Becoming an effective student can be accomplished in the simplest ways. It’s about learning how to ‘study smarter, not harder’. As you go further within your education, you’ll find this technique to come in handy.

It’s different for every school student, some may be able to breeze through school with minimal effort, while a vast majority of students who succeed, use studying techniques to develop higher grades. Studying can be time consuming but there’s always a result that leads up to it all. Most study habits are aimed at your grades going up whereas it is just as important about knowledge and understanding. Knowing your grade is higher than it was last time doesn’t mean you fully understood the concepts of what you were studying. To be able to understand and be capable of answering questions you are given, show that you have learnt something and that the time used was affective. Most students find school hard because of personal problems in their lives, friends, family or other relationships. You might find that students feel like they can’t control their own lives. This can affect the ability to concentrate and stay focused on tasks in school. There are 3 factors that can break down why students struggle so much: stress, anxiety and brain power (having enough energy)

Stress is the body’s way of showing pressures. It’s caused by good and bad experiences, and can be a healthy reaction, helping us cope with life challenges. But if you are too stressed it can lead to physical and mental health. Anxiety is caused by an array of feelings that don’t go away. It’s a serious condition that makes it hard to go through life. Everyone can feel anxious, but some people anxiety is a part of daily feelings that aren’t easily controlled. Studying in a place where you can concentrate, phones are the biggest distraction. Prioritize your tasks and have a willingness to study. Having brain food before you study so you can stay on topic for better results. Studies show that there are many different ways to breakdown your studying time and set it out efficiently. Getting in the zone, sleeping well, exercise, goal setting and to test yourself daily. These are all very important factors to remember, when at home re-assure yourself that you can do it and that if you set your mind to it and try your hardest you will succeed. Dedicate at least 2-3 hours a day to do homework/ study.

From this we learn and understand the good benefits of studying smarter not harder. Studying in your own time is hard and it is also hard to find time to, managing your time and prioritizing your time is key. You might already have other things that work better for you, find out what your friends do when they're studying. Teachers have good recommendations too. It’s helpful to ask for extra help and if any opportunities come up for extra study take them! The more you study the more knowledge you can gain.

Will Smith is someone who is very inspirational towards the younger generation. Will Smith is an American actor and media personality; he is very focused on making youth be the better version of themselves. He once said, “I wake up every morning believing today is going to be better than yesterday”. Smith is someone who the younger generation should look up to, he has done many great things and has many outstanding achievements. Be confident that you can develop good study habits, learn new concepts and make your time at school worthwhile.