Studying, the practice of practice. Studying is a fundamental skill for any student. It’s a skill that is necessary all throughout high school and college. At least if a student wants to pass. But it’s not very easy. At least not for most. Studying has actually proven to be getting more and more difficult for students. It begs the question, why? Why is studying getting harder? 

A survey done on studying shows that out of ten students, none actually enjoy studying, and that only five “kind of” enjoy studying. Studying should not be an activity that students don’t enjoy. Learning should be fun. When asked what makes studying easier, four students said that music is helpful and three said that online resources are helpful. Teachers have a tendency to expect students to study, without giving them any guidance, and at high school level, guidance is necessary.  Students need to be taught further about studying, as the practice is a necessity. High school is more supposed to teach students how to prepare for life and more importantly, college. Most university courses are built on lecture-based learning, which is difficult for note-taking, which makes studying even more difficult.

Now, how do we make studying easier? Online resources, study playlists, good materials, quiet work space, and good recall were all mentioned by study participants. Many online resources are difficult to find, and it’s helpful when teachers let their students know what to use. Materials can make or break note taking and studying. The pressure to use certain trendy materials is an awkward tension on students, some of whom don’t have the resources to buy fancy notebooks or highlighters.

The popularity of studying on social media sites like Tumblr are also interesting, the study Tumblr community, or “studyblr” is a community of students who post their study supplies, their work spaces, and communicate about their school work. From what we can gather, the community is motivated by their ability to post about their studying, working harder on their notes, practicing their handwriting, all so they could share it with their friends. This motivation is interesting in it’s effect. When asked why they run their studyblr account, one Tumblr user said, “If I make my notes with the idea that maybe other people will see it, I work to make my notes more detailed and better organized.”