good study habits research

The Science of Habit and Its Implications for Student Learning and Well-being

• Review Article
• Published: 17 March 2020
• Volume 32 , pages 603–625, ( 2020 )

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• Logan Fiorella 1  

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Habits are critical for supporting (or hindering) long-term goal attainment, including outcomes related to student learning and well-being. Building good habits can make beneficial behaviors (studying, exercise, sleep, etc.) the default choice, bypassing the need for conscious deliberation or willpower and protecting against temptations. Yet educational research and practice tends to overlook the role of habits in student self-regulation, focusing instead on the role of motivation and metacognition in actively driving behavior. Habit theory may help explain ostensible failures of motivation or self-control in terms of contextual factors that perpetuate poor habits. Further, habit-based interventions may support durable changes in students’ recurring behaviors by disrupting cues that activate bad habits and creating supportive and stable contexts for beneficial ones. In turn, the unique features of educational settings provide a new area in which to test and adapt existing habit models.

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Ironically, one of the few articles on habits in Educational Psychology Review is an interview with the most productive educational psychologists, who cite consistent work habits as important for maintaining research productivity and work-life balance (Flanigan et al. 2018 ; see also Kiewra and Creswell 2000 ; Patterson-Hazley and Kiewra 2013 ). Accounts of writers, artists, musicians, and scientists concur that habits and ritual set the foundation for creativity and productivity (Currey 2013 , 2019 ).

The amount of repetition ultimately required to form a habit likely depends on the complexity of the habit (Mullan and Novoradovskaya 2018 ) and the suitability of the performance context (Wood 2019 ).

The term “study habits” is often defined broadly to include frequency of using various techniques, without specifying the nature or stability of specific context cues or the automaticity of the behavior. For example, Crede and Kuncel ( 2008 ) define study habits as “sound study routines, including but not restricted to, frequency of studying sessions, review of material, self-testing, rehearsal of learned material, and studying in a conductive environment” (p. 429).

Adriaanse, M. A., Kroese, F. M., Gillebaart, M., & De Ridder, D. T. D. (2014). Effortless inhibition: habit mediates the relation between self-control and healthy snack consumption. Frontiers in Psychology, 5 , 444.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Wendy Wood and one anonymous reviewer for their constuctive feedback and suggestions. I also thank Deborah Barany, Qian Zhang, and Michele Lease for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article. Finally, I thank the students from my First Year Odyssey Seminar at the University of Georgia, Applying the Science of Habit, for their valuable insight into the role of habits in their lives.

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Fiorella, L. The Science of Habit and Its Implications for Student Learning and Well-being. Educ Psychol Rev 32 , 603–625 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09525-1

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Six research-tested ways to study better

Psychology’s latest insights for preparing students for their next exams.

• Learning and Memory

Many students are missing a lesson in a key area that can help guarantee their success: how to study effectively. 

It’s common for students to prepare for exams by re-reading class notes and cramming textbook chapters—study techniques that hinge on the assumption that memories are like recording devices that can play back memories during an exam. “But the storage and retrieval operations of human memory differ from recording devices in almost every way possible,” says psychology professor Robert Bjork, PhD, co-director of the Learning and Forgetting Lab at University of California, Los Angeles. 

What does help our brains retain information? Study strategies that require the brain to work to remember information—rather than passively reviewing material. 

Bjork coined the term “desirable difficulty” to describe this concept, and psychologists are homing in on exactly how students can develop techniques to maximize the cognitive benefits of their study time.  

Here are six research-tested strategies from psychology educators. 

1. Remember and repeat

Study methods that involve remembering information more than once—known as repeated retrieval practice—are ideal because each time a memory is recovered, it becomes more accessible in the future, explains Jeffrey Karpicke, PhD, a psychology researcher at Purdue University in Indiana who studies human learning and memory. 

The benefits of this technique were evident when Karpicke conducted a study in which students attempted to learn a list of foreign language words. Participants learned the words in one of four ways: 

• Studying the list once.
• Studying until they had successfully recalled each word once.
• Studying until they had successfully recalled each word three times consecutively.
• Studying until they had recalled each word three times spaced throughout the 30-minute learning session. 

In the last condition, the students would move on to other words after correctly recalling a word once, then recall it again after practicing other words.

A week later, the researchers tested the students on the words and discovered that participants who had practiced with repeated spaced retrieval—the last condition—far outperformed the other groups. Students in this group remembered 80% of the words, compared to 30% for those who had recalled the information three times in a row—known as massed retrieval practice—or once. The first group, which involved no recall, remembered the words less than 1% of the time ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition , Vol. 37, No. 5, 2011).

Many students assume that recalling something they’ve learned once is proof that they’ve memorized it. But, says Karpicke, just because you can retrieve a fact in a study session doesn’t mean you will remember it later on a test. “Just a few repeated retrievals can produce significant effects, and it’s best to do this in a spaced fashion.” 

2. Adapt your favorite strategies

Other research finds support for online flashcard programs, such as Study Stack or Chegg, to practice retrieving information—as long as students continue retesting themselves in the days leading up to the test, says John Dunlosky, PhD, who studies self-regulated learning at Kent State University in Ohio. For flashcards with single-word answers, the evidence suggests that thinking of the answer is effective, but for longer responses like definitions, students should type, write down, or say aloud the answers, Dunlosky says. If the answer is incorrect, then study the correct one and practice again later in the study session. “They should continue doing that until they are correct, and then repeat the process in a couple more days,” he says. 

Concept mapping — a diagram that depicts relationships between concepts—is another well-known learning technique that has become popular, but cognitive psychology researchers caution students to use this strategy only if they try to create a map with the book closed. Karpicke demonstrated this in a study in which students studied topics by creating concept maps or by writing notes in two different conditions: with an open textbook or with the textbook closed. With the closed textbook, they were recalling as much as they could remember. One week later, the students took an exam that tested their knowledge of the material, and students who had practiced retrieving the information with the book closed had better performances ( Journal of Educational Psychology , Vol. 106, No. 3, 2014).

“Concept maps can be useful, as long as students engage in retrieval practice while using this strategy,” Karpicke says. 

3. Quiz yourself

Students should also take advantage of quizzes—from teachers, in textbooks or apps like Quizlet—to refine their ability to retain and recall information. It works even if students answer incorrectly on these quizzes, says Oregon State University psychology professor Regan Gurung, PhD. “Even the process of trying and failing is better than not trying at all,” he says. “Just attempting to retrieve something helps you solidify it in your memory.”

Gurung investigated different approaches to using quizzes in nine introductory psychology courses throughout the country. In the study, the researchers worked with instructors who agreed to participate in different conditions. Some required students to complete chapter quizzes once while others required them to take each quiz multiple times. Also, some students were told to complete all the chapter quizzes by one deadline before the exam, while others were expected to space their quizzes by meeting deadlines throughout the course. The students who spaced their quizzes and took them multiple times fared the best on the class exams ( Applied Cognitive Psychology , Vol. 33, No. 5, 2019).

Although trying and failing on practice quizzes may be an effective study strategy, psychology professor Nate Kornell, PhD, of Williams College in Massachusetts, was skeptical that students would choose to learn this way because many people inherently do not like getting things wrong. He was eager to explore whether it was possible to create a retrieval practice strategy that increased the odds of students getting the right answer without sacrificing the quality of learning. To test this possibility, he led a study in which participants tried to remember word pairs, such as “idea: seeker.” The goal was to remember the second word after seeing only the first one. The students could choose to practice by restudying all the pairs or by self-testing with different options for hints—seeing either two or four letters of the second word in the pair, or no letters at all ( Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications , Vol. 4, 2019).

Most of the students preferred self-testing over restudying, and the results showed that even with hints, the self-testing group performed better on the final test of the words than the restudying group. “It’s a win-win situation because the technique that worked most effectively was also the one that they enjoyed the most,” says Kornell. 

Even more important, students think they are learning more effectively when they answer correctly while practicing, which means they’ll be even more motivated to try retrieval practice if hints are available, says Kornell. To apply this strategy, he suggests adding hints to self-generated flash cards or quizzes, such as the first letter of the answer or one of the words in a definition.

