5 Steps to Study Success 1. Not All Stress Is Bad While it’s often given a bad rap, the right amount of stress can actually motivate you to get stuff done. The key thing is to recognise when stress has tipped over from being a motivating force to an overwhelming emotion. 2. 20-Minute Study Rule No one can study for six hours straight and be effective. Break up your time into twenty-minute chunks for the most effective use of your brain. 3. Say It Out Loud The best way to really remember and learn is to talk about what you’re learning out loud, without using any notes. 4. Breaks = Good, Constant Distraction = Bad Taking planned and timed breaks will help you remain on task, but checking your social every 5 minutes is a sure -fire study fail. Research shows that it can take up to twenty minutes to refocus on your task once you’ve been distracted. 5. Sleep Is Your Friend If you get a good night’s sleep before your exam, you are scientifically proven to retain more of what you studied the day before than if you stay up crazy late.