Ever spent an hour or so staring at the same page in your reading assignment? Whether you’re in the classroom or at your computer, building the right study habits can be tougher than you think. So print out this handy little list and eyeball it whenever you’re starting to struggle.

1. Before each online session or class, review your notes from the previous session. It’ll help refresh your memory and get you focused.
2. Folders, folders, folders (either real ones or the virtual kind). Don’t let your desk or your desktop get out of control.
3. Mark up what you don’t understand in notes. Then ask your instructor after class, and/or research alternative materials.
4. Organize your thoughts before emailing questions to your instructor. This will not only help you think more carefully about your question, but make you look good.
5. Review errors on corrected assignments/exams. Make sure you understand exactly why you got each one wrong, so you’ll be less likely to make the same mistake twice.
6. Less memorization, more comprehension. Sometimes it helps to type out a paraphrased version of a particular passage or assignment, putting everything in your own words.
7. Study buddies are good and can help you get motivated. But save the beer until the end of the study session.
8. Get off the computer. Online degree students should check out actual books to supplement studies. A change of scenery, even just for your eyeballs, can refresh your brain.
9. Pay attention, in person or online. Degrees cost money; make it worth your while. Online degree students sometimes have an advantage here, in their ability to rewind the lecture if they start to get distracted.
10. Be an active listener, whether online, in a classroom, or in a study group.
11. Ask stupid questions. Remember, you’re in the learning process. You aren’t expected to know the material until you’re taught it.
12. Study a little bit every day. Even if it’s just for five minutes on your busy days, it will help keep the material fresh in your brain.
13. Close the books, shut down the computer. After every study session, review in your mind or on paper what you’ve just learned.
14. Be a critical thinker. Apply newly-learned knowledge to your own experience to draw conclusions. Don’t just regurgitate what you’re taught.
15. Find a calm place to study. Library good, frat house bad.
16. Find your best study hour–are you an early bird or a night owl? Picking the right one will make a huge difference.
17. Eat well–plenty of protein and vitamins. You’ll be surprised how much more energy and focus you have when you’re getting the right nutrients.
18. Get enough rest. No matter how busy you are, make adequate rest a priority. Remember, your brain is a muscle too. It needs fuel (see above) and down time.
19. Be positive, even when you get frustrated. Make a list or note to yourself with your ultimate goal(s), to remind you why you’re doing this.
20. Think of studying as the ultimate strategy in your favorite game. Taking tests is like playing a strategic board or card game. Studying makes you a great player.
21. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. An ice cream sundae might be an appropriate award for studying well (it was always mine, when I brought home A’s in high school).
22. Continually review these amazing study tips!

Thanks to Candice for compiling these tips and allowing me to add the appropriate attitude. Got some tips of your own to share? Post them in the comments.