4. Make the most of study groups

Many students also enjoy studying with classmates. But when working in groups, it’s important for students to let everyone have an opportunity to think of the answers independently, says Henry Roediger, III, PhD, a professor in the psychology department at Washington University in St. Louis. One study highlighted the importance of this: Participants tried to learn words in a foreign language by either answering aloud or by listening to their partners give the answers ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied (PDF, 426KB) , Vol. 24, No. 3, 2018). As expected, those who had answered aloud outperformed the listeners on a test two days later. The researchers also compared participants who answered aloud with partners who silently tried to recall the answers. Everyone received feedback about whether they had gotten the correct answer. Both groups had comparable performances. “Waiting for others to think of answers may slow down the process, but it produces better retention for everyone because it requires individual effort,” Roediger says. 

5. Mix it up

Researchers have also investigated the potential benefits of “interleaving,” or studying for different courses in one study session ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied , Vol. 23, Nov. 4, 2017). For example, rather than dedicating two hours to studying for a psychology exam, students could use that time to study for exams in psychology, biology and statistics courses. A few days later, students could study for the same courses again during another block of time. “This strategy, versus blocking one’s study by course, naturally introduces spacing, so students practice retrieving information over time,” Bjork says. 

But the research on interleaving has had mixed results, says Aaron Richmond, PhD, a professor of educational psychology and human development at Metropolitan State University in Denver. “If the concepts from two subjects overlap too closely, then this could interfere with learning,” says Richmond. “But chemistry and introduction to psychology are so different that this doesn’t create interference.”

6. Figure out what works for you

The ability to effectively evaluate one’s approach to learning and level of attainment is known as metacognitive ability. Research has shown that “when people are new to learning about a topic, their subjective impressions of how much they know are the most inflated,” says Paul Penn, PhD, a senior lecturer in the psychology department at East London University and author of the 2019 book “The Psychology of Effective Studying.” 

“If your impression of your learning is inflated, you have little incentive to look at the way you're approaching learning,” he says.

To increase awareness about the value of sound study strategies, administrators at Samford University in Alabama invited psychology professor Stephen Chew, PhD, to talk to first-year students about this topic during an annual convocation each fall semester. Though an assessment study, he realized that the lecture prompted immediate changes in beliefs and attitudes about studying, but long-term change was lacking. “Students forgot the specifics of the lecture and fell back into old habits under the stress of the semester,” Chew says. 

To provide an accessible resource, he launched a series of five 7-minute videos on the common misconceptions about studying, how to optimize learning and more. Professors throughout the school assign the videos as required classwork, and the videos have been viewed 3 million times throughout the world by high school, college and medical students. 

While this form of campus-wide education about studying is somewhat rare, psychology researchers are optimistic that this could become more common in the coming years. “There is a lot more discussion now than even 10 years ago among teachers about the science of learning,” Karpicke says. “Most students do not know how to study effectively, and teachers are increasingly eager to change that.” 

Further reading

• Improving Self-Regulated Learning with a Retrieval Practice Intervention. Ariel, R., Karpicke, J.D., Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied , 2018.
• Practice Tests, Spaced Practice, and Successive Relearning: Tips for Classroom Use and for Guiding Students’ Learning (PDF, 53KB) . Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , Dunlosky, J. & Rawson, K.A., 2015.
• Performance Bias: Why Judgments of Learning Are not Affected by Learning . Kornell, N. and Hausman, H., Memory & Cognition , 2017.

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Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits

By Benedict Carey

• Sept. 6, 2010

Every September, millions of parents try a kind of psychological witchcraft, to transform their summer-glazed campers into fall students, their video-bugs into bookworms. Advice is cheap and all too familiar: Clear a quiet work space. Stick to a homework schedule. Set goals. Set boundaries. Do not bribe (except in emergencies).

And check out the classroom. Does Junior’s learning style match the new teacher’s approach? Or the school’s philosophy? Maybe the child isn’t “a good fit” for the school.

Such theories have developed in part because of sketchy education research that doesn’t offer clear guidance. Student traits and teaching styles surely interact; so do personalities and at-home rules. The trouble is, no one can predict how.

Yet there are effective approaches to learning, at least for those who are motivated. In recent years, cognitive scientists have shown that a few simple techniques can reliably improve what matters most: how much a student learns from studying.

The findings can help anyone, from a fourth grader doing long division to a retiree taking on a new language. But they directly contradict much of the common wisdom about good study habits, and they have not caught on.

For instance, instead of sticking to one study location, simply alternating the room where a person studies improves retention. So does studying distinct but related skills or concepts in one sitting, rather than focusing intensely on a single thing.

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Developing Good Study Habits Really Works

Effective study habits really do work..

Posted February 27, 2012

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Knowledge is the essence of smart thinking. No matter how much raw intelligence you have, you are not going to succeed at solving complex problems without knowing a lot. That's why we spend the first 20 (or more) years of our lives in school.

Robert Bjork and fellow PT blogger Nate Kornell have explored some of the study habits of college students in a 2007 paper in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review . Research on memory provides a number of important suggestions about the most effective ways to study. One of the most important tips is that students should study by testing themselves rather than just reading over the material. It is also important to study over a period of days rather waiting until the last minute to study. Kornell and Bjork's studies suggest that only about 2/3 of college students routinely quiz themselves, and a majority of students study only one time for upcoming exams.

Of course, guidelines from memory research come from studies in idealized circumstances. Researchers bring participants (many of whom are college students) into a lab and ask them to learn material. Perhaps the recommendations drawn from these studies are not that helpful for real students dealing with real courses.

To address this question, Marissa Hartwig and John Dunlosky related the study habits of college students to their grade point average (GPA) in a 2012 paper in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review . They asked students about a number of study behaviors. They also had students report their current GPA.

The students with the highest GPA were more likely to study by testing themselves than the students with lower GPAs. What is the most effective way to test yourself, though? It turns out that most students report using flashcards, and the use of flashcards does not predict a student's grades. However, flash cards usually allow people to learn basic aspects of a domain like key vocabulary. Really understanding something new requires practice with explaining it. So, self-testing needs to involve deeper questions than the ones that are usually written on flash cards.

All college students tend to focus their study on upcoming assignments. That is no surprise, because college is a busy time. The most successful students, though, also schedule time to study for classes even before the exam is coming up. The students who make a schedule and stick with it tend to get better grades than those who just work on whatever is coming up.

Finally, the time of day that students study also matters. College students are notorious night owls. Indeed, few students reported studying in the morning, or even in the afternoon. Most students study in the evening and late at night. One of the interesting results of this research, though, is that the students who study late at night tend to get worse grades than those who study in the evening.

It is always nice when studies of real-world behavior mesh with recommendations from basic research. In the case of studying, though, it seems particularly important to ensure that basic research influences behavior. People invest several years and thousands of dollars in a college education . That education has an enormous effect on their future productivity . Cognitive science can ensure that students maximize the value of that experience.

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Top 10 Study Tips to Study Like a Harvard Student

Adjusting to a demanding college workload might be a challenge, but these 10 study tips can help you stay prepared and focused.

Lian Parsons

The introduction to a new college curriculum can seem overwhelming, but optimizing your study habits can boost your confidence and success both in and out of the classroom. 

Transitioning from high school to the rigor of college studies can be overwhelming for many students, and finding the best way to study with a new course load can seem like a daunting process. 

Effective study methods work because they engage multiple ways of learning. As Jessie Schwab, psychologist and preceptor at the Harvard College Writing Program, points out, we tend to misjudge our own learning. Being able to recite memorized information is not the same as actually retaining it. 

“One thing we know from decades of cognitive science research is that learners are often bad judges of their own learning,” says Schwab. “Memorization seems like learning, but in reality, we probably haven’t deeply processed that information enough for us to remember it days—or even hours—later.”

Planning ahead and finding support along the way are essential to your success in college. This blog will offer study tips and strategies to help you survive (and thrive!) in your first college class. 

1. Don’t Cram! 

It might be tempting to leave all your studying for that big exam up until the last minute, but research suggests that cramming does not improve longer term learning. 

Students may perform well on a test for which they’ve crammed, but that doesn’t mean they’ve truly learned the material, says an article from the American Psychological Association . Instead of cramming, studies have shown that studying with the goal of long-term retention is best for learning overall.   

