A student can be prepared in so many ways. They can purchase this year’s hottest laptop for their Canadian online high school courses; they can establish a dedicated study space, flush with a standing desk and flash card holder; they can psych themselves up with pep talks, motivational readings and music.

However, at the end of the day, you need to bolster those preparations with effective study methods. At its most basic, studying is the methodical intaking of information. When done right, a student processes the information, absorbs it to their best ability (i.e., understands the concepts and ideas therein) and – critically – retains the information for future application.

While that might sound simple, properly retaining information actually involves a complex network of mechanisms in the brain. If your brain brushes up against distractions, or if the information fails to engage your brain on a meaningful level, all that studying can “go out the other ear,” as they say.

Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. In this article, OES explores effective studying methods for high school students, broken up into three easy-to-digest categories: Reading/note-taking, distraction-blocking, and time management.

Here’s how to study like a pro.

Reading and Note-Taking Methods

When people talk about studying, they’re primarily talking about reading and note-taking – two fundamental actions in processing information.

Reading is the primary way a student intakes information on their own. They slowly pore over passages in a textbook, attempting to absorb as much as possible. Meanwhile, note-taking is a crucial secondary process that develops that crude information, simplifies it, and attempts to make it more personalized and memorable. Both processes are indispensable when studying for tests and exams!

You can, however, do them ineffectively. If you’re skimming a textbook on mental autopilot, the information probably won’t stick. Likewise, if your notes are cluttered, clipped or incomplete, “future you” won’t have much to work with.

Before you start studying for those upcoming exams, consider the following tried-and-tested methods.

The Cornell Method

The Cornell Method is the gold standard for note-taking, according to most academics and pedagogists. Developed at the namesake Ivy League university, the note-taking method makes creative use of page space to separate and hierarchize information logically.

To pull it off, you divide your page into sections: a main notes section on the right, a slim column for questions or keywords on the left, and a summary section at the bottom. The method helps you organize your notes, create study cues, and summarize key points for easy review.

The Outline Method

This is the note-talking method that most students are probably familiar with. Like the Cornell Method above, the outline method is all about creating a hierarchy of memorable information tidbits.

Rather than using page space, the outline method achieves this by using indentation and bullet points. Your main point starts at the leftmost indentation on the page. Secondary points appear below it in bullet-point form, indented slightly to the right. And further digressions or subordinate information appears below those points, indented even further to the right with a different style of bullet point (like numbers or dashes).

For a visual representation of the outline method, check out this resource from Sheridan College.

Boxing

No, we’re not talking about going a full 12 rounds of punching your notes! “Boxing” is the term for a note-taking method that uses – you guessed it – boxes to compartmentalize information.

The boxing method isn’t for everyone. However, visual learners in the VARK model may benefit from seeing their jotted information in neat, logical boundaries.

The SQ3R Method

From note-taking, we now move to a couple of prominent reading methods, the first of which is the SQ3R method (or SQRRR). To explain the method, let’s break down the acronym and explore each step:

• Survey: Quickly skim through the reading material to get a passing sense of the central topics, headings and subheadings.
• Question: Formulate questions about the material that you hope will be answered by the text. This step primes your brain to read actively, searching for answers as you go.
• Read: Read the text in full, thoughtfully and at your normal reading pace. As you do, focus on the questions you generated. You could also incorporate one of the note-taking methods above during this step.
• Recite: Every page or so (or at each natural break in the text), stop and attempt to recall the main points covered. If you can, answer some of the questions you posed earlier. This further engages your brain, and reinforces the memorable aspects of the text.
• Review: Lastly, summarize the text in your notes and attempt to write a brief answer for each of your questions. Jot down any other helpful notes using one of the note-taking methods above.

It’s tempting to want to read a text the way you’d read a novel – lounging around, allowing your mind to wander. However, academic reading requires more active effort and structure. Consider following the SQ3R steps above to get the most out of your reading time.

The Feynman Technique

The Feynman Technique embodies the saying “keep it simple.” It involves reading a text while actively imagining that you have to teach that text to a child.

Understandably, the technique can get tricky when reading through something like a Physics 12 textbook, but it’s not impossible! All you have to do is stop your reading periodically, summarize the material in the simplest terms possible (avoiding jargon and technical language), and then create a plain-language lecture for your imaginary students.

This method highlights two critical truths about our brains: one, that we always retain information better when we express it in our own words, and two, that simplifying things forces us to confront concepts without the use of technical language as a crutch, therefore allowing us to grasp and master the underlying principles deeply.

Distraction-Blocking Methods

Those note-taking and reading methods are all well and good. But what happens if you hear a buzz from your phone or a flashy TikTok notification shows up on your laptop screen? They could derail the whole operation! (By the way, having your phone buzzing in your pocket is also one of those easily avoidable common exam mistakes).

Therefore, effect distraction-blocking should be as much a part of your studying game plan as the studying itself. To help you focus on the tasks at hand, here are a few practical ways to clear your mind of all those academic disruptions.

