Efficient Learning: What Is the Best Time to Study?

Every study session has its purpose, depending on the goals you have. What’s more, even small changes in time can affect your ability to learn effectively and remember what you studied, with obvious benefits and drawbacks. One of the many reasons studying can be tricky is figuring out which timing works best. In this blog article, you get an idea of the pros and cons of every time of day for studying and strategic thinking. This information can help you figure out which time is better for your schedule to study or revise for exams.

Importance of studying in the right time

When you study, you need to choose a time that suits your schedule best. You must abide by the three-pronged test to ensure that you are doing the most productive studying time. The first step is to establish whether you will change your environment and incorporate studying in it, such as working with your work and school subject or researching laptops while commuting on public transit. The second step is to look at how much time you regularly spend studying. The third step is evaluating the quality of the study space, including what information you have access to, ease of access, and noise levels.

How to study at proper time?

Studying by yourself can be a challenging task if you’re not organized. With a schedule, you will be able to regiment your study time in a specific way that is effective for your needs—schedule study time during the day when natural distractions are lower and focus on your work. Make sure to always have pre-study snacks with you to increase concentration and success.

How many words per minute should I be logging in?

The best time to study is between 7 am, and 10 am. This is the ideal time for informational learning tasks where you are recommended 10 to 15 minutes per hour. For example, you should study for about an hour and a half if you take a standardized test, like the SAT or ACT. While learning between 2 pm and 5 pm is recommended as a break from your workday, this study time can be reduced to only 30-45 minutes considering that there are slightly more words said during this study time than in the morning during an hour-long session. 

If you have a lot of stressful responsibilities during these hours, it might not be the best idea for you to focus on studying for the sake of learning your lessons instead.

How long should I safely spend on a subject before studying again?

The golden rule for spending time on a subject before studying again is to learn 80% of the material before going back with 20% more detail. However, it’s important to note that this should be done if the notes from the first time around have not been memorized by the time you put your head down and start studying more.

What is the best time to study for students?

Students will always have many factors to consider when figuring out the best time for studying. Education is not a singular entity, and everyone experiences it differently. Research has shown that, in general, students who learn from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. are more likely to do well with the exam. This is different to those who learn from 10 a.m-2 p.m. or 9 p.m-1 a.m., so being aware of your tendencies may help you make educated decisions about when to look for optimal performance on exams or comprehensive duties for academic success here at UC Berkeley.

Conclusion

The numbers tell us that the best time to study is when we’re feeling mentally and physically refreshed. We usually find ourselves studying for an extended period, but the best time to study is that most people agree that it’s in our morning hours. One way to study effectively is by not studying at all. Try learning without any books, without the company of girls, video games, or co-eds scenarios.