2. Plan Ahead—and Stick To It! 

Having a study plan with set goals can help you feel more prepared and can give you a roadmap to follow. Schwab said procrastination is one mistake that students often make when transitioning to a university-level course load. 

“Oftentimes, students are used to less intensive workloads in high school, so one of my biggest pieces of advice is don’t cram,” says Schwab. “Set yourself a study schedule ahead of time and stick to it.”

3. Ask for Help

You don’t have to struggle through difficult material on your own. Many students are not used to seeking help while in high school, but seeking extra support is common in college.

As our guide to pursuing a biology major explains, “Be proactive about identifying areas where you need assistance and seek out that assistance immediately. The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to catch up.”

There are multiple resources to help you, including your professors, tutors, and fellow classmates. Harvard’s Academic Resource Center offers academic coaching, workshops, peer tutoring, and accountability hours for students to keep you on track.  

4. Use the Buddy System 

Your fellow students are likely going through the same struggles that you are. Reach out to classmates and form a study group to go over material together, brainstorm, and to support each other through challenges.

Having other people to study with means you can explain the material to one another, quiz each other, and build a network you can rely on throughout the rest of the class—and beyond. 

5. Find Your Learning Style

It might take a bit of time (and trial and error!) to figure out what study methods work best for you. There are a variety of ways to test your knowledge beyond simply reviewing your notes or flashcards. 

Schwab recommends trying different strategies through the process of metacognition. Metacognition involves thinking about your own cognitive processes and can help you figure out what study methods are most effective for you. 

Schwab suggests practicing the following steps:

• Before you start to read a new chapter or watch a lecture, review what you already know about the topic and what you’re expecting to learn.
• As you read or listen, take additional notes about new information, such as related topics the material reminds you of or potential connections to other courses. Also note down questions you have.
• Afterward, try to summarize what you’ve learned and seek out answers to your remaining questions. 

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6. Take Breaks

The brain can only absorb so much information at a time. According to the National Institutes of Health , research has shown that taking breaks in between study sessions boosts retention. 

Studies have shown that wakeful rest plays just as important a role as practice in learning a new skill. Rest allows our brains to compress and consolidate memories of what we just practiced. 

Make sure that you are allowing enough time, relaxation, and sleep between study sessions so your brain will be refreshed and ready to accept new information.

7. Cultivate a Productive Space

Where you study can be just as important as how you study. 

Find a space that is free of distractions and has all the materials and supplies you need on hand. Eat a snack and have a water bottle close by so you’re properly fueled for your study session. 

8. Reward Yourself

Studying can be mentally and emotionally exhausting and keeping your stamina up can be challenging.

Studies have shown that giving yourself a reward during your work can increase the enjoyment and interest in a given task.

According to an article for Science Daily , studies have shown small rewards throughout the process can help keep up motivation, rather than saving it all until the end. 

Next time you finish a particularly challenging study session, treat yourself to an ice cream or  an episode of your favorite show.

9. Review, Review, Review

Practicing the information you’ve learned is the best way to retain information. 

Researchers Elizabeth and Robert Bjork have argued that “desirable difficulties” can enhance learning. For example, testing yourself with flashcards is a more difficult process than simply reading a textbook, but will lead to better long-term learning. 

“One common analogy is weightlifting—you have to actually “exercise those muscles” in order to ultimately strengthen your memories,” adds Schwab.

10. Set Specific Goals

Setting specific goals along the way of your studying journey can show how much progress you’ve made. Psychology Today recommends using the SMART method:

• Specific: Set specific goals with an actionable plan, such as “I will study every day between 2 and 4 p.m. at the library.”  
• Measurable: Plan to study a certain number of hours or raise your exam score by a certain percent to give you a measurable benchmark.
• Realistic: It’s important that your goals be realistic so you don’t get discouraged. For example, if you currently study two hours per week, increase the time you spend to three or four hours rather than 10.
• Time-specific: Keep your goals consistent with your academic calendar and your other responsibilities.

Using a handful of these study tips can ensure that you’re getting the most out of the material in your classes and help set you up for success for the rest of your academic career and beyond. 

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About the Author

Lian Parsons is a Boston-based writer and journalist. She is currently a digital content producer at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education. Her bylines can be found at the Harvard Gazette, Boston Art Review, Radcliffe Magazine, Experience Magazine, and iPondr.

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How to Form Good Habits? A Longitudinal Field Study on the Role of Self-Control in Habit Formation

Anouk van der weiden.

1 Department of Social Health and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands

2 Department of Social Economic and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands

Jeroen Benjamins

3 Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands

Marleen Gillebaart

Jan fekke ybema, denise de ridder, associated data.

The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author.

When striving for long-term goals (e.g., healthy eating, saving money, reducing energy consumption, or maintaining interpersonal relationships), people often get in conflict with their short-term goals (e.g., enjoying tempting snacks, purchasing must-haves, getting warm, or watching YouTube video’s). Previous research suggests that people who are successful in controlling their behavior in line with their long-term goals rely on effortless strategies, such as good habits. In the present study, we aimed to track how self-control capacity affects the development of good habits in real life over a period of 90 days. Results indicated that habit formation increased substantially over the course of three months, especially for participants who consistently performed the desired behavior during this time. Contrary to our expectations, however, self-control capacity did not seem to affect the habit formation process. Directions for future research on self-control and other potential moderators in the formation of good habits are discussed.

Introduction

Sometimes people find themselves mindlessly watching TV while they had the intention to be more physically active; eating sweets while they wanted to eat more healthily; or lashing out at others while they wanted to be more patient or open-minded. Sounds familiar? Although people may often be able to control themselves in order to attain long-term goals such as healthy living or maintaining satisfactory relationships, there are also many instances in which they are unable or unwilling to exert self-control (e.g., when temptations are strong or when tired; e.g., Muraven and Slessareva, 2003 ; Baumeister et al., 2007 ; Hofmann et al., 2010 ). Also, some people are less successful in controlling their behaviors than others ( Schmeichel and Zell, 2007 ). In these cases, people often revert to effortless, habitual behavior ( Ouellette and Wood, 1998 ; Webb and Sheeran, 2006 ; Neal et al., 2013 ) – often bad habits. This reliance on habits may, however, also be used to peoples’ advantage if they manage to form good habits that are in line with their long-term goals. Indeed, recent research suggests that people who are successful in controlling their behavior, more effortlessly rely on good habits ( Adriaanse et al., 2014 ; Gillebaart and de Ridder, 2015 ). But how are good habits formed?

Research on habit formation has shown that behavior is likely to become habitual when it is frequently and consistently performed in the same context (e.g., Ouellette and Wood, 1998 ). For example, when one frequently and consistently eats vegetables for lunch, at some point eating vegetables for lunch will become a habit. This is because the frequent co-occurrence of context and behavior instigates an association that may guide future behavior (e.g., Aarts and Dijksterhuis, 2000 ; Neal et al., 2012 ). Specifically, when encountering a context (e.g., having lunch) that is associated with a certain behavior (e.g., eating vegetables), this context will automatically trigger this associated behavior. Hence, once a good habit is formed, it is rather effortless to perform desired behavior. However, the process of habit formation itself may vary in the amount of effort needed – although some people manage to form certain habits as quickly as 18 days, others need as much as half a year ( Lally et al., 2010 ). This raises the question how exactly do habits form over time?

Although research on habit formation is still in its infancy, recent studies have uncovered some of the mechanisms that underlie the habit formation process. One of the main findings is that the habit formation process within individuals unfolds asymptotically ( Lally et al., 2010 ; Fournier et al., 2017 ). That is, habit strength increases steeply at first, and then levels off. In addition, studies that studied habit formation on the group level (i.e., averaging over participants) have provided insight into the processes that facilitate such increases in habit strength. Specifically, the frequency and consistency with which the desired behavior is performed, the inherently rewarding nature of the behavior, a comfortable environment (e.g., no threats or obstacles), and easy rather than difficult behaviors have been shown to facilitate the process of habit formation ( Kaushal and Rhodes, 2015 ; Fournier et al., 2017 ).

