At the start of every school year, a newfound confidence bubbles inside students. The combination of a fresh start and highly anticipated trips to Staples and Office Depot create the feeling of a clean slate for so many and, for the first few weeks of the school year, the hope for a better year is practically tangible. However, as the leaves change and the days get shorter, we find that our color-coded folders and fancy planners aren’t enough to keep our GPAs where we want them.

Upon hearing the word “study” most cringe, shudder, roll their eyes, or even laugh either claiming they don’t need to, they don’t know how, or it’s too difficult. Yet, doing so is proven to improve grades and reduce test anxiety if it’s done the right way for you. To help figure out what you can do to keep that new school year optimism alive, here are some tips on how to study:

1. Stick to a schedule.

One reason studying often feels overwhelming is that it’s meant to be a habit rather than something that is only implemented before a big test. Setting aside a specific time to review notes, handouts, or assignments from class regularly will eliminate the need for cramming at the last minute – a guaranteed way to exhaust any mental energy you’d need to remember information during your test. Additionally, it’s better to study in frequent, small doses to avoid “burning out” and to better store and recall what you have reviewed.

2.  Study in the right environment.

The ultimate enemy of studying is distraction and finding a spot where distractions are limited can be challenging but not impossible. It’s important to study in the right environment because it greatly impacts your concentration and productivity. This means cellphones should be out of sight (and therefore out of mind) and your “study zone” should not share a space with your “free time zone” – ESPECIALLY when it comes to your bed. Studying in/on your bed will not only decrease your ability to concentrate but tends to increase stress, anxiety, and insomnia due to the line between study and rest being blurred.

3. Change up your study methods.

Studying is often thought of as excruciatingly boring because many don’t know that there are different ways to do it. Instead of simply reading through your notes again and again, try rewriting them in your own words in a way that you can remember (ex. Joseph McCarthy was some random Republican senator who no one knew until he started freaking the entire nation out during the Red Scare by claiming specific U.S. government workers were communists for no reason). You can also try teaching the material to someone else like a younger sibling or beloved pet, quiz yourself with traditional flashcard, or making your own diagrams or “mind maps”. Finally, you can try rewarding yourself when you hit a study milestone such as remembering 10 flashcards correctly in a row. Take a snack break!

It’s important to remember that the only one who can determine the best way for you to study is you. So, stock up on all those pens that’ll disappear by November and hold on tight to that hope of a new beginning. You’ll take the 2017-2018 school year by storm.