study planner.
7. Take care of your physical needs before each study session (don’t be hungry, tired, thirsty, uncomfortable, etc.)

Sign #2 that you study badly: your study sessions are easy

Studying is a cognitively demanding task that supposed to be hard. Sure, a quick review of material you trust may seem easy, but if you’re studying difficult material that’s new to you, that should hurt a little.

What is actually happening:

If your study sessions feel easy and fun all the time, then you’re probably studying badly. Most likely, you are using passive study techniques, which is dangerous. Passive study involves skimming through notes, skimming through textbooks, and clicking class slides; these “study” methods are dangerous because they make you think you are learning something. You are not.

The solution:

1. Stop using passive study methods. Yes, I know you like it. But stop.
2. Use active recall strategies for each future study session.

Sign #3 that you study badly: you frequently feel anxious about tests

Having nerves before tests is very common and is not a sign that something is necessarily wrong. However, test anxiety that interferes with your ability to function is more serious. Are you just nervous? Or are you in a full-blown panic attack? Know the difference.

What is actually happening:

Assuming you don’t have a medical-grade panic attack (in which case you should talk to your doctor), tense nerves before a test are almost always related to how prepared you are.

The less evidence we have that proves we are ready for the test, the more nervous we will be. In other words, if you constantly suffer from text anxiety, you’re probably not preparing (not studying) enough.

The solution:

1. Improve your study methods so that you are confident in what you are doing.
2. Use active recall study methods.
3. Take several practice tests before the real exam.
4. Have someone else test you on the hardware.
5. Answer all textbook review questions at the end of textbook chapters, even if your teacher didn’t ask you to.
6. Use spaced repetition.
7. Plan your study sessions so that the day before the test you simply take a final exam.
8. If you feel anxious during the test, use these immediate stress relief techniques.

Sign #4 that you study badly: you do well on homework but not on tests

Many students do well in class and on homework, but consistently get poor grades on quizzes and tests. It’s not uncommon, but it can be a sign that you’re studying poorly.

What’s really going on:

Doing well in class and at home is fine, but it’s not a guaranteed indicator that we know the material. Often when we complete these low-pressure assignments, we can have our notes and reference materials in front of us. It’s alright when we’re learning the material, but not when we are tested on it. Relying on good grades for homework as a sign that you’re ready for the test can get you in trouble.

The solution:

1. As you get closer to your test, try to do your homework and class work without notes or reference materials in front of you.
2. Schedule legitimate study sessions at least five days before your test, where you use active recall strategies. Use my free study planner. (It’s awesome.)
3. When doing your homework, look for areas of uncertainty. Be sure to clarify these areas before the test. I call it Finding the Gaps and it’s essential.

Sign #5 that you are studying badly: you forget the subject right before the test

Many students tell me that they felt prepared the day before the test, but then seemed to forget about the material as soon as the test started. Again, this is common and another sign that you are studying poorly.

What’s really going on:

You have to know the difference between memorization and complete acquisition of knowledge. Memorization is temporary and sometimes useful for minor things, but it’s fool’s gold. If you’re too young to know what that means, look for it.

When we memorize information, it is only stored in our short-term memory. As the name suggests, our short-term memory does not last long.

Memorizing material instead of actually learning this is one of the main reasons why students forget information when they need it.

Also, and this is very important, when we simply memorize material, we never get to the point of learning where we can APPLY the material. During the tests, the teachers ask you to apply the material you learned…not just regurgitate it.

The solution:

1. The most practical way to go from memorizing to learning is to work with material repeatedly over a series of days. Again, this is called spaced repetition.
2. Never rely on an epic study session to learn the content.
3. Use reverse engineering from your test date to determine when you should start studying. Five days is my minimum recommendation.
4. Take several practice tests or do several sets of problems where you force yourself to apply the material you are studying. You can always ask your teacher for additional practical work. If you think no one is doing it, you are very wrong.

Final Notes on Studying Badly

I hope you understand that I wrote this post and generated this list of study mistakes from a place of compassion. It really breaks my heart when my students feel deflated when their perceived effort doesn’t match their grades. Yes, sometimes there are deeper issues such as learning disabilities, but in many cases it is simply a matter of not studying properly.

If you’ve read this article and nodded even once, I challenge you to really look at your study methods and ask yourself if they’re serving you.

I know it’s easier to use passive study techniques and watch the time go by, but that’s not what we do. That’s not how you learn things. This is not how we go through school happy or well.