Besides these factors, there are still many others unexplored that may explain the variation in the time it takes people to form a habit. One such likely candidate is self-control capacity. That is, habit formation crucially depends on the repeated performance of behavior that is in line with one’s long-term goal. The initiation of such new behavior, as well as the inhibition of acting upon short-term temptations is likely to require effortful self-control, especially in the early stages of habit formation. Indeed a study among teenagers indicates that those who initially had higher self-control capacity reported having stronger meditation habits after three months of meditation sessions ( Galla and Duckworth, 2015 , Study 5). Other studies revealed that habit strength mediates the effect of self-control strength and behavior. Specifically, self-control was related to increased habit strength, which was in turn related to increased exercise behavior ( Gillebaart and Adriaanse, 2017 ) and decreased snack intake ( Adriaanse et al., 2014 ). However, although these studies have indicated that self-control is related to habit strength, they do not provide insight in the role of self-control capacity in the initial stages of habit formation.

The current study was a first attempt to track how self-control capacity affects the development of good habits in daily life over a relatively long period of time. We expected both repeated goal-congruent behavior performance and self-control capacity to facilitate the formation of good habits. Possibly, self-control capacity may affect habit formation via increased behavior performance (as the initiation of new behavior and inhibition of conflicting behavior requires self-control at first). To test these hypotheses, we recruited people who wanted to form a good habit in the domain of health behavior (eating fruit or vegetables, exercising, or drinking water), interpersonal relationships (making more contact with others, being more patient or open-minded, or having more attention for others), personal finance (saving money), or environmental-friendly behavior (recycling). Over the course of three months, we then measured their goal-congruent behavior performance, self-control capacity, and habit strength to examine how self-control related to behavior performance and habit strength over time.

Participants and Design

A community sample was recruited via the population register of the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands as well as social media and the alumni register of Utrecht University. Anyone between the age of 18 and 65 who possessed a smartphone was eligible (we could provide a limited number of participants with a smartphone for the duration of the study if they did not possess one, N = 5). All participants indicated they wanted to form a habit in the health, sustainability, interpersonal, or financial domain.

The within-subjects design consisted of a pre-measurement administered in groups of 2–13 participants at a university location, 1 followed by a three-month interval of daily measures administered through an in-house developed mobile application, and after 90–110 days, a post-measurement (again in group sessions at a university location). In total, 180 people participated in the pre-measurement, of whom 90 participated in the post-measurement. Participants took part in the daily measures over a range of 17–110 days ( M = 77.0, SD = 26.7). During this time period, the number of bi-weekly self-control assessments ranged from 1 to 10 ( M = 6.5, SD = 2.3), which were alternated with bi-weekly habit strength assessments, of which the number ranged from 2 to 9 ( M = 5.7, SD = 2.0). In total, 146 participants (118 women; M age = 31.9; SD age = 12.7; range 18–61 years) who completed at least one follow-up assessment of habit strength were included in the analyses. More than half of them (65.8%) were community residents (including alumni) and the remainder (34.2%) were bachelor students. Based on participants’ postal code (which is indicative of education, income, and work status; Netherlands Institute for Social Research), we inferred their socio-economic status. About 10.3% of the participants lived in underprivileged neighborhoods, 61.0% lived in middle class neighborhoods, and 26.0% came from privileged neighborhoods (postal code data was missing for 4 participants). Participants’ initial level of habit strength was moderate ( M = 3.1, SD = 1.1).

Procedure and Materials

Registration.

Those who were interested in participating received an information letter via e-mail, containing a link to register for the study with a unique participation code. In the registration form, participants were reminded of the terms and conditions (i.e., voluntary nature of participation, ability to withdraw without explanation, etc.), after which they were required to give their consent for participating in the study. Participants could then schedule an appointment for the pre-measurement.

Pre-measurement

Participants came to the university for a pre-measurement as part of a larger longitudinal prospective study on trait self-control (i.e., to see whether self-control could be trained by daily performance of a behavior that requires self-control – which indeed seemed to be the case; de Ridder et al., 2019 ). As such, the different measurements (pre-, app-, and post-) also included measures that were not of interest for the current study. 2

Goal setting

At the start of the study, participants selected a specific behavior they wanted to turn into a habit over the course of the study. Choices covered health, interpersonal, financial, and ecological behaviors (e.g., eating fruit, being patient, saving money, recycling). Depending on the type of behavior chosen, participants could then choose from three to seven contexts for behavioral practice (e.g., eating fruit when having breakfast, being patient when talking to someone, 3 saving money when in the supermarket, or recycling when tidying up). As such, participants could choose which habit they wanted to form based on 60 preset combinations of behaviors and contexts. See Figure 1 for an overview of which behaviors were selected by the participants. It was emphasized that the selected behavior needed to be personally relevant to them, had to be a behavior they did not regularly perform yet, and had to be feasible for them to perform on a daily basis. After selecting a behavior and context, participants had to specify for themselves what this behavior entailed (e.g., when they chose exercise as their goal, it was explained that a ten minute routine at home was more feasible on a daily basis than an hour at the gym). As such, participants were intrinsically motivated and there was room for forming a new habit.

Overview of the number of participants selecting each behavior. Please note that exercise (“sporten” in Dutch) and physical activity (“bewegen” in Dutch) refers to different types of behaviors. Whereas exercise is typically associated with certain rules and competitiveness, but most of all with high intensity (e.g., playing football, cross fit, running), physical activity refers to more casual and less intense behaviors (e.g., walking or biking, gardening, household chores).

App instructions

For the purpose of this study, we developed a mobile app (which ran on iOS and android) to assess self-control capacity and habit strength on a regular basis. At the end of the pre-measurement, participants were instructed to install and use this app for daily tests and questionnaires. Participants were also informed that they would receive a reminder every morning via the mobile app.

App Measurements

Habit strength.

Habit strength was assessed bi-weekly with the Self-Report Habit Index ( Verplanken and Orbell, 2003 ), which consists of 12 statements (e.g., ‘[self-chosen behavior (e.g., eating fruit)] is something I do …frequently; …automatically; …without thinking)’. For each statement, participants indicated to what extent they felt the statement applied to them on a scale from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree). The scale proved reliable with a Cronbach’s alpha of.94. 4

Goal-congruent behavior performance

On a daily basis, participants indicated (dichotomously) whether or not they had performed the self-chosen behavior that day, and whether they performed this behavior in their self-chosen context. 5

Self-control capacity

Self-control capacity was assessed bi-weekly with the Brief Self-Control Scale ( Tangney et al., 2004 ), which consists of 13 statements (e.g., “I am good at resisting temptation” or “People would say I have iron self-discipline”). For each statement, participants indicated to what extent they felt the statement applied to them on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much). The scale proved reliable with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.79.

Data Analysis

Habit formation over time – individual level analysis.

First, following Lally et al. (2010) approach, we attempted to fit an asymptotic curve to individual participants’ habit strength scores over time (by means of a Least Squares Curve Fit algorithm in Matlab), to then see whether we could predict the individual (rate of) change in habit strength as a function of goal-congruent behavior performance and self-control capacity. However, the individual patterns fluctuated too much (possibly because bi-weekly measurements were too infrequent; M = 5.73, SD = 1.99, range = 2–9 observations per participant; see Figure 2 for the number of observations plotted against the number of participants 6 ), and curve fitting could only be achieved for 4.11% of our participants (see results under point 2, Supplementary Material ). As an alternative, we also tried fitting a less constrained power curve ( y = ax b ), with even less success (2.4%). We therefore decided to analyze the data on the group level instead.

Number of observations for habit strength (total N = 836) plotted against the number of participants ( N = 146).

Habit Formation Over Time – Group Level Analysis

We examined the data in SPSS 24 with the Linear Mixed Models, using Maximum Likelihood estimation. In the first analysis, we carried out a growth curve modeling for habit formation, in which a random intercept, and fixed effects of a linear and a quadratic time trend were estimated. In addition, the random slopes of the linear and quadratic trend were tested to allow for individual differences in the growth curve. In a second analysis we tested whether habit formation was influenced by self-control capacity and the performance of the behavior. In Model 1, the random intercept was included to determine the intraclass correlation (ICC) of habit strength as an indicator of the variance at person level. In Model 2, lagged habit strength (i.e., habit strength at the previous measurement) was entered to analyze habit formation. Because we controlled for lagged habit strength, the linear and quadratic trend were not included in this analysis. In Model 3, self-control capacity at the previous bi-weekly measurement of self-control and daily practice of the chosen behavior (measured by the proportion of daily app-measurements in which the chosen behavior was performed during the interval between the previous and the current habit assessment) was entered, as well as a number of control variables, i.e., the measurement number of bi-weekly habit assessment, the length of the interval since the previous habit assessments, and the number of daily behavioral assessments.

