When it comes to studying many of us might say we spend a lot of time doing so when in reality most of the time is spent scrolling on social media or taking naps every 15 minutes. On the other hand, some of us get too invested in student life with all-night parties and consequently skipping classes. Even though these distracting breaks are not the most efficient way to get things done, not many of us know how to work smarter to get the best possible results. So since a new school year is upon us and everyone has a bit of beginning semester motivation, we want to share some genius tips on ‘how to study like a Harvard student.’
These studying tips were written by a Sophia Chua-Rubenfield, a Yale and Harvard graduate student, as well as the daughter of a writer Amy Chua who is also known as ‘The Tiger Mom.’ Sophia was raised using the tiger parenting technique which pushes children to be as academically successful as possible. Clearly, the philosophy works, as Sophia recently became a doctor of Law at Yale law school.
Scroll down to read Sophia’s tips on how to study effectively to succeed, and don’t forget to tell us what you think in the comments!
Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld is a graduate student at Harvard and Yale, she is also the daughter of writer Amy Chua
Image credits: Amy Chua
Sophia was raised through ‘tiger parenting,’ parenting technique that pushes children to be as academically successful as possible
Image credits: Amy Chua
On her private blog, Sophia shared tips on how to study like a Harvard student, and her text proves all of us have been studying wrong this whole time
Image credits: Harvard University
Image credits: Harvard University
Image credits: Pexels
Image credits: Paseidon
What do you think? Don’t forget to tell us in the comments!
195Kviews
Share on Facebook
I'm doing accounting and was having difficulty understanding certain concepts of the development of the SEC and organizations that monitor business and financing. So my husband sat down and pretended to be the student and had me teach him what I'd learned. It was awesome because I realized there were areas of what I was studying that I had skipped over or forgotten. It helped me to identify weak spots in what I was learning and allowed me to make a list of what I needed to go over again. He asked questions..I looked up the answers. God I love this man and his cleverness.
You're a lucky gal, Carol, he seems like an amazing man :)
Load More Replies...
I dont agree with the no underlying. I have a visual memory so this helped me a lot. I just used different colors for different things: authors and people in orange, dates in blue, concepts in pink etc. That would give me an easy to remember picture of the page
That was more or less how I studied too. Just less memorizing. And more freedom, I guess. I was not at Harvard, though. ♥
"These Studying Tips From A Harvard Graduate Are Priceless". If by priceless you mean obvious, common sense, known for years (and years and years and years), then I agree. There is no magic involved - get your nose out of your digital device's screen AND STUDY. Never had students had it easier (except for the payment plans) yet they p**s and moan like their life is oh so hard.
Studying in a library actually helps me a lot. I simply can't study at home, because that's my home and i get distracted easily and a lot. I also go to a place where i'm not feeling at home so the library is the best place for me. And also have something with you, like all the time, where you can write things down or record it. I get the best idea for like papers at most random places. In the car, in the shower or at a supermarket. If i don't write it down immediately, most of the time i forget it or a part of it.
The education system needs to be revolutionized. The world doesn't run on memorization, and that's the way most people are tested. Most professions, if you don't know what to do you will ask somebody or look it up. Then you learn by using that information. Having a degree no longer guarantees you will get a higher entry point into a business or a better salary. We need to move tertiary education back into the realm of the practical, not the philosophical.
The biggest thing that held me back was shame. I was always in AP courses, but things had come too easily for me early on, and when I started having trouble (particularly with math), it was very hard to ask for help. I thought I'd failed already.
Thank you for sharing. Sophia's ambition and persistence was rewarded. For studying tips, I think everyone will have their own method that is reasonable and effective to them. From Sophia's tips, I like # 3, 11, 17, and 18 best. Just study or read better, not everything and finally you will not attain anything. It also saves my time and I know I have to focus or prioritize on what in life, work or studying.
I study lying down on the bed .. legs up against the wall and I take a break every half an hour or so.. I never write down anything.. my books look brand new. I succeed.
I think that if you want to learn something, the most important things you should do is to study regularly (daily), sleep more, do sport and put effort info knowing what you don't know yet. On the other hand, if you just need to pass an exam, then the best advice is to start studying for it (really).
I don't think there is a "right " way for everyone to study. I also have Ivy League undergrad and graduate degrees and this method for the most part isn't my style at all. Definitely go to and pay attention in class -- but other than that, I have always thrived on 1-2 days of intense activity sandwiched by days little output. And I really like studying in a library. It puts me in "work" mode. One sort of strange tip I have is to read on actual paper. I personally find that I read more closely and also have a visiospacial memory of where certain sentences were on the page. I
I love this I am starting a course next week and the bit about articulating is so true!
What cripples many students is the outrageous tuition that universities charge. It is shameful and a disgrace to burden graduates with thousands of student debt dollars . Only in America.
What cripples many students is the outrageous tuition that universities charge. It is shameful and a disgrace to burden graduates with thousands of student loan dollars. Only in America is greed honored.
If you know that the ex spanish president aznar (with a zero english nivel, only friend of bush) gived class at Harvard university, sorry I just think that's an elite etiquette to give you a better job inside dad's business friends circle......ok the tips of this young lady are ok for motivation.
Highlighting can be very effective. If used right. And thats more difficult then most people think. You stil need to make notes in the margin. You also need to remember that highlighting is meant to make it easy to find something again. Its not to there to make you remember better.
