Warning: These Study Habits Can Derail Your IELTS Online Review

What’s the use of being enrolled in the best online IELTS review course if you don’t make the most out of it? Maximize your training program.

Below are six study habits that you need to avoid to enhance your test preparations. Some of them are not actually poor study practices, per se. However, they are not the most effective approaches for IELTS academic review. Make sure you’re not committing any of them.

1. Constantly changing your study space

Changing your study space from time to time is a great way to bring a breath of fresh air to your review routine. Just make sure you don’t overdo it. Constantly switching your study spot can distract you from your test preparations. Find a spot that’s familiar and conducive to studying. Avoid public places like parks and fast-food joints.

2. Studying in “too comfortable” places

Comfort is a must when studying for extended periods. However, that doesn’t mean that you should take your review to your bed or couch. Being too comfortable can make you complacent. So, pick your study spots wisely.

3.  Highlighting everything

Highlighting key points in your training materials is a great way to keep track of your reading progress. However, it’s not the best strategy for IELTS academic review. Seeing a page riddled with highlights can trick you into thinking that you’ve done a lot of studying. And, that’s not always the case. Highlighting a passage doesn’t automatically mean that you understand it. Keep this in mind if you’re guilty of this habit.

4.  Multitasking

Multitasking is only advisable if both of the tasks you’re doing don’t require much cognitive function—which is definitely not the case with IELTS review. Multitasking will only distract you from your test preparations. So, avoid doing other activities while you study,

5. Rewriting your notes

Rewriting your notes is a great way to organize and memorize them. Just make sure it’s not your primary study strategy. Simply rewriting your notes over and over again is detrimental to IELTS academic review since you’ll only remember the subject based on how you initially wrote it.  There’s a huge chance that you’ll be confused if the topic appears in the test in a different format.

6. Listening to music while reviewing

Studying while listening to music is a great way to stay upbeat and aware during an extensive review. However, it can also get in the way of your review. Familiar songs will have you singing or humming along to. Unfamiliar songs will have you analyzing or memorizing their lyrics. Either way, you’ll be distracted from your studies. If you really want to listen to music while you study, avoid tracks with lyrics. Stick to soundtracks. 

 Examine your study strategies. Make sure you are not guilty of any of these study habits for the best online IELTS review experience.

References:

"3 Study Mistakes and How to Avoid Them." 3 Study Mistakes and How to Avoid Them | Scape. Accessed July 12, 2018. https://www.scape.com/en-uk/life/study-mistakes.

Akresh-Gonzales, Josette. “10 Common Mistakes When Studying for the Boards.” NEJM Knowledge. March 21, 2017. Accessed July 12, 2018. https://knowledgeplus.nejm.org/blog/10-mistakes-studying-for-the-boards/.

Fleming, Grace. "5 Bad Study Habits and How to Fix Them." ThoughtCo. Accessed July 12, 2018. https://www.thoughtco.com/bad-study-habits-1857541.

UoPeople Outreach. "5 Bad Study Habits to Drop and 4 Good Ones to Keep." University of the People. Accessed July 12, 2018. http://www.uopeople.edu/blog/5-bad-study-habits-drop-4-good-ones-keep/