Habit Formation Over Time

We first examined whether habit strength increased over time. Figure 3 shows a significant increase of about 0.8 SD (a large effect size according to Cohen, 1992 ) in habit strength over a period of 110 days with a stronger increase in beginning of the study period, leveling off at the end. Both the linear trend ( t = 15.30, p < 0.001) and the quadratic trend ( t = −3.39, p < 0.001) were significant. Adding the random slopes for the linear (Wald Z = 5.37, p < 0.001) and quadratic (Wald Z = 2.40, p < 0.05) improved the fit of the model, showing that habit formation differed over participants.

Habit strength fitted as a function time, with 95% confidence bands.

Effects of Goal-Congruent Behavior Performance and Self-Control Capacity on Habit Formation

Table 1 shows the results of a hierarchical multilevel analysis of habit formation. As can be seen in Model 2, habit strength is rather stable and strongly predicted by lagged habit strength at the previous measurement of habit. Nevertheless, entering lagged self-control capacity and goal-congruent behavior performance in the time period during both habit strength measurements further increased the fit of the model. Self-control capacity did not contribute to higher habit strength 7 . However, participants who carried out the self-chosen behavior more consistently (higher proportion of goal-congruent behavior performance 8 ), showed stronger increases in habit strength. In line with the trend in habit formation shown before, the time of measurement (i.e., the umpteenth time) had a small negative influence on habit strength increase. This is in line with the lower increase in habit strength later on during the study period.

The multilevel regression of habit strength.

People often struggle in the pursuit of their long-term goals. As good habits may help people in this pursuit, we set out to gain more insight in how good habits are formed in daily life. We specifically focused on goal-congruent behavior performance and self-control capacity as potential facilitators of habit formation. We were able to test our hypotheses in a diverse and highly committed sample. Results showed a large increase in habit strength over the course of three months, which was strongest for participants who consistently performed the self-chosen goal-congruent behavior during this time. Contrary to our expectations and previous findings by Galla and Duckworth (2015) , however, we did not find support for self-control capacity as a predictor of the habit formation process.

One reason why self-control capacity may not have facilitated habit formation, could be that participants experienced little conflict between their long-term goal and an immediately gratifying alternative. In contrast to well-controlled lab experiments where participants are simultaneously confronted with goal-congruent stimuli (e.g., broccoli) and conflicting temptations (e.g., apple pie), such temptations may not always be present when the opportunity presents itself to perform goal-congruent behavior in real life. If so, the reason that participants did not yet regularly perform the desired behavior before participating in the study, may not have been because they were unable to control their behavior in the presence of temptations. Alternatively, in the absence of temptation, participants may have had difficulty monitoring their behavior and identifying opportunities for goal pursuit. In the current study monitoring was facilitated by specifying a specific context for goal pursuit and registering their behavior daily via the smartphone application, which may have facilitated goal-congruent behavior performance, and hence, habit formation. Indeed, monitoring has been proven to be very effective in goal progress and attainment (see Harkin et al., 2016 for meta-analyses; Michie et al., 2009 ). Future research could extend the current findings by assessing how often people run into temptations during long-term goal pursuit and whether its impact on the habit formation process is modulated by self-control capacity. Also, future research could investigate whether habit formation can be facilitated even more by frequent monitoring at regular intervals during the day.

Another reason why self-control may not have affected habit formation, is because our instructions to participants may have created an association between the specific, self-chosen behavior and a specific context. Research has shown that if people form specific “if…, then…” plans (also referred to as implementation intentions), in which a specific behavior is linked to a specific context (e.g., if I open the fridge, then I will grab the cherry tomatoes), this will automatically trigger the specific behavior upon encounter of the specific context ( Gollwitzer, 1999 ; Webb and Sheeran, 2007 ). As such, habit strength – or rather, behavioral automaticity – should increase instantly and self-control is no longer required. Although we did not ask our participants to form implementation intentions, our request to select a specific context in which to perform the specific self-chosen behavior may have resulted in cue-behavior associations that facilitate effortless behavior performance. However, our data as well as the data of Lally and colleagues ( Lally et al., 2010 ; in which implementation intentions were actually formed) do not seem to support this line of reasoning. Even if cue-behavior associations were formed, they did not result in instant increases in habit strength, as habit formation unfolded gradually over the course of several months, leaving room for self-control capacity to influence the habit formation process. It would be interesting, though, to further investigate the role of self-control capacity in the presence versus absence of cue-behavior associations in an experimental field study.

Yet another reason for not finding an effect of self-control on the habit formation process may be that we focused on trait rather than state self-control. Although trait self-control did increase over time (see de Ridder et al., 2019 ; and hence, may have benefited the habit formation process), trait self-control is a relatively stable factor. Future research should assess within-individual fluctuations of state self-control in the habit formation process – preferably also fitting habit formation on the individual level. Our findings suggest that more data points are required for such analyses.

In line with previous research ( Lally et al., 2010 ; Fournier et al., 2017 ), the current (aggregated) data provided support for the asymptotic contribution of repeated goal-congruent behavior performance to the formation of habit. Unfortunately, we were unable to show this trend on the individual level, due to the bi-weekly assessment of habit strength. Hence, future studies would benefit from more frequent assessments. These studies may also want to test further moderators of habit formation, e.g., what type of contextual cues may be the best triggers for behavior, the role of motivation, and how the formation of good habits affect the bad habits they aim to substitute (see also Gardner and Lally, 2018 ).

Beside the strengths of our study (a diverse and highly committed sample), it is important to note that the self-report measurement of habit strength may have been subject to biases. Although the SRHI is commonly used and well validated ( Verplanken and Orbell, 2003 ; Gardner et al., 2011 ), it would be even more compelling if the current findings could be corroborated by more implicit measures of habit strength, such as a lexical decision task ( Meyer et al., 1972 ). In the current study, we have attempted to measure habit strength by means of a lexical decision task in the mobile app. However, the mobile app measurements were not sensitive enough to detect any effects (see point 5, Supplementary Material ). Future research may instead opt for online computer measurements.

To conclude, our study was the first to track the role of self-control capacity in the habit formation process in a longitudinal field experiment. Although we did not find evidence for self-control as a facilitator of habit formation, the current findings do offer new directions for future research on self-control and other potential moderators in the formation of good habits.

Data Availability Statement

Ethics statement.

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by The Faculty Ethics Review Board – Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Utrecht University. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

AW, JB, MG, and DR developed the theory and study design. AW carried out the experiment and data preparations, and took the lead in writing of the manuscript. AW and JB performed the individual-level analyses. JY performed the group-level analyses. All authors provided critical feedback and helped to shape the analyses and manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Django den Boer and Roy van Koten for developing the Habit Tracker app, and Demi Blom for recruiting participants and keeping them involved.

1 The group administration served to allow more participants to start around the same time, i.e., to minimize seasonal influences (e.g., new year’s resolutions). We minimized the degree to which participants influenced each other by stressing the importance of independent answers and reactions, as well as the importance of being silent during the measurements. Also, one or two researchers were always present to monitor participants and answer questions.

2 In the pre-measurement we measured explicit habit strength (with the Self-Report Habit Index; Verplanken and Orbell, 2003 ) and implicit habit strength (by means of a Lexical Decision Task), implicit state self-control (an adapted version of the mouse-tracker task; Freeman and Ambady, 2010 ) and explicit self-control capacity (Brief Self-Control Scale; Tangney et al., 2004 ), general attributional style (General Attributional Style Questionnaire; Peterson et al., 1982 ), goal importance, and motivation. In the smartphone app, behavioral performance, context encounter, and attributions of failure were measured daily, while habit formation, self-control capacity, general self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale; Jerusalem and Schwarzer, 1979 ), and willpower beliefs ( Job et al., 2010 ) were measured bi-weekly. Additionally, a mouse tracker task was alternated with a lexical decision task every other day to measure implicit self-control and implicit habit formation, respectively. During the post-measurement, participants completed the same tasks and questionnaires as during the pre-measurement, except that the General Attributional Style Questionnaire was replaced by an ego-depletion task.

