Study Habits

Dear students,

A habit is a pattern of behavior that is acquired through repetition. Research indicates that it takes about twenty-one days to form a habit. The following study habits are characteristic of successful students. Be successful! Form these habits now. They weill help you on the test and after the test.

★Accept responsibility.
Successful students understand that the score on the TOEFL/IELTS is their responsibility. It doesn't happen because of luck. It is the result of their own efforts. Take responsibility for your TOEFL/IELTS score. Don't leave it to chance.
‧Don't rely on luck.
˙Work diligently.

★Get organized.
You will need a place to study where you can concentrate. Try to find a quiet place where you can arrange your study materials and leave them until the next study session. If that is not practical, then find a bag that you can use to store all your materials so that you can have everything you need when you go to the library or another place to study. Don't use the bag for anything else. This will save time because you will not be looking for everything in different areas of your house or room, and you will not be trying to find TOEFL/IELTS preparation material among other things in the bag. You are less likely to lose important notes.
‧Find a study area.
‧Keep your materials in one place.

★Set realistic goals.
Be honest about your preparation. Students who are just beginning to learn English are not prepared to take the TOEFL/IELTS. Give yourself the time you need to prepare. By setting an unrealistic goal, you will probably be very disappointed. Even advanced students need time to learn academic skills and review language skills as well as to take model tests.
‧Evaluate your English.
‧Set a goal that you can achieve.

★Make a plan.
It is not enough to have a goal, even a realistic goal. Successful students also have a plan to accomplish a goal. What are you going to do to achieve the goal you have set? You will need to have time and resources. What are they?
‧Dedicate time and resources.
‧Select a syllabus.

★Establish priorities.
A pretest will be helpful to you when you set priorities. By analyzing your strengths and weaknesses on the test, you will know which sections of the test will be the most difficult and which will be easy for you. You will also know which problems within each section require the most study. By focusing on those sections and problems, you can set priorities and use your time wisely.
‧Take the pretest.
‧Analyze your strengths and weaknesses.

★Manage time.
How do you spend time? Clearly, a certain amount of your time should be spent sleeping or relaxing. That is important to good health. However, you should think about how much time you spend worrying or procrastinating. That is not a healthy way to spend time. Successful students have a schedule that helps them manage their time. Preparing for the TOEFL/IELTS is written down on the schedule. TOEFL/IELTS preparation is planned for on a regular basis just like a standing appointment. If it is written down, it is more probable that you will give it the time necessary to achieve your goal. When you start to worry, use that energy to do something positive. Learn to use time while you are waiting for an appointment or commuting on public transportation to study. Even a five-minute review will help you.
‧Schedule study time.
‧Use unscheduled time well.

★Learn from mistakes.
If you knew everything, you wouldn't need any books or materials. Expect to make mistakes on the quizzes and other tests. Read the reference answers given by your teachers, and learn from your mistakes. If you do this, you will be less likely to make those mistakes again on the official test.
‧Study the reference answers.
‧Review your errors.

★Stay motivated.
It is easy to begin with enthusiasm, but it is more difficult to maintain your initial commitment. How do you stay motivated? To keep their energy up, some students give themselves some incentives. Without small rewards along the way, it may be more difficult to stay motivated. Just be sure that the reward doesn't take more time than the study. Remember, an incentive is supposed to keep you moving, not slow you down.
‧Give yourself small incentives.
‧Keep moving.

★Choose to be positive.
Your attitude will influence your success on the TOEFL/ IELTS examination. To be successful, you must develop patterns of positive thinking. To help develop a positive attitude, memorize the following sentences and bring them to mind after each study session. Bring them to mind when you begin to have negative thoughts:
I know more today than I did yesterday.
I am preparing.
I will succeed.

Remember, some tension is normal and good. Accept it. Use it constructively. It will motivate you to study. But don't panic or worry. Panic will cause loss of concentration and poor performance. Avoid people who panic and worry. Don't listen to them. They will encourage negative thoughts.

Good luck to all of you!