Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

These are the study skills your teen needs to master now to be ready for college

By

Study habits don’t just happen overnight, they are skills students develop over time, and important ones at that. By learning how to study effectively when they’re still teenagers, your kids will have an easier time transitioning to the heavier and more intense workload in college, and they’ll retain more of what they learn in high school.

Studying is different for everyone though, and what works for one person may not work for someone else. Learning styles vary and working to discover their unique learning style will help your teens succeed both in school and later in life.

Teen studying from a book
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How should a teen study?

There’s no right or wrong way to study — what works best is different for everyone. Each person has a different learning style or a way they learn and retain information most effectively. Visual learners learn best by watching, whether it’s a YouTube video of someone performing a skill or reading information straight from a book or screen. Tactile learners learn best by touching things and experiencing new information while in motion. Auditory learners retain information most successfully by hearing it or repeating it out loud.

Recommended Videos

Study strategies for high school students

Since every person learns differently, optimizing your teen’s study skills for their learning style is important.

Study methods for visual learners

Visual learners learn by seeing, so writing things down or recopying notes is a smart strategy. Focusing on people’s faces or mouths during a lecture and studying alone in a calm and peaceful environment to cut down on visual distractions is also important.

Study methods for tactile learners

Recopying notes is effective for tactile learners as well as visual learners. Tactile learners also benefit from pacing or walking while studying and having something to touch or squeeze as they go over notes and information.

Study methods for auditory learners

Auditory learners absorb information most effectively when they hear it. Teens studying together and discussing concepts back and forth is a great way to retain information. Auditory learners also benefit from reciting information or reading notes out loud. Recording lectures and relistening is an effective way for auditory learners to get the most out of lectures and classes.

Teenager taking notes from a book to study
fizkes / Shutterstock

How much does the average teenager study?

According to data compiled by the University of Michigan, most teens spend an average of 4 hours per week on homework, but this obviously varies by a student’s individual aptitude and other factors, including environment and economic situation.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule regarding how many hours per week teens need to study to achieve their academic goals, but it’s important for teens to maintain balance in their schedules. Making time for physical activity or sports, time with friends and family, and time for self-care and relaxation are important, especially today — modern teens are more stressed than ever and have stress levels that rival, and in some cases, go beyond adult stress levels.

Though some research shows homework isn’t necessary, the jury is still out and most high school teachers still assign homework daily. If your teen seems to be spending hours and hours each day on homework, it might be time to investigate. Is the workload too much? Are they behind and playing catch up? Are they actually doing their homework or are they using study time to check social media? Are their physical needs met — are they comfortable, not hungry, not thirsty?

While there’s no consensus on how much a teen should study, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, so be sure your teen has time to relax and unwind each day.

How can teens concentrate on their studies?

It’s easy to become distracted while studying, even for adults. To help your teen concentrate on studying, it’s important to provide a calm, distraction-free environment. Subtle background noise like ocean sounds or static white noise can also help cover ambient noise that might be distracting. While some teenagers study best with a friend, others prefer solitude.

Comfortable seating and natural or low light can keep your teen from fidgeting and shifting around during study sessions, which can mean longer stretches of studying with fewer interruptions. Providing nutritious and accessible snacks and drinks can help keep your teen comfortable and give them the calories they need to keep going and not be distracted by hunger.

Learn what kind of study habits your teen has and find out if they need to hone those skills or learn new ones, so they can master them now to be ready for college.

Editors’ Recommendations

Kristi Pahr
Kristi Pahr
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kristi is a professional writer and mother of two. When she's not writing or playing chauffeur to her kids, she enjoys…
These are the college planning tips parents need to know for their teens
When the time arrives, these tips will come in handy
Excited freshman girl

If you're the parent of a high school student, the college years aren't as far away as you may think. When teens are freshmen, most of the focus is on helping kids adjust to the demands of high school. By the end of sophomore year, it's time to start thinking about college.

While it might seem early, it's actually not. Senior year will be here before you know it. As a parent of a teen, it can be difficult to know when to start prepping for the SATs or when to book those college visits. Planning for college is a stressful process for parents and teens. Having college planning tips helps make the undertaking less daunting, especially if this is your first child in high school. College planning also keeps you and your high schooler on track.

Read more
7 signs of parentification: The behavior all parents need to avoid
Why parentification occurs and the warning signs
Teenage girl holding baby sibling

You may not be familiar with the term "parentification," but you're probably familiar with the concept. In typical families, it's the parents who are the caregivers for children of all ages, but in some families, the responsibility of caring for younger siblings may sometimes fall on the shoulders of older siblings. This is known as parentification, and here are some examples of behavior all parents need to avoid.

What is parentification?
Parentification is when a child, typically a teen, has to assume roles in the family that the parents would typically assume. "Parentification occurs when parents look to their children for emotional and/or practical support, rather than providing it," Newport Academy states, adding that, "Hence, the child becomes the caregiver." Not only do older children have to assume these responsibilities before they're even prepared to do so, but the parents often don't acknowledge this is happening.

Read more
Healthy extracurricular activities kids and teens should explore
Turn off the screen and sign up your kids for healthier activities
Kids playing games outside

It's all about Fortnite, Roblox, and YouTube when it comes to what kids do with their free time. But certain activities aren't the best for their minds and bodies, are they? We want our kids to have hobbies that challenge them and help them be smarter than we ever will be. That means getting them involved in healthier extracurricular activities than gaming or staring at a screen, and we can help with that.

Why kids need extracurricular activities
Can't kids just sit and play video games all evening? Tetris is known to improve memory and could help reduce anxiety, so it can't be all bad. While it would be fine to spend a little time gaming, kids need other adventures to stimulate different parts of their brains and get their bodies moving. Kids and teens need to find out what they like, so they have healthy hobbies as adults.
There's no right age to start
Whether your child is 7 or 17, they could sign up for an activity. There are classes for newborns, toddlers, and grade-school age, and we know there are endless activities for high schoolers. Whenever your child shows an interest in something, that's the right time to get them involved.
Kids don't need to do all the things
But it doesn't mean your child should be in nonstop activities all year, every year. You like vacations and time off, and so will your children. Like you get burned out from time to time, a child put into too many activities will, as well. Have open communication with your kids on how they like what they are in, if they want to do more, and if they want to do less.

Read more