3 The option “when talking to someone” could be further specified into “when talking to a friend/partner/parent/child/neighbor”.

4 We have also run the analyses with the SRBAI subscale, which led to the same results (see point 1, Supplementary Material ).

5 For our main analysis, we looked at whether the behavior was performed or not, regardless of the context it was performed in. Analyzing whether the behavior was performed in context or not yielded similar results.

6 Participants for whom an asymptotic curve could be fitted did not differ from participants for whom an asymptotic curve could not be fitted in their number of data points [M = 6.33, SD = 2.25 vs. M = 6.6, SD = 1.42, respectively; F (1,116) = 0.19, p = 0.67] or behavioral consistency [M = 0.88, SD = 0.15 vs. M = 0.77, SD = 0.26, respectively; F (1,144) = 1.02, p = 0.31].

7 One might argue that the effect of self-control capacity on habit formation is via goal-congruent behavior performance. However, our data do not provide support for a relationship between lagged self-control and goal-congruent behavior performance (see de Ridder et al., 2019 ). Also, entering lagged self-control in the model first (in Model 3), and subsequently adding the other variables (in Model 4), does not reveal any relationship between self-control and habit strength (see point 4, Supplementary Material ).

8 Behavioral consistency differed between the different behaviors chosen [ F (9,136) = 3.02, p = 0.003, η 2 = 0.17], such that people were most consistent in performing prosocial behaviors, whereas people were least consistent in exercising and saving money (see point 3, Supplementary Material ). Adding the chosen behavior to the model did not improve the model fit [Δχ 2 (df = 9) = 7.10 ns], nor did it change any of the reported effects.

Supplementary Material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00560/full#supplementary-material

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• Webb T. L., Sheeran P. (2007). How do implementation intentions promote goal attainment? A test of component processes. J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 43 295–302. 10.1016/J.JESP.2006.02.001 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

What are good study habits?: Home

• Referencing
• Genovese, Jane Dr : Mind maps Explains what a mind map is, the importance of creating mind maps for learning, and many good examples of completed mind maps.
• Mendis, Lakshini : Good study habits that maximise learning From the University of Queensland's Brain Institute, comprehensive information on good study habits described under the headings of; So what are bad study habits?, How can you combat stress while studying?, How do distractions affect the way you learn? and What is context-specific learning?
• The University of Queensland : Good study habits for students in high school Includes tips on Create your study zone; Craft a study schedule that suits you; Study with friends; Experiment with learning techniques; Break up your study sessions; and Ask your teachers for advice. Includes a link to information on - Poor study habits and how to break them.
• The University of Western Australia : How to build healthy study habits in high school to prepare for uni Headings include - Start to set your own study timetables; Discover the benefits of habit tracking; Learn how fight procrastination (and win!); Don’t overdo screen time; Take a break; Set some goals and get organised; and Unwind and practice self-care. Includes further links to related, useful information.

Username: Your school email address eg [email protected]

Programme 1: Why habits are powerful 3 mins

Programme 2: Q&A: How do you study? 2:50 mins

In-text sources

CrashCourse. (2017, August 9).  Taking Notes: Crash Course Study Skills #1  [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7CwqNHn_Ns

Genovese, J. (2023, April 25).  The study hacks masterclass with Dr Jane Genovese  [Video file]. https://vimeo.com/820835992

Genovese, J. (2024).  Get ready for exams  [Illustration]. Learning Fundamentals. https://learningfundamentals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Get_ready_exams_preview.jpg

(Genovese, 2024)

(CrashCourse, 2017)

The Study Hacks Masterclass with Dr Jane Genovese from Jane Genovese on Vimeo .

(Genovese, 2023)

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Full Length Research Paper

Study habit and its impact on secondary school students’ academic performance in biology in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

• Ebele Uju F.
• Department of Science and Environmental Education, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
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• Article Number - 734608A64524
• Vol.12(10), pp. 583-588 , May 2017
• https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2016.3117
•  Received: 20 December 2016
•  Accepted: 30 March 2017
•  Published: 23 May 2017
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  ABSTRACT

Study habits is how one studies. That is, the habits which students form during their school years. Without good study habits, a student cannot succeed. Thus, this study investigated the impact of study habits on secondary school students’ academic performance in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The study was guided by one null hypothesis. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design as its plan. The sample of the study constituted of 1050 senior secondary school students drawn from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. Chi-square was used for data analysis. The finding of the study revealed that there is significant relationship between study habits and students’ academic performance. It was recommended that teachers and school guidance counselors should collaboratively guide students on how to develop good study habits; thereby enhancing their academic success.

Key words: Habits, study habits, biology, impact and academic performance.

  INTRODUCTION

  METHODOLOGY

This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The choice of this design was informed by the fact that a group of respondents considered to be the representative of the larger population were used for the study. The sample of the study comprised of 1050 secondary school students drawn from 30 schools within the study area. A simple random sampling technique of probability sampling approach was used. In order to gather valid data from the respondents (secondary school students), a close-ended questionnaire designed in a four point likert rating scale of strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed and strongly disagreed was employed by the researcher. Considering the relatively large size of the sample of the study and the spread of the schools used, the questionnaires were administered on the respondents by the researcher in conjunction with two trained and learned research assistants. The respondents were visited in their respective schools and two weeks were used to gather the data. Thus, data gathered from the respondents were collated and analyzed with chi-square statistical technique.

  DATA ANALYSIS

  DISCUSSION

Hypothesis 1 sought to determine whether there is significant relationship between study habits and students’ academic performance. Result obtained showed that there is significant relationship between study habits and students’ academic performance.   The finding of the study corroborates with the opinion of Marc (2011), who observes that good study habits will contribute to a successful academic future as well as leads to good grades while good grades in turn lead to admissions into better colleges and universities, possibly with a scholarship thrown in. Developing good study habits according to Marc (2011) is very crucial for every student irrespective of his level of education; as it boosts students’ ability to be self-disciplined, self-directed and ultimately successful in their degree programs. He further maintained that effective study habits are important part of the learning process.   Having effective study habits according to Marc (2011) as quoted earlier, creates a more efficient academic environment. Planning your study schedule in advance and faithfully sticking to it saves time. When students have good study habits, they would tend to be less stressed. Students who are anxious on exam day are typically the procrastinators who came unprepared. Students who organize their lives and stick to their established study schedules are confident and relaxed at test-taking time. Ashish (2013), admits that if students must ensure academic success throughout the entire year, it is important to ditch bad study habits and establish good ones. He further maintains that no matter what age or academic level, employing effective studying strategies can make all the difference between acing a class, barely passing or worse, failing miserably.   The result of this study also corroborates with the finding of Onwuegbuzie (2001) who conducted a study to find out the relationship between academic success and study habit. The study reported positive relationship between the two variables (academic success and study habit). In like manner, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (1994) conducted a study to ascertain the relationship between study habits and the academic performance of the students. Findings of the study revealed a positive correlation between study habit and academic achievement (Omotere, 2011).   According to Adeninyi (2011), good study habits allow students to study independently at home and aspire for higher educational career. The formation of good study habits in secondary school level further serves as the basis for students’ performance in external examinations such as WAEC, NECO and JAMB, he submits. In the view of Agba (2013), unserious students do study anyhow without specific techniques and he submits that such students are most likely to perform below average.   Thus, he concludes that good study habits help students to- attend classes very often and do so on time. It also helps them to submit  their assignment on time, read or prepare very well for tests and exams, take down notes and develop the points independently, ask relevant questions in class; thereby having good grades at the end of the term or semester.

  CONCLUSION

This study investigated study habit and its impact on students’ academic performance in secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concludes that students within the study area have bad study habits. The study also concludes that there is significant relationship between study habits and secondary school students’ academic performance.

  CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors have not declared any conflict of interests.

  REFERENCES

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

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Building a Better Future: 30 Essential Habits for Students

Afia Siddiqui

Afia, a writer at Suraasa, is a literary explorer who dives deep into stories, navigating the vast ocean of words. When not immersed in books, she finds serenity in swimming, gliding through the water with grace.

