For most students, studying is an essential part of doing well in school and can sometimes mean the difference between an A and a B. However, too many people don’t know how to study efficiently. Here are some fool proof studying tips from a high school senior that has had to learn the hard way.

1. Color Code Your Notes

Not only does color coding your notes make them look 10x better, but it can also be a way to organize your thoughts and remember certain material better. Personally, having a nice color coded set of notes actually makes me want to study them more. Keeping everything organized will make it easier to study and lessen the sense of dread that comes with studying important material for school. When everything around you is unorganized, everything on your to-do list can seem much harder than it actually is.

2. Don’t Start Too Late

Procrastination is a huge thing to overcome, and sometimes the stuff you have to do simply seems impossible, but starting to study too late in the day is one of the most ineffective studying tactics. After a long day, your body and brain will start to get tired. If you try to start studying when your brain power is going to sleep for the day, the information at hand most likely will not get retained, leading to bad grades and unhealthy sleeping habits. Staying up late is all too easy for busy high school students, so a pro tip would be to start studying earlier in the afternoon and having a time cut off so you don’t end up losing sleep.

3. Don’t Miss Class

Missing class means missing new lessons, deadlines, and will definitely increase the amount of time you have to spend studying. Learning the given material from your teacher or professor vs. learning it by yourself can hinder you when it comes time for the big test, final, or essay. You could end up overlooking certain things that the teacher emphasized in the class you missed, and ultimately making your grade suffer. Also, you could get your exemptions taken away, so just show up.

4. Study The Material The Same Day You Learned It

It is really easy to go to class, learn a new lesson, and take notes. Almost anyone can accomplish that part of the learning process. Unfortunately, that also happens to be as far as a lot of students get. Showing up to class is extremely important, but if you aren’t doing your part outside of the classroom, you won’t succeed as much as students who do. Yeah, studying is really boring and often times tedious. Just rip the band-aid off and do it.

Studying can seem like a complete waste of time, but if you set aside a slot of time everyday to get it done, you will notice a change in your performance at school.