Even at the Senior High School level, STEM classes tend to move at a rapid pace, which may pose a problem for students without a good study system in place. After all, how you study is just as important as what you study.

Fortunately, creating an effective study system is easy enough as long as you are committed to following it. If you are an incoming STEM student in senior high school, here are a few essential study tips and habits to incorporate early on in the school year:

1. Find Study Buddies Early in the School Year

It is very likely that there are other students in your STEM track who share the same mindset as you do. Find these like-minded students and start a study group that allows you to share notes, check homework answers, quiz you on formulas, and other good study habits. STEM typically requires students to exhibit precision and a keen attention to detail. Having a study group to help you out makes it less likely for important information to fall through the cracks. Additionally, having a group of supportive friends makes it easier to learn and improve, ensuring a strong school year for you all.

2. Create a Structured Study Schedule

Schedule “study time” every day and make sure that the time you start and end is consistent. If you adhere to a structured study schedule every day, both your mind and body become accustomed to spending those hours at your desk, making it much easier to get the necessary study time.

Of course, a structured study schedule also means ensuring that you end at roughly the same time as well. This is incredibly important as most senior high school students set their study time in the evenings. Make sure you put a hard stop to your study time at a reasonable hour that ensures you get your full eight hours of sleep. This is because a well-rested brain is much more efficient at retaining and recalling information.

3. Keep Self-Study Notes Organized

Categorizing information helps your brain store information in your long-term memory more efficiently. Take advantage of this fact by color-coding your notes using sticky notes or different colored highlighters. Similarly, it may be a good idea to add arrow sticky notes to textbooks to indicate any questions you may have about the material you read in advance. This makes sure you don’t forget to ask your teacher questions about it during class the next day.

These are only a few tips to keep in mind as you begin a new year. Combined with a passion for the sciences and a hunger for success, these tips can help you set yourself up for a productive and fruitful academic year.

Click here to learn more about Enderun Senior High School’s STEM program and other strands offered.