Introduction

Why are good habits so important, types of good habits for students, 30 good habits for students, implementing good habits for students, tools and resources for developing good habits for students, what are some good habits quotes for students, bonus: how to help students break bad habits, wrapping up, free downloadable: habit tracker template.

“ Good habits formed in youth make all the difference. ” This timeless quote by Aristotle reminds us of the profound impact early habits can have on a person’s life.  As educators, you're not just teaching subjects; you're shaping the future by instilling good habits for students that will guide them long after they leave your classroom.

Even, Research supports this. Studies show that students who develop strong, positive habits early on are more likely to succeed academically and socially.  These habits, whether they involve academic discipline, emotional resilience, or social interaction, become the building blocks of their future success. In this blog, we’ll explore 30 good habits for students that go beyond academics—they’re about nurturing well-rounded, confident, and capable individuals.  Table of Contents:

• 30 Essential Habits for Students

Together, let’s discover how these small, consistent habits can lead to big changes in your students' lives and help them build a foundation for lifelong success.

In a world that’s constantly moving at breakneck speed, good habits act like a guiding compass, helping students navigate daily challenges with ease.  They’re the routines that keep them grounded and give them the structure they need to thrive. Let’s dive into why cultivating good habits is so crucial:

1. Creates Structure

Good habits for students bring a sense of order to their lives. Amid the hustle of schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and hanging out with friends, these habits can offer stability and make daily routines feel way more manageable.

2. Enhances Mental Well-Being

Students who stick to positive habits often experience better mental health. Consistent routines can reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, providing a protective shield against the pressures of growing up.

3. Boosts Confidence

When students keep up with their habits, it’s like a little win every day that builds up their confidence. They start to believe in themselves more and feel ready to take on whatever challenges come their way..

4. Builds Trust and Reliability

Habits like being on time, taking responsibility, and staying consistent help students earn a reputation as someone others can count on. And let’s be real, that kind of trust is golden—not just in school, but everywhere.

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Now let’s explore the types of good habits for students.

Understanding and developing good habits for students can play a pivotal role in their journey to success.

These habits can be divided into six key categories, each addressing different aspects of a student’s life. Let’s explore these categories and what they entail:

1. Academic Habits

Academic habits are the strategies and routines that help students excel in their studies. They form the backbone of a student’s learning experience, ensuring they stay organized, focused, and productive.

2. Personal Habits

Personal habits focus on self-discipline and responsibility, helping students manage their lives outside the classroom. These habits are crucial for building character and independence.

3. Social Habits

Social habits are all about building strong connections and communication skills. These habits help students get along with others and handle social situations with ease.

4. Emotional Habits

Emotional habits are about managing stress and emotions in a healthy way. These habits support mental well-being and help students handle life’s challenges.

5. Digital Habits

Digital habits center on using technology and social media wisely. These habits guide students in navigating the digital world safely, balancing screen time, and making the most of online resources for learning and personal growth.

6. Financial Habits

Financial habits introduce students to the basics of managing money wisely, like budgeting, saving, and understanding the difference between needs and wants. These habits lay the groundwork for financial responsibility, helping students make smart decisions now and in the future.

Fostering these essential habits helps students build a strong foundation for success and well-being.  By integrating academic, personal, social, emotional, digital, and financial habits into their daily routines, students can achieve both academic excellence and personal growth.  As teachers, guiding students in developing these habits can significantly impact their future success and happiness.  Now, let's dive into 30 specific good habits that can transform your students' lives.

Building good habits for students is like creating a superpower that they carry with them throughout their lives. Imagine students not just doing well in school but thriving in every part of their lives—academically, socially, emotionally, and even financially.  These essential habits go beyond just getting good grades; they shape students into confident, capable, and well-rounded individuals who are ready to take on the world.  Let’s dive into how these 30 good habits for students can turn their everyday routines into powerful tools for success!

In this section, we'll explore 30 good habits for students in school that can help them thrive academically, personally, socially, emotionally, digitally, and financially. Each habit is a small step toward creating a brighter, more successful future.

📚Academic Habits:

1. Stick to a Study Schedule: Students should set specific times each day for studying to stay on top of their assignments and avoid last-minute stress. 2. Prioritize Tasks: It is important for students to focus on the most important tasks first to manage their workload effectively. 3. Take Active Notes: Students should use summarizing and highlighting techniques to improve their understanding and retention of the material. 4. Set Clear Academic Goals: Setting specific goals helps students stay motivated and track their progress in their studies. 5. Ask for Help When Needed: Students should reach out to teachers or classmates if they need clarification or assistance with difficult topics.

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🗓️personal habits: .

6. Manage Time Effectively: Students should use planners or apps to organize their daily activities and balance schoolwork with other responsibilities.  7. Maintain a Healthy Sleep Routine: It is important for students to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to get enough rest and stay focused.  8. Include Physical Activity: Students should make time for regular exercise to boost their health and concentration.  9. Practice Mindfulness: Engaging in mindfulness techniques like meditation can help students manage stress and stay calm.  10. Reflect on Personal Progress: Students should regularly think about their strengths and areas for improvement to encourage personal growth.

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🤝social habits: .

11. Communicate Clearly: Students should practice clear and respectful communication to build strong relationships and work effectively with others.  12. Show Empathy and Listen Actively: It is important for students to understand others' feelings and listen carefully to strengthen their friendships.  13. Work Well in Teams: Students should collaborate and share ideas to achieve common goals and build teamwork skills.  14. Resolve Conflicts Calmly: Students should address disagreements in a calm manner and work towards solutions that everyone can agree on.  15. Respect Differences: Appreciating and accepting diversity among peers helps create an inclusive and positive environment.

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🧘Emotional Habits: 

16. Manage Stress: Students should use techniques like deep breathing or exercise to handle stress and maintain emotional balance.  17. Use Positive Self-Talk: It is important for students to encourage themselves with positive thoughts to boost confidence and motivation.  18. Regulate Emotions: Students should learn to manage their emotions in a healthy way to maintain their overall well-being.  19. Build Resilience: Developing the ability to bounce back from setbacks helps students stay focused on their long-term goals.  20. Practice Gratitude: Regularly acknowledging and appreciating the good things in their lives can enhance students' overall happiness.

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 💻digital habits: .

21. Limit Screen Time: Students should balance their online activities with offline ones to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Teachers can help by setting clear guidelines on-screen use and encouraging breaks during digital lessons. 22. Follow Safe Online Practices: It’s important for students to use strong passwords and privacy settings to protect their personal information. Teachers can educate them on cybersecurity basics and the importance of digital privacy. 23 . Evaluate Digital Content: Students should check the credibility of online information before believing or sharing it to avoid misinformation. Teachers can encourage parents to discuss with their children how to identify reliable sources and critically assess the content they find online. 24. Set Digital Boundaries: Students should establish limits on their online activities to stay focused and reduce distractions. Teachers can support this by helping students create and stick to a digital routine that balances study and leisure. 25. Organize Online Learning Materials: Keeping digital study materials and assignments well-organized improves their online learning experience. Teachers can assist by showing students how to categorize and store files efficiently for easy access.

 💸Financial Habits: 

26. Create a Budget: Students should plan how to manage school-related expenses to avoid overspending. Teachers can collaborate with parents to introduce budgeting exercises, helping students practice smart financial planning. 27. Save Part of Allowance: Students should set aside a portion of their allowance or earnings to build savings. Educators can encourage parents to reinforce this habit at home by discussing savings goals with their children. 28. Distinguish Needs from Wants: Students should learn to differentiate between essential needs and non-essential wants to make smarter spending choices. Teachers can work to provide examples and exercises that make this concept more relatable. 29. Track Spending: Keeping track of their expenses helps students stay within their budget and make necessary adjustments. Involving parents in this habit by reviewing spending can enhance its effectiveness. 30. Learn Financial Basics: Understanding basic money management principles supports students in making wise financial decisions. Teachers and parents should jointly provide resources and discussions on financial literacy to build a strong foundation for students.

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Now that you've discovered these 30 essential habits, let's explore how to effectively implement them.

