How To Be A Better Student: 8 Tips & Tricks

University life is no walk in the park, there are a variety of challenges which students face which make it hard to know the right ways to reach their academic potential.  

If you want to become the best student, it’s a process which takes time and effort to achieve and requires more than just getting good marks. 

We’ve put together this guide with tips and tricks so you can reach success in your university studies in no time at all! 

So, here’s our strategies on how to be a better student…

1. Set Yourself Goals 

Our first tip for how to be a better student is to start by setting yourself goals as this can help you to stay focused and motivated. 

Creating a plan of action and writing down your goals no matter what they are, can help you visualise them and keep them at the forefront of your mind.

This also means you can refer back to them and track your progress too. 

Whether you’re wanting to improve your marks, work on your academic writing skills, develop ideas for your dissertation topic or increase your contribution in lectures and seminars, we’d suggest writing down your goals.

You should also ensure that your goals are achievable as you’re more likely to give up if they’re unrealistic.

If you achieve your goals you should reward yourself, no matter how small, as this will push you to hit more targets! 

2. Create A Study Schedule 

There’s no denying that student life can be busy, but it’s important to try and manage your time well. 

We’d suggest creating a study schedule so you can set aside times each day which you’re going to focus on completing assignments and deadlines, or revising for exams. 

If you’re someone who struggles with time management, you can even use your phone to set reminders if you forget to write things down. 

By using a study schedule or calendar you can prioritise your tasks from the most important to help you stay on top of everything. 

Being organised can help reduce stress and ensure that you don’t miss any important deadlines, or leave them until the last minute. 

The best thing to do is to find a study routine that works for you, and stick to it. 

We know it can be tempting to ditch studying to go out with your friends, but try your best to maintain a healthy learning balance – you’ll reap the benefits! 

3. Set Up A Study Space 

Finding a quiet study space which allows you to focus and concentrate on the task at hand is an important part of becoming a better student. 

Whether it’s your university library or the desk in your student flat, you should try to find a study space which will help you maximise your productivity – your bed isn’t the best place for this! 

If you find that working at home is a better work environment for you than your campus library, then you need to ensure that your space is comfortable as this will make you more productive. 

A few ways you can create a good study space at home is by ensuring the space is free from distractions (like your flatmates watching telly), the temperature is cool, your desk space is clean from clutter, and has adequate lighting. 

Only you know the conditions which will help you work best, so if you’re someone who works better with music on, then do that. 

Or, if you’re someone who can only concentrate in complete silence, then maybe some noise-cancelling headphones would be helpful! 

4. Ensure Good Attendance

Next within our guide to tips and tricks to be a better student is to ensure you have good attendance. 

If your attendance for lectures and seminars is low it can not only impact upon your academic performance, but it can also land you in hot water if it goes against your university requirements. 

Showing up is one thing but actively participating in your lectures and seminars is another thing, so make sure to ask questions and get involved where you can. 

You should pay attention to what your lecturers are saying, take notes, ask questions and try your best to participate in discussions within your classes.

We’d also suggest reviewing your notes regularly to ensure that you understand the material. 

Although, having good attendance at university isn’t always possible.

There may be other factors which are affecting you attending all of your lectures and seminars, such as your mental or physical health. 

If there are extenuating circumstances impacting your university attendance, it’s best to speak to your university team to find out support which can be put in place. 

5. Ask For Help 

There is nothing wrong with needing some extra help if you don’t understand something, or if you’re struggling with a certain task or assignment within your degree. 

Part of being a better student is taking initiative and seeking out help when you need it. 

If you don’t want to ask your lecturers for help in front of a class, don’t worry, you can wait until the class is over to ask them then, or drop them an email. 

At the end of the day, your tutors are there to support you and will want you to reach your potential, so don’t wait until the last minute or put things off if you’re finding things difficult. 

You could also reach out for help from people on your course if you’re struggling. 

6. Make The Most Of Resources 

Every university offers a range of different educational resources which students can make use of to maximise their academic performance. 

If you want to be a better student, use the incredible resources and study aids that your university offers to your advantage. 

A few examples of resources which may be available to you include information on how to improve your academic writing skills, guidance on effective oral and visual presentations, how to boost your referencing and citation skills, as well as how to develop collaborative working skills. 

Being a good student is also about realising when things are getting on top of you and taking action to help yourself. 

So, if you notice your physical or mental health are taking a toll whilst at university, you should make use of the wellbeing resources which are available. 

7. Stay Healthy 

There’s no denying that student life can be difficult, there’s so much pressure to do well academically and have a great experience, but this can take its toll on your mental and physical health. 

It’s vital to ensure you’re taking time to take proper care of yourself and maintain a good study-life balance. 

A few ways you can stay healthy as a student is by taking regular breaks throughout your study sessions to recharge, focusing on self care, ensuring you have time to socialise, have a good night’s sleep, maintain a well-balanced diet and keep yourself fit. 

Studying is important but you need to ensure you’re taking time to take proper care of yourself and developing healthy habits, otherwise you will become stressed and burnt out. 

8. Be Confident 

Being confident and not letting self doubt get in the way is part of being a good student. 

Research suggests that two in five students suffer with imposter syndrome, which is the belief that you don’t deserve the things you have accomplished and your successes are attributed to luck or happenstance. 

If this is the case for you, there are a few things you can do to get rid of imposter syndrome and be confident within academia, like avoiding comparison with others, valuing constructive feedback, not being afraid to make mistakes and being yourself. 

Try not to think negatively of yourself and focus on things that you’re proud of, be confident in yourself and your abilities. 

After all, you’ve worked hard to be where you are now and you’re working towards your future! 

That’s the end of our 8 tips and tricks on how to be a better student. 

Now it’s time to reach your goals, study hard, get good grades, and become the student you’ve always wanted to be!

Check out our blog of the 10 best snacks for when it’s time to study and stay focused.