Ten Tips to Get Back Into Studying.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

It had been 15 years since I graduated from University. It was also ten years since I had done any studying of any kind. I was thinking about studying for a work-based certification. It was a scary thought after so many years of not studying. It’s now four years later, and I am back in the studying mode. I wish I had known some things when I returned to it four years ago. I have ten tips to help you return to a studying frame of mind.

1. Block out time — Context switching was a real issue when I struggled to study. I would either study at work and get disturbed by people asking me questions. Or I would study in the evening at home when I would get fatigued and distracted. Tip:- When I started taking a full day for learning and treated it like a work day it was easier to stay focused and accomplish more.I would take a full day for learning and treat it like a typical work day regarding hours and breaks.
2. Cut out (bad) distractions — I found it easier to get distracted by things in my house when studying rather than working. Tip:- A good thing to do was to get out of the house. Some examples of places I would go and study are cafes and the local libraries. Being around other people and the background noise reminded me of being in the university library (usually in the middle of the night, the day before a deadline!).
3. Make a plan — When I studied for (and gained) a certification last year, I spent the first day making a plan. I found this invaluable in progressing and learning new things. The process I followed was to do a past paper exam with no studying and see how I did. I failed, but it did highlight what areas of the syllabus I knew and which areas I had work to do. I then spent most of my time on the areas I didn’t perform well in. I then repeated this exercise a couple of times, and once I could pass the exam, I booked the exam.
4. Have an accountable buddy — One thing I have found in the past is that it was easy to give up on learning or to make excuses not to do it (a bit like going to the gym!). I didn’t have a buddy to keep me accountable in the traditional sense. I did create a goal at work to gain the certification, so it was in the open, and I had committed to it. I also told my wife I wanted to pass the exam by October of that year (the first anniversary of my joining my current job). These made me feel like I had accountability for my studying.
5. Be flexible with your learning — Something I have been guilty of in the past is being too rigid with learning. For example, if I was following an online course, I would do the lessons one after the other. Tip:- After each section of the syllabus, I will put it into practice. You learn the best by practising new skills as soon as possible. Then reinforcing anything I haven’t entirely picked up the first time as quickly as possible.
6. Assess your learning — One thing I found helpful was to assess how I was doing with learning. This would help focus me on my changing learning needs. I realised that I would learn everything at a different rate. Some things I would learn fast, others I would learn slow. I would asses my learning by taking online quizzes and past exam papers. I did not pressure myself into gaining a passing grade in these. I only wanted to see some progress from the previous attempt.
7. Take breaks — Research has shown that humans can only concentrate for 45 minutes. I take 15 mins break after every 45 minutes of studying. Whether this is to make a cup of tea and browse the news or to take a more extended break and go for a walk. This would let me switch off from reading and let the information settle in my mind. It also has the advantage of providing exercise, something I could improve during the day.
8. Have a tangible goal — I have found myself failing at learning due to no tangible goal. For example, I tried learning some Python to look at test automation. This was for a hypothetical future opportunity, and I lost motivation. When I started studying, it was with a tangible goal in mind. I wanted to get a new certification to aid my confidence and capability to get a promotion. Your tangible goal can be anything. It doesn’t need to be a big goal. It could be something small.
9. Think about how you will learn — Some things to consider before you start studying are the following. What do you want from these studies? Remind yourself what you feel this will bring you beyond the badge or some letters. What do I already know about this certification/subject? What are the objectives and areas covered in the certification? Out of these things, what am I best at or most knowledgeable about? What would my line manager/colleague say about my skills/knowledge of this topic? What areas am I least knowledgeable about or feel most intimidating? How have I pushed through to do hard things in the past? What personal or professional strengths have I relied on? What questions do I have about studying for this subject? How can I find the answers I need?
10. Take Notes — When you’re taking onboard information, being able to take notes will be helpful. It will give you something to refer to later and, if writing by hand, help drive the information into your brain.

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

I hope these quick tips help you if you need help with studying. It’s a very easy skill to forget once our education finishes and we join the workforce. Feel free to add any more tips in the comments below.