You may encounter several issues as an international student while studying in China. Many students are distracted from their studies or do not find a good time for them, which causes them to fail. Therefore, it is essential to know how to study effectively to reach all of your objectives. When appropriately implemented, learning becomes fun. This article will give several study tips in a broad but effective way so that anyone can personalize them to their own needs. 

1. Time Management & Plan

The most important thing you can do before you start your study is to have a smart plan in place. To do convenient planning, you have to be realistic. Put a priority on the tasks or habits that are most important to you; do not worry because this is different for everyone.

Set aside a specific time to study. If you don’t plan for it and study only when you have free time, you will not be properly prepared when the test, quiz, or paper is due. Block off time on your calendar to sit down and study. Also, plan for what you are going to study during that time. Plan your whole week out ahead of time so that every subject has a time slot.

2. Finding the Right Motivation to Study

Motivation is one of the critical points to study well. If you are not motivated to learn something, then you will most likely forget about almost everything. Therefore, let’s take a step back and look at what it takes to become motivated.

Most likely, the answer to that question is: because you want to pass your exam(s). If this is the case, then you should ask a few more items yourself to become more motivated. For example: When are the exams? How much time do I need to study to feel confident about taking the exam?

3. Find Study Environments Where You Can Be Productive

To help with neural retention, it is beneficial to find your “special” study place. Try to find a quiet space where you can be alone and focus on studying without distractions. Whether it’s the library, a coffee shop, your room, or elsewhere, keep track of which locations inspire the most productivity. Once you’ve established these locations as designated study spaces, your brain will register that it’s time to focus and become more receptive to new information.

4. Put Your Cell Phone Away While You Study

Do you check your texts or scroll your social feeds every few minutes while studying? If so, I recommend changing the way you study. Of all the distractions students face while trying to study, cell phones are likely the most significant. While text messages and social media are great forms of communication, they have no place in the study environment. One strategy you can try is setting a timer on your phone and agreeing not to look at your phone within that set period. Establish checking your phone as a reward for staying focused, rather than letting it repeatedly divert your focus away from the material you’re studying.

5. Don’t Obsess Over Grades

Grades are a big focus in high school, so it’s normal to enter college very concerned about them. While you should certainly care about your grades (particularly if you’re looking to attend grad school or keep your scholarships), don’t obsess over them.

Plus, if getting a job is your goal, then GPA is a minor factor in the scheme of things. Prospective employers will care more about the internships you did, the projects you worked on outside of class, and how well you present yourself in interviews. Don’t focus on grades so much that you forget to be a well-rounded person.

6. Use the Library

The library is a great place to study or check out a book for class, it’s also a useful resource for all kinds of academic work. Particularly if you’re writing a research paper, the library can be immensely helpful. For example, the college’s library can let you book “research consultations,” in which a librarian would work with you one-on-one to help find useful sources for all kinds of projects.

7. Don’t Pull All-nighters

Even if you can finish a project or paper in one night, it’s unlikely to be your best work. And, as with cramming, all-nighters introduce excessive stress into your life. Operating on no sleep means you’ll be less effective at whatever you attempt the day after your all-nighter. This is especially bad news if you happen to pull an all-nighter before an exam. Luckily, all-nighters are easy to avoid. If you keep a calendar of all your due dates and plan to start working on a project a few days (or weeks) before it’s due, you’ll have enough time to complete assignments without resorting to sleeping deprivation.

8. Focus on Understanding Concepts, not Memorizing Facts

One of the key differences between college and high school is that there’s less focus on memorization and more on conceptual understanding. For instance, a high school history class might require you to memorize lots of dates and names of people and then reproduce them on a test. A college history class, in contrast, will be less concerned about memorizing when/what happened and more about analyzing historical trends or cause and effect.

If you’re only accustomed to memorizing information and regurgitating it on a test, this new mindset can take some getting used to. Your professor will likely give you an idea of what they expect you to understand for exams, which can help you adjust your studies accordingly. But, in general, be sure to spend time learning the concepts behind the subject in addition to rote memorization.

9. Take Notes on Paper

I encourage you to take notes on paper if you can. A 2014 study published in Psychological Science found that students who took notes on laptops didn’t do as well on tests of conceptual understanding compared to students who took notes by hand. Because taking notes on a laptop makes it easier to transcribe what a professor says verbatim. When you write by hand, in contrast, the slower speed forces you to summarize and put concepts in your own words, which leads to better understanding.

To be clear, I do think your computer is an excellent place for storing and organizing your notes. But you’re better off using your phone to scan your notes later (or typing them up by hand) than taking digital notes from the start.

10. Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself has been linked to better self-control and can help form good habits. Telling yourself you’ll get a small reward if you finish the section you wanted to get through, or perhaps a larger reward if you have a productive day of studying, can be good motivation to get to your goal.

Small rewards can be a hot drink from your favorite coffee shop, a quick game of your choice, or a short episode of a TV show. Bigger rewards for a long day of studying or getting done with an exam can include getting your favorite meal, spending some time relaxing with friends, or making time for your favorite activity.

11. Don't Always Being Absent from Class

If you have appropriate reasons for being absent from class, and you have informed the teachers and got their permission, then it will be fine. But if you think you can have more time to enjoy life or do other things by being absent from class in China, then you will be on the way to making a big mistake. A low attendance rate will not only make you spend more time for the time you wasted on the study, but also bring you a bad academic record in China, and it may influence your further study, transfer, and hunting for jobs in China. You are suggested to keep an attendance rate higher than at least 95% in case of any problems.

Studying abroad is a big step, but also one of the best experiences students get to live today. However, you must be prepared for what’s yet to come. You’ll be amazed by the benefits gained from following these simple techniques. We hope these tips will help you to develop great study habits and ace in the future!