By Jimmy Zwane
Building strong study habits is key to academic success—but turning studying into something you do every day can be tough. You know you need to study, but life happens. You forget. You get distracted. You don’t feel like it. The good news is, if you understand how habits form, you can build a reliable study routine.
A habit is a behavior you repeat regularly. Research shows habits have three parts: cue, routine, and reward. For example: school ends (cue) → you grab a snack (routine) → you feel satisfied (reward). The satisfaction reinforces the habit, making it more likely you’ll repeat the loop tomorrow.
To build a study habit, you need: a consistent time slot for studying, a cue to kick off study mode, a supportive environment, and a reward for sticking with it.
Doing something at the same time every day makes it easier to remember. One rule of thumb: multiply your grade level by 10 minutes to estimate your daily study time. For example, an eighth grader would aim for 80 minutes per day. Be careful not to overdo it—research suggests around two hours is the upper limit for sustained, productive study. Go beyond that too often and you risk burnout or interference with good sleep. When your assigned time slot has work that doesn’t fill it, use the extra minutes to review old material or read. Reading for just 20 minutes a day can boost vocabulary, language skills, and general knowledge.
Studying at the same time daily is a cue by itself, but having a tangible cue helps. You might use a calendar alert or a visual reminder like a card that says “study.” Place it somewhere you’ll see right before you begin—your desk, your door, or your computer. Flip it after you finish, putting it back for the next session. This small action signals your brain that study time is over—and primes it for the next loop.
Your study space should be for studying only. Avoid studying on your bed or in front of the TV. Use a desk or table with good lighting. Remove distractions: silence your phone, close social media and gaming apps, and avoid multitasking. Research consistently shows our brains struggle to handle multiple demanding tasks at once. If you must have your devices nearby, set them to “Do Not Disturb” and shut off all non-essential notifications.
After each session, give yourself a small reward—maybe some social media time, a snack, or a short break. As you keep building the habit, studying may become its own reward—that feeling of growth and accomplishment. Especially when you’re tackling hard or unfamiliar material, the promise of a small reward can help you push through.
Forming a habit can take anywhere from three weeks to a few months, depending on the person. Some tips to help: find a study partner to build the habit together, ask family or friends not to interrupt during your study time, and use apps or trackers to monitor your progress. Over time, the routine becomes easier. Daily studying doesn’t feel like a chore—it becomes part of how you operate.
Follow us @GautengN on X and SA Varsity News on Facebook for more tips and insights into student life.
