Now that you're getting a little more used to being back at school, it's time to buckle down, work hard and hit the books.

Samantha Diamond, a former Student Success Facilitator at Fanshawe's Learning Centre and current Professor in the Schools of Business and Language and Liberal Studies, has picked up a few excellent study tips while working with students.

Diamond suggested time management is an important part of starting the school year strong. "You want to make sure that you're really prepared. Start scheduling ... (time) for just studying."

She added that The Learning Centre on campus can help students figure out how to use their time wisely. "It offers study skills sessions on time management, which is really important for students when they're first coming to school. Students have to learn that, even though you have a lot of breaks, you have to use your time wisely."

The Centre also offers workshops on note-taking skills, textbook reading skills and test preparation. "I think attending all of these in the first month of school would be really beneficial for students," said Diamond.

Taking effective notes in class from the very beginning can help students make helpful study notes later in the semester. Diamond recommended the Cornell Note- Taking System. "You divide your page into three sections, and you have most of your notes on the right side. After class, you go through and review, putting the key words on the left side. It makes it really easy when you go to study — you can cover up the right side. You also have a summary at the bottom ... Getting in the habit of doing that could be really beneficial."

New students may have heard stories about students pulling allnighters, cramming information into their brains before a huge test. Returning students may remember feeling stressed and pressured, leaving studying until the last minute. It doesn't have to be that way.

"To avoid cramming, you have to start studying sooner," advised Diamond. "You really have to stay on top of what's due when … You have to find time to do your assignments early and to start studying from day one. The best way to prevent yourself from cramming is to start thinking ahead and planning."

Diamond said studies have shown that students who started studying earlier in the semester had to study less during exam time, as they already had a thorough understanding of the material. "There's the 'curve of forgetting,'" she explained. "If you study something, on day one you know 100 per cent, but if you don't look at it, by day 30, you're down to two or three per cent. By the time you go to do your exam, depending on when you read the information, you have to re-learn that information all over again."

She recommended taking 10 to 20 minutes on the first day to look over your class notes, then taking another 10 to 20 minutes to review them again a week later to keep the connections fresh in your mind. "It's really important to keep making those connections and to keep being engaged with the material."

"We're not asking students to study for long, huge amounts of time; we're asking them to study smarter," she said. "Study more frequently and start from the very beginning … If you've practiced proper study habits throughout the semester, by the time you do test prep, it should be a breeze."

Besides offering free academic assistance and holding weekly workshops, The Learning Centre also has dozens of tips sheets to aid students in their quest for success. For help or additional resources, visit The Learning Centre in A2019 or check them out online www.fanshawec.ca/tlc.