Study habits of successful students

Becoming a successful student doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, dedication and you can bet that any student excelling in their exams and assignments will have great study habits and routines in place. Here at Tutor Doctor we want to help your child adopt smart studying habits, so that eventually they will spend less time studying while retaining more information -- in other words working smarter rather than harder. We’ve put together a list of ways successful students study, which are guaranteed to help your child reach their goals and beyond.

Remember studying smart is much more important than studying hard

Never leave it to the last minute

Successful students will never leave work or assignments until the last minute. Planning time to study and knowing how long they have to complete homework is key. To help your child avoid rushing work the night before, they need to get organised and manage their time better.
Incorporating a daily study routine is the best place to start, even if it’s for an hour every day after school and a little longer on weekends. Having specific time set aside to study will make the world of difference. Writing down all assignments in a planner or diary will also be useful as this will show exactly what’s due and when, meaning they can plan out their study time accordingly. For some great tips on how to help your child be more organised at school, check out our blog post here.

Designated study space
All successful students will have a designated space where they can study, revise and complete homework. This will most likely be somewhere free from distractions and is a calm space that helps maximise productivity. Help your child find a place away from the TV and other distractions- perhaps a desk in their bedroom or if that’s not an option the local library.

Take detailed notes
Taking detailed notes is super important when it comes to being successful at school. Not only will jotting down their own interpretations mean your child is more engaged in lessons but they will also be extremely helpful when it comes to revising for their exams. Don’t forget, it’s much easier to re-read detailed notes than an entire textbook!

Don’t understand? Just ask!
Even gifted students can struggle to understand what’s being covered in class. If your child isn’t quite getting the hang of a topic or they need more information, make sure they ask questions or get more help if they need it. After all, school is for learning and getting extra help is a great way to make sure your child really understands the material and doesn’t fall behind in class.

Keep revising
Finally, perhaps the most important study habit of any student that gets excellent grades: revising on a regular basis. Encourage your kids to regularly reinforce what they’ve learnt in class by re-reading notes or revisiting class assignments. This will help commit the information to their long term memory, meaning they will excel when it comes to exams and class tests. Here’s the tricky part- this does mean your child will have to come home after school and revise- however if a study routine is in place this shouldn’t be too difficult! It doesn’t have to be boring either- here’s a few fun ways they can mix up their revision.

• Spend time researching a particular topic or looking up interesting facts on the internet. A little extra reading goes a long way!

• Read over notes from lessons. If your child is really struggling to remember something, encourage them to create a fun colourful poster that breaks down the information in a different way.

• Watching online documentaries and educational YouTube videos relating to a specific subject can make revision fun and you’ll be surprised how much more your child can remember.

• Talk though information with a study group, a friend or family member. This can be the most effective way for your kids to retain particular topics, theories or facts.

How every child can benefit from tutoring

The start of a new school term can be overwhelming for many children, especially when it comes to homework loads and subjects getting that little bit trickier. A tutor can really help improve grades and exam results but can also give your child the opportunity to learn the skills they need to become confident, independent learners. Here at Tutor Doctor we want to spread the word about why tutoring can be so beneficial and how every child can be successful.

Improve Grades
Improving grades is one of the most popular reasons for getting a tutor. You may have started to notice that your child is struggling to keep up or maybe they need certain grades in upcoming exams to get into a specific college or University, or perhaps they aren’t reaching their potential and need to be provided with some more challenging material. Whatever your situation, a tutor really can make all the difference when it comes to achieving great grades. Our tutors always work hard to ensure your kids have the right resources and enough learning time to go through difficult topics to help them reach their targets and beyond.

Building Confidence
Not being at the top of the class can make some kids lose confidence in their academic abilities, which can in turn affect performance, contribution and behavior during lessons. All of our tutors work hard across each one-on-one session to help individuals recognise their strengths, build up confidence levels and encourage them to be enthusiastic about their studies. By setting achievable targets together and taking small steps in the right direction, your child can enjoy a journey of success and progress.

Build Executive Skills
Executive skills such as the ability to organise time, prioritise tasks and memorise data aren’t easy to acquire, especially as they aren’t always taught at school. A private tutor can help your child grasp these vital skills and make them feel as though they are in control of their studies -- and that their schedules are less hectic. Honing these skills means no more excuses for being disorganised or missing important deadlines!

One-on-one Attention
Full classrooms can make it difficult for quieter students to ask questions and get the extra help they might need. Tutoring will give your child undivided attention to work through any problems, ask questions and talk over anything they’re not sure about in a focused environment without distractions.

Adapt to personal learning styles
Every child has a preferred learning style which might not be specifically catered to at school. Whether they prefer working out loud or writing down their thought process, a private tutor will tailor learning programs around your child’s specific needs in order to help them reach their full potential. They can also help improve your child’s ability to work in a range of different learning styles, which can really boost understanding at school.