It’s no secret that studying is the key to success on a campus, but what about life after school? Can studying be thrown out of the window once your career has been met? The answer is: no, not really. We study all throughout our lives — as babies trying to figure out what noises form words, as children absorbing as much information as possible before the next test, as adults going through a multitude of life experiences — we utilize studying all the time, even subconsciously. However, many of us struggle to fully tap into our studying to the best of our ability, and some of us don’t know how to properly study at all. This article will dive into tips and tricks for studying, and some of the most successful study habits in students, especially for those at CORE.

For starters, you’re gonna want a plan. It is highly recommended by fellow students and teachers alike to plan out a study session. Create realistic goals for yourself, ensure you are within a good study zone with little to no distractions, and make sure you know what it is you’re studying for. It is also advised to take breaks, specifically five-minute-long breaks, and to get adequate sleep at night for the information to have time to stick in your brain.

One of the most effective studying techniques is the SQRRR (SQ3R) method. The acronym stands for survey, question, read, recite, and review. Rather than reading a lengthy piece of text, start by skimming through and taking notes on anything that stands out to you. Then, formulate your questions, such as: What is this topic about? What am I studying for? What do I already know about this topic? Then, with your questions formulated, fully read the text and look for the answers to your questions. After reading a section, summarize in your own words what you just read. Recall the major points and review any formulated questions that have been answered. Once you have finished the amount you need to read, review the material as many times as you see fit. This type of technique is best used for reading comprehension, but can be applied to nearly anything that you are studying.

Another useful method is the Pomodoro Technique, which is more of a time management method, but is still very useful in regard to studying. The gist of it is once you pick a task, say a chapter of a book for English, you set a timer of 25 minutes for yourself. You will work on the task until completion, take a five-minute break afterwards, and increase the break by five minutes every four “pomodoros.” A pomodoro is essentially just the amount of time spent on any task, and can be determined by you. This method is a very basic and equally effective outline method for time management — it’s very flexible and easy to mold to your own schedule and assignments that may need to be completed.

I interviewed a couple of my friends, who are students at CORE (both asked to stay anonymous), to see their take on studying, how they feel about it, and to hear anything they might offer other students who are looking into studying.

One friend voiced her opinions on the general state of studying, and how she believes that “studying is really important, but schools kind of struggle to teach it.” She elaborated by saying that people have a variety of different needs when it comes to learning, and how the base note taking and reading isn’t enough for most people. “I used to struggle with remembering things I learned in my classes, and it took me over a year to learn a method of studying that actually works for me”, she shares.

My other friend shared a similar stance, telling me how she always used to stress out during finals weeks throughout her school years because of how poorly she used to study. “Some people don’t need to, but that’s just them. I always had a sort of pride thinking I didn’t need to study. My grades were abysmal, to say the least.” She says that sacrifices do have to be made if one wants to study for a subject and pass it, such as limiting your hobbies or social time, sleeping on time, and getting an actual good night’s rest.

At its CORE, studying is less about memorizing information and more about learning how to learn — a skill that follows us far beyond the classroom. Whether through structured methods like SQ3R, time-management systems such as the Pomodoro Technique, or simply finding the personal strategies that make information “stick,” effective studying is something anyone can build with time and intention. As the experiences of CORE students show, success comes from understanding your own needs, being willing to adapt, and recognizing that improvement is always possible. Developing strong study habits isn’t just preparation for the next test — it’s preparation for life.