The Power of Routine: Habits for Educational Success

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New Year is approaching and the time of setting new resolutions is here. The new year is a “clean slate” and we have to fill it with challenges and opportunities of growth.

But, unfortunately, a lot of us abandoned our New Year's resolutions as soon as we set them. Why? Because adhering and implementing them in our routine feels like a tough nut to crack.

We all have heard the proverb: An apple a day keeps a doctor away. A lot of us believe that it implies eating a lot of apples to remain healthy. But in reality, this proverb means to eat nutritional food regularly.

This proves how much routine is important for developing new habits, achieving New Year resolutions, and getting success in our lives. It is especially beneficial for students as their academic performance determines their future.

But, how to set the routine? This article is going to help students in getting the answer to this question.

The Impact of Routine

The routine develops daily habits, and these habits are the building blocks for shaping our actions, decisions, and destinies. All the successful individuals of the world have achieved excellence due to their daily habits.

The habits of successful students are waking up early, eating a healthy breakfast, attending their classes, having a consistent study schedule for completing homework, doing exercises, and going to bed on time.

This kind of routine has helped Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and other successful individuals to build empires and become millionaires.

Some of the major benefits of daily habits are:

1. Improved Retention

A study compared two groups of students: one who spaced their repetition for exams in four days, and one who crammed all the concepts in one day. They found that the first group performed better than the second one.

It means when you make the routine of spaced repetition, you can perform better in your assessments. This helps in improving your retention.

2. Reduced Stress

A study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology demonstrates how a routine helps children decrease impulsiveness and stress. It is especially helpful for learners with different disorders such as ADHD as it provides them with a sense of security, thereby reducing their stress and fear.

If you have the routine of completing and revising your homework daily, you don't need to cram near the exam. You will be well-prepared for your assessments, which will reduce your stress.

3. Time Management 

Creating and fostering a routine helps in developing time management skills. This will help students in having a balanced personal and academic life. They can have fun while completing their homework and other academic tasks on time. 

These crucial soft skills will help them participate in different extracurricular and academic activities with ease.

4. Self-discipline 

“Discipline Equals Freedom”- Aristotle 

A routine gives a sense of calm and self-independence. When you know you have to do this task within this time frame, it helps you remain focused. You feel responsible for your tasks and struggle to complete them on time. This self-discipline is the key to getting freedom from stress and failure in life.

When you have a routine, you know you can't play until your homework is complete. This self-discipline helps you avoid procrastination.

5. Free up Mental Space

Mental Health America has asserted that a routine is an effective tool for improving mental health by organizing the overwhelming everyday tasks into a structured pattern. It means that routine impacts our mental health and overall well-being.

It sets our body’s natural time clock, helping it to sleep on time and wake up early to fulfill the tasks. Moreover, it frees up our mental space from all our worries. We don't have to make decisions consistently. So, it saves our time and energy, having a positive impact on our academic progress.

6. Forming Positive Habits

Routines enable you to form various positive habits. Different studies have found that behavioral problems in kids are due to inconsistent routines. But, if the kids have a routine, they will develop various positive habits.

Going to bed daily will help in having quality sleep. This will improve the mental and physical health that is crucial for great body functioning. Moreover, a consistent academic routine will help in having deep study sessions.

Role of Students in Building Their Routine

Students have to step forward in building their routine and positive academic habits. For this, there are various tips they can implement in their lives.

1. Find a Good Study Location

Psychologists believe that a good study location is crucial for building a successful academic routine. If you don't have a proper place and schedule, you can't achieve your academic goals.

So, it is crucial to have a proper schedule and a place to study. The place should be distraction-free, well-lit, and relaxing.

2. Set Clear Goals

A lot of people fail to achieve their New Year goals because their goals are either unrealistic or vague. That's why, you should develop clear study goals in your mind.

It is best to break down your study goals into small chunks, and design a specific time to achieve them. These small goals will keep you on track and you will remain motivated.

3. Use Effective Study Techniques

There are various effective study techniques you can use to build your study routine. For example, spaced repetition helps you regularly revise your content for better retention.

Similarly, you can make your study time fun by using different platforms. For example, using summarization tools or educational gamification apps will help you learn concepts in a short time.

4. Reward Yourself

To remain motivated and consistent, you should reward yourself whenever you achieve any goal. Celebrate your small achievements so that you remain on the track of developing positive habits.

5. Seek Support

You should build a support system to build positive habits and a consistent academic schedule. For example, you and your friends can set an academic target and together strive to achieve it. You all can motivate each other to remain consistent in building an academic schedule or a positive routine.

Moreover, you can ask for help from your guardians, parents, and teachers. They can build a routine for you to follow, and help you in remaining consistent.

Role of Teachers and Parents in Building a Routine for Students

Teachers and parents can play a positive role in building an effective routine for students. Some of the tips for them are:

Small Changes: Give a small habit to students and encourage them to make it a part of their lives. A study found that it takes almost 66 days to build a habit. So, help your kid or student for two months to build any positive habits.

Make a Schedule: Step forward and make a schedule for young learners. Give them a to-do list and different resources for fulfilling their schedule.

Give Support: Ask your students or children where they are lagging. Figure out why they are unable to build a routine and help them remove that blockage.

Establish Boundaries and Guidelines: You should build some positive boundaries and guidelines at home or in the classroom. These can be related to the limited use of social media and strict rules of going to bed on time. You can ensure there is no distraction in the home when your child is studying.

Role of Educational Tools in Building a Routine for Students

Every educational stakeholder can take help from various educational tools to build a routine. Different types of AI tools are helping learners in a variety of ways. 

Some examples of these tools are:

Scrummy: Educators and parents use this online tool to help students organize their work.

Remember the Milk: It is a note-taking app that helps students in creating their to-do list.

Rescue Time: It is an app running in the background of your mobile, helping you avoid different sorts of distractions while studying.

Magic Flow: It is a productivity coach that helps you build positive habits.

Monic AI: This tool helps you in implementing effective study techniques in your study schedule.

These are a few AI tools that can help you build a positive routine in various ways.