Social Media-Blocking Apps

Social media is an ever-present fact of modern life, especially for high-school-aged students. And while it’s ushered in a great many things – increased dialogue on weighty issues, hilarious memes – it can also be a powerful attention vacuum, sucking in any stray focus with its seemingly endless supply of engaging content.

There’s a time and a place for social media. And studying is neither. If you want to create an effective study routine, we strongly suggest steering clear of social media during dedicated study hours. Some people can do this through sheer willpower. For the rest of us, however, there are site-blocking apps like Freedom, Cold Turkey Blocker and RescueTime.

Creating Silence

Unfortunately, we can’t expect silence. The best we can do is manufacture an environment conducive to quiet, then block out the rest of the noise ourselves. Here are a few steps for creating the perfect tranquil study environment:

• Choose the quietest room in the home. Alternatively, if your home is always loud, consider working at a library or easy-going café.
• Hang a sign on the door that says something to the effect of: “Quiet. Study Session in Progress.” This lets your family know that you’re busy studying, and to minimize disruptions.
• Turn your phone to silent and keep it face down to remove the tempting “buzz” of a text or social media notification.
• Consider noise-cancelling headphones to block any other unwanted aural distractions. You can find several good options that won’t break the bank.

Studies show that noise can seriously interfere with concentration (it’s our hind brain’s way of responding to “danger” by diverting our focus – even if there’s no real danger in a sibling blaring their music too loud!). Follow these steps to remove the distractions so you can better follow the reading/note-taking steps above.

Decluttering Your Space for a Decluttered Mind

We’ve covered this phenomenon before on the blog, but it’s always worth mentioning: Mess equals stress. That isn’t a hollow adage; it’s a real, scientifically-backed neurological response that our brains have to seeing clutter. When our immediate environment is cluttered, our brains are forced to process a load of extra stimuli. In doing so, we can feel overwhelmed, distracted, powerless and even guilty.

If you want to study without the nagging frustrations of an overloaded brain, consider decluttering your study space. Ideally, your eye shouldn’t wander to any load of laundry in the corner, pile of open comics on the floor, or scattering of granola bar wrappers on the desk. It should be clean, clear and conducive to concentration.

Time Management Methods

A vital piece of the study puzzle is time management. Without effective time management, the tips above run the risk of being a “one-and-done” experiment, before you revert back to a more scattershot approach to studying.

Time management keeps strategies on track. It demands that we take action, stay on task, apply our time appropriately, and divide our time thoughtfully. If you’re the kind of student whose mind wanders its way toward procrastination, consider these effective time management tips.

“Eat That Frog”

What a strange name for a serious and well-respected time management method… Nevertheless, “eat that frog” does have a point.

It refers to a humorous Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” This method, developed by procrastination expert Brian Tracy, takes that quote and applies it to productivity.

It asks you to face the hardest task (eating the proverbial frog) first thing in the day, saving smaller tasks for afterwards. In doing so, you rip the bandage off, leave no time for fence-sitting, and gain a positive sense of self-accomplishment that can help you through the rest of the day.

In other words, if you have a Math 12 practice test living rent-free in your head, start your day with it. Everything else will seem like a relative breeze.

The Eisenhower Matrix

This is as much an organizational principle as a time management tool. Developed by former US president Dwight D. Eisenhower, the matrix involves prioritizing tasks by urgency and importance to create a study schedule. The categories are as follows:

• Urgent and Important: These tasks require immediate attention and are critical to achieving your goals. They often involve fast-approaching deadlines or assignments/tests worth significant marks.
• Important, but Not Urgent: These tasks might be weighty (and worth a significant percentage of your overall grade), but they don’t require immediate action – at least not a ton of immediate action.
• Urgent, but Not Important: These tasks are time-sensitive but, in the grand scheme of things, not as essential to the overall achievement of your goals. They might include short readings, emails, or even minor assignments.
• Not Urgent and Not Important: These tasks are neither pressing nor essential. For students, these often include non-school-related tasks that don’t meaningfully contribute to your health and wellbeing.

By understanding the importance/urgency of various tasks, you can allocate your time more effectively, managing a busy schedule with poise and purpose. If you have an “Urgent and Important” task, consider referring to the “Eat that Frog” section above to get it done!

The Pomodoro Technique

Lastly, it’s everyone’s favourite in-the-moment time management technique – The Pomodoro Technique. Named for a tomato-shaped kitchen timer common in Italy (tomato = pomodoro in Italian), the method uses blocks of time to guide your focus and productivity.

You set a phone timer for 25 minutes, and work exclusively on the task at hand. When the timer rings, you stop and take a five-minute break to rest and recharge. Repeat this process four times, after which you may take a longer, 30-minute break.

This method helps because students often see a day of studying ahead of them and feel daunted by the sheer time commitment. By breaking that day up into manageable chunks, you can increase your energy and productivity during each 25-minute study burst – and, therefore, in the day overall.

Hopefully, the list above contains enough tips, strategies, methods, and techniques to mould you into a study expert. And remember, if you’re ever feeling lost in your OES courses, please feel free to contact your teachers, administrators, and/or 24/7 tutors for help!