5 Study Skills for Teens to Help You Conquer Hard Subjects
Are you struggling in difficult honors and AP-level classes at school? Learn about five study skills for teens that can help you conquer those difficult classes effectively and efficiently.
Written by Alexandra Wong ‘26
St. Agnes Academy is an academically rigorous school, and our students learn to develop the essential academic skills that will help them grow as learners.
Our curriculum is designed to foster the development of capable, well-rounded students who are strong across a wide range of subjects, including theology, English, mathematics, science, history/social science, and world languages. Our elective program also provides the chance to explore and connect with special interest areas.
Our extensive course list provides students with the opportunity to thrive while pushing them academically. By experiencing our rigorous and enriching course load, our students discover how to be curious, think critically, and study during their four years at St. Agnes.
The coursework can be challenging! That’s why we recommend study skills for teens that are specifically designed to help you conquer these subjects with confidence.
Five Study Skills for Teens to Help You Ace Hard Classes
Learn more about the essential study skills our students use during their high school years to tackle difficult classes.
1. The Pomodoro Technique
Oftentimes, the idea of studying for many long hours all at once seems frightening. This leads us to procrastinate and try to put off our long study sessions. The Pomodoro technique is a popular time management method that breaks up study sessions into a more manageable time frame.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes of focused study time, followed by a 5-minute break. These intervals are called “Pomodoros.”
- After four Pomodoros, take a longer break. These short intervals of studying time help improve focus, prevent burnout, and reduce procrastination by providing you with a structured approach to work.
This method is ideal for reviewing notes, tackling hard concepts, and preparing for exams. Continuous use of this technique will allow you to build discipline and improve concentration.
Pro Tip: Using a visual timer is a great way to stay on track and make studying for longer periods feel less daunting.
2. Teach it Aloud!
Are you struggling to solidify hard concepts in your head? One of the best study strategies to cement complex ideas in your head is by teaching the material to someone else.
For example, try explaining a concept out loud to a friend, sibling, or even a pet. This will reinforce your understanding and allow you to identify any gaps in your knowledge.
By simplifying complex ideas and organizing your thoughts clearly, this method is incredibly effective during cram sessions. It is important to note that teaching the material aloud is key to this studying hack: by processing the information aloud, you are forced to synthesize concepts in a new way, further cementing the knowledge in your brain.
This method is helpful for subjects like biology and history. Lastly, if you do not have someone to be your “student” for this method, you may also try recording yourself explaining a topic on video and playing it back for yourself.
3. Study Toolkit
Everyone studies differently and uses different materials to do so. What works for one student may not work for another. Thus, it is important to build a study toolkit that matches your learning style. While it may take time to figure out exactly what works for you, test out different study materials:
- Test out physical tools like flashcards, color-coded notes, mind maps, and brain dump sheets.
- Consider digital apps that may also be helpful, such as Quizlet and Notion.
- Use other tactile tools, such as whiteboards and voice memos.
Experiment with different tools in your study sessions to make reviewing information more interactive and engaging. In doing so, studying should feel less like a chore.
4. Schedule “Study Hours”
Everyone has times of day when they are naturally more focused and alert.
- Figure out when your peak focus hours are, whether it’s in the early morning, late afternoon, or evening.
- Schedule your hardest study sessions during this time period.
- Tackle challenging subjects or schedule a last-minute cram session before a big test during this window.
The “study zone” is different for everyone, so you may have to experiment with what hours of the day work best for you. Building a consistent study routine around these hours will help you develop healthy study habits that let you maximize your energy and focus without burning out.
5. Make Yourself a Study Guide and Practice Problems
While reviewing notes is important, passively skimming your notebook is not, in itself, an effective way to study. Transform your notes into a study guide and synthesize the most important information: formulas, theorems, laws, etc. Identify key terms, concepts, and formulas.
This effort will serve as a helpful review tool for unit tests and semester exams. You can even go above and beyond and make practice problems for yourself based on your study guide.
Pro Tip: Write multiple-choice questions and short answer prompts based on your study guide so you can track your own progress and identify weak areas. This active learning tool will reinforce your memory through retrieval and does not require any extra tools besides your brain and notes.
Tried Various Study Methods and Still Need Help?
Developing study skills for teens may take some trial and error to find the best method, approach, and timing that works for you. The St. Agnes team is here to help!
Our Student Support services include our amazing Student Success Center, which helps students develop skills in study techniques, time management, organizational strategies, and goal planning.
Student Success Center specialists are an excellent resource for students seeking to develop practical study skills and academic habits to help them meet the rigorous demands of our curriculum.
To learn more about how we help students approach difficult classes and curricula, contact our Student Support team today. We look forward to working with you!