Pretty useless overall but I do agree with written notes. I read with highlighter first then wrote notes on highlights then condensed my notes onto 1 or 2 study sheets.
Well all this is possible when your parents are not narcissistic+ no financial hardships+ you can make choices based on your interest .
17 and 18 together with source reseach and it goes with anything and everywhere..
Ugh. No no no no no! Studying is different. We are bot tought how to do it properly ever. We figure it out eventually. This is great that ut worked for her. However the oressure and privilege isn't on everyone's side. This article is not right andmisleading. Harvard is a joke and her going is not something to be proud of. She is a daughter of an author. She was pressured academically. This is so basic and not the right guidelines.
I'm doing accounting and was having difficulty understanding certain concepts of the development of the SEC and organizations that monitor business and financing. So my husband sat down and pretended to be the student and had me teach him what I'd learned. It was awesome because I realized there were areas of what I was studying that I had skipped over or forgotten. It helped me to identify weak spots in what I was learning and allowed me to make a list of what I needed to go over again. He asked questions..I looked up the answers. God I love this man and his cleverness.
You're a lucky gal, Carol, he seems like an amazing man :)
Load More Replies... I dont agree with the no underlying. I have a visual memory so this helped me a lot. I just used different colors for different things: authors and people in orange, dates in blue, concepts in pink etc. That would give me an easy to remember picture of the page
That was more or less how I studied too. Just less memorizing. And more freedom, I guess. I was not at Harvard, though. ♥
"These Studying Tips From A Harvard Graduate Are Priceless". If by priceless you mean obvious, common sense, known for years (and years and years and years), then I agree. There is no magic involved - get your nose out of your digital device's screen AND STUDY. Never had students had it easier (except for the payment plans) yet they p**s and moan like their life is oh so hard.
Studying in a library actually helps me a lot. I simply can't study at home, because that's my home and i get distracted easily and a lot. I also go to a place where i'm not feeling at home so the library is the best place for me. And also have something with you, like all the time, where you can write things down or record it. I get the best idea for like papers at most random places. In the car, in the shower or at a supermarket. If i don't write it down immediately, most of the time i forget it or a part of it.
The education system needs to be revolutionized. The world doesn't run on memorization, and that's the way most people are tested. Most professions, if you don't know what to do you will ask somebody or look it up. Then you learn by using that information. Having a degree no longer guarantees you will get a higher entry point into a business or a better salary. We need to move tertiary education back into the realm of the practical, not the philosophical.
The biggest thing that held me back was shame. I was always in AP courses, but things had come too easily for me early on, and when I started having trouble (particularly with math), it was very hard to ask for help. I thought I'd failed already.
Thank you for sharing. Sophia's ambition and persistence was rewarded. For studying tips, I think everyone will have their own method that is reasonable and effective to them. From Sophia's tips, I like # 3, 11, 17, and 18 best. Just study or read better, not everything and finally you will not attain anything. It also saves my time and I know I have to focus or prioritize on what in life, work or studying.
I study lying down on the bed .. legs up against the wall and I take a break every half an hour or so.. I never write down anything.. my books look brand new. I succeed.
I think that if you want to learn something, the most important things you should do is to study regularly (daily), sleep more, do sport and put effort info knowing what you don't know yet. On the other hand, if you just need to pass an exam, then the best advice is to start studying for it (really).
I don't think there is a "right " way for everyone to study. I also have Ivy League undergrad and graduate degrees and this method for the most part isn't my style at all. Definitely go to and pay attention in class -- but other than that, I have always thrived on 1-2 days of intense activity sandwiched by days little output. And I really like studying in a library. It puts me in "work" mode. One sort of strange tip I have is to read on actual paper. I personally find that I read more closely and also have a visiospacial memory of where certain sentences were on the page. I
I love this I am starting a course next week and the bit about articulating is so true!
What cripples many students is the outrageous tuition that universities charge. It is shameful and a disgrace to burden graduates with thousands of student debt dollars . Only in America.
What cripples many students is the outrageous tuition that universities charge. It is shameful and a disgrace to burden graduates with thousands of student loan dollars. Only in America is greed honored.
If you know that the ex spanish president aznar (with a zero english nivel, only friend of bush) gived class at Harvard university, sorry I just think that's an elite etiquette to give you a better job inside dad's business friends circle......ok the tips of this young lady are ok for motivation.
Highlighting can be very effective. If used right. And thats more difficult then most people think. You stil need to make notes in the margin. You also need to remember that highlighting is meant to make it easy to find something again. Its not to there to make you remember better.
Pretty useless overall but I do agree with written notes. I read with highlighter first then wrote notes on highlights then condensed my notes onto 1 or 2 study sheets.
Well all this is possible when your parents are not narcissistic+ no financial hardships+ you can make choices based on your interest .
17 and 18 together with source reseach and it goes with anything and everywhere..
Ugh. No no no no no! Studying is different. We are bot tought how to do it properly ever. We figure it out eventually. This is great that ut worked for her. However the oressure and privilege isn't on everyone's side. This article is not right andmisleading. Harvard is a joke and her going is not something to be proud of. She is a daughter of an author. She was pressured academically. This is so basic and not the right guidelines.
341
37