From an average student to a topper: 5 smart study habits that can make a huge difference

Being good at studies requires focus and discipline, but smart habits help lead the way. When children learn healthy study habits early in life, they are often able to understand concepts better, stay organised, and feel less stressed while learning.
Good study habits do not require any extraordinary efforts, instead small and consistent daily rituals help create a positive learning environment and thus children retain more from their study time.
Here are five smart study habits parents should encourage in their children:

Consistency is the key! Parents should help children set fixed study fours, instead of continuously telling them off to take out their books. This is because when children know about what will come next, they tend to look forward to it. This also helps deal with procrastination.
At the same time, setting a routine doesn’t mean children need to spend long hours in front of their books, instead short sessions will allow them to take breaks, which eventually eases mental load. Together these habits make children more engaged with learning.

Many children go by the method of “rattafication.” While memorising is an important part of studies, children should be encouraged to understand the concept instead of simply memorizing. When children understand topics instead of memorizing them word-to-word, they retain the contents better. This is because understanding topics builds stronger retention.

Today's generation is running away from reading. Where everything is available in video and audio formats, children tend to opt them as they seem less of a hassle. While audio and video formats are helpful in many cases, reading allows one to improve other qualities along with helping understand concepts.
Parents should encourage children to read more and more because it strengthens vocabulary, comprehension, imagination, and communication skills.

Writing down the important points actively involves the learner, and thus children should be encouraged to make notes from an early age.
Underlining key words, using bullet points, or making diagrams make learning more organised and help children identify important information quickly.
Over time, this simple habit helps simplify complex topics and study more independently.

Revision helps retain information, and when children do it regularly, it helps the brain process and store information more effectively. When children follow this as a daily activity, they feel more prepared academically and experience less pressure during tests and assessments.
Parents can encourage children to spend a few minutes every day revisiting what they learned in school instead of waiting until exams approach.