Building habits takes time and effort, and it’s important for students to approach this process with patience. Here are some practical strategies for students to adopt and maintain good habits: ‍

• ‍ Start with Small Steps: Begin with small, achievable goals. For example, if students want to build a reading habit, starting with just 10 minutes a day makes it easier to get started and stick with it. ‍
• Establish a Routine: Consistency is key. Students should pick a specific time each day to work on their new habits, helping to make it a regular part of their daily routine. ‍
• Encourage Perseverance: Developing new habits can be challenging. Students should remember that it’s normal to face obstacles and that persistence is essential. Over time, their new habits will become a natural part of their lives. ‍
• Use Reminders: Setting reminders or using habit-tracking apps can help students stay on track. Visual cues, like sticky notes in visible places, can also serve as helpful prompts.

Supporting students in developing good habits involves guidance and encouragement from teachers and caregivers.  Here’s how you can help:

• ‍ Provide Guidance and Support: Offer clear advice on which habits are beneficial and help students set realistic goals. Assist them in creating a structured plan to achieve these goals. ‍
• Encourage Consistency: Consistently support students in sticking with their new habits, even when it’s tough. Positive reinforcement and encouragement can play a crucial role in maintaining their motivation. ‍
• Model Good Habits: Lead by example. When teachers and caregivers practice good habits themselves, it provides a powerful model for students to follow. ‍
• Offer Constructive Feedback: Provide regular, constructive feedback on students’ progress. This helps them understand what they’re doing well and where they can improve, keeping them focused on their goals. ‍
• Create a Supportive Environment: Ensure that students have the resources they need and foster a positive, supportive environment both at home and in school. This helps create a foundation for developing and maintaining good habits.

Building good habits for students is a journey that requires time and dedication, both from students and those supporting them.  By starting with small, manageable steps and maintaining consistency, students can develop habits that set them up for long-term success.  Teachers and caregivers play a crucial role by offering guidance, encouragement, and a supportive environment. Together, these efforts help students establish and maintain habits that contribute to their overall growth and achievement. Now let’s explore the tools and resources you can use to develop good habits for students.

Developing and maintaining good habits for students can be greatly supported by using various tools and resources. Here’s how apps, books, and interactive programs can assist in building and reinforcing positive habits:

Apps and Digital Tools

In today’s tech-savvy world, there are numerous apps and digital tools designed to help students develop and track good habits. Here are some recommendations:

1. Habitica : This app turns habit-building into a fun, game-like experience. Students can create avatars, earn rewards, and track their progress in a visually engaging way. 2. Forest : Ideal for managing screen time and staying focused, Forest allows students to grow a virtual tree as they stay off their phones. It’s a unique way to encourage concentration and productivity. 3. Todoist : This task management app helps students keep track of their assignments, goals, and daily routines. It’s perfect for organizing tasks and setting reminders. 4. MyFitnessPal : For developing healthy habits, such as tracking nutrition and exercise, MyFitnessPal is a useful tool. It helps students monitor their diet and physical activity. 5. Headspace : This app provides guided meditation and mindfulness exercises. It’s an excellent resource for managing stress and building emotional resilience.

Books can offer valuable insights and motivation for developing good habits for students. Here are some must-reads:

1. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear : This book provides practical strategies for forming good habits and breaking bad ones. It’s a great guide for understanding the science behind habit formation. 2. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey : A classic book on personal development, it covers fundamental habits that contribute to effectiveness and success. 3. "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck : This book explores the power of mindset and how adopting a growth mindset can lead to personal and academic success. 4. "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie : A timeless resource for improving social skills and building positive relationships. 5. "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle : Focused on mindfulness and living in the present moment, this book helps students manage stress and enhance emotional well-being. 6 . "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho : A compelling tale of self-discovery and following one’s dreams, this book inspires one to pursue their passions with perseverance and confidence. 

Workshops and Courses

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Interactive programs provide hands-on learning experiences to cultivate essential habits. Here are some options: 1. Time Management Workshops : These workshops teach students how to effectively manage their time, set priorities, and organize their tasks. Look for local community centers or online platforms offering these workshops. 2. Mindfulness and Stress Management Courses : Many schools and organizations offer courses on mindfulness and stress management. These programs help students and teachers develop emotional resilience and coping strategies. 3. Leadership and Personal Development Seminars : These seminars focus on building leadership skills, self-discipline, and personal growth. They provide valuable tools and insights for students seeking to enhance their personal and academic lives. 4. Health and Wellness Workshops : These workshops cover topics related to physical health, nutrition, and overall well-being. They are great for students looking to establish healthy routines and habits. Leveraging the right tools and resources can make a big difference in helping students develop and maintain good habits. Apps offer convenient tracking and motivation, books provide in-depth insights and strategies, and workshops or courses deliver practical, interactive learning experiences.  By integrating these resources into students' routines, educators and caregivers can effectively support their growth and help them build habits that lead to long-term success. Let’s look at some powerful and motivational good habits quotes for students.

Quotes can be powerful motivators, especially when it comes to building good habits for students. They serve as reminders of the importance of consistency, perseverance, and dedication.  Here are some inspiring good habits quotes for students that can encourage them to develop and maintain good habits:

1. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

This quote emphasizes the importance of taking that first step, no matter how small, towards building good habits. It's a reminder that all progress begins with a single action.

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2. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Aristotle’s words highlight the power of habits in shaping who we are. For students, this quote underscores that consistent effort and good habits are key to achieving excellence. 3. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun

This quote by the Olympian Jim Ryun reminds students that while motivation is important, it's the habits they develop that will sustain their progress in the long run. 4. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

This quote encourages students to focus on the small, consistent efforts that add up over time and lead to success. 5. “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” – Aristotle

Another timeless piece of wisdom from Aristotle, this quote highlights the lasting impact of developing good habits early in life. 6. “Your habits will determine your future.” – Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield’s words serve as a powerful reminder that the habits students form today will shape their future successes and achievements.

‍ Ready to see these quotes come to life in your students? Suraasa can provide the support you need. Talk to a mentor today and start building the habits that will lead your students to success.

Before students can fully embrace new, positive habits, they might need to address any existing habits that are holding them back. Here’s how you can guide them in breaking these habits:

1. Identify the Habit

✅ Awareness is the first step. Help students pinpoint the habits that are negatively impacting their lives so they can focus on making changes.

2. Promote Self-Reflection

✅ Encourage students to reflect on why they engage in certain habits. Understanding the root cause makes it easier to develop strategies to break the habit.

3. Take Gradual Steps

✅ Breaking a habit is like easing off the gas pedal—you don’t want to stop suddenly. Advise students to gradually reduce the frequency or intensity of the habit, making the process smoother and less daunting.

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Good habits are the foundation of a successful future. They shape how students approach their studies, relationships, and personal growth, guiding them toward becoming well-rounded individuals.  By encouraging the development of good habits in school, educators and parents can set students up for long-term success. Whether it's following a study routine, practicing mindfulness, or maintaining a balanced lifestyle, these habits are crucial. Key strategies include starting small and staying consistent. For example, you might start by helping build 10 good habits for students, like regular study times and healthy eating.  Over time, these small steps can lead to significant improvements in both academic and personal areas. In the end, whether you're helping a student build 15 good habits for students in school or discussing the importance of good habits for college students, the impact of these practices will last a lifetime.

For college students, good habits involve attending classes regularly, staying organized, managing finances wisely, maintaining a balanced diet, exercising, building strong study routines, networking, and seeking internships or work experiences. These habits help navigate the challenges of college life successfully.

Bad habits for students can include procrastination, poor time management, skipping meals, neglecting sleep, excessive screen time, not asking for help when needed, and avoiding responsibilities. These habits can negatively impact academic performance and well-being.

Five key habits for good studying include setting a regular study schedule, breaking tasks into manageable parts, minimizing distractions, reviewing notes daily, and taking breaks to rest and recharge. These habits help students study more effectively and retain information better.

Healthy habits for kids involve balanced eating, regular physical activity, good hygiene, adequate sleep, limited screen time, reading daily, practicing kindness, staying organized, being punctual, and engaging in creative activities. These habits build a strong foundation for their overall development.

When writing about five good habits, focus on essential aspects like studying regularly, managing time effectively, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, and practicing mindfulness. These habits help students stay balanced and perform well both academically and personally.

Ten good habits for students include regular studying, effective time management, staying organized, setting achievable goals, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, practicing mindfulness, being punctual, and asking for help when needed. These habits are key to academic success and personal growth.

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