Study Tips Infographic, Habits Straight-A Students Use

Key points from the infographic

• The infographic sorts students into four learner types (visual, auditory, tactile, and reading and writing) and gives four study strategies for each.
• It lists ten tips to “study smarter not harder”, from keeping everything in order and respecting deadlines to keeping a balance between study and rest.
• It ends with four habits to avoid: being all over the place, overdoing things, being constantly distracted and studying only to remember.
• Research reviews have found little evidence that matching teaching to a preferred learning style improves results [2]. Practice testing and spacing study out over time have the strongest support [3].

The study tips infographic in text

Title: “Tips and tricks straight-A students use to study better”. Subtitle: “Useful habits to boost learning efficiency. Make the most out of your potential and perform better.”

What kind of learner are you?

• Visual learner. Learns through seeing and visualising. Prefers reading to listening. Takes notes during classes and has excellent graphic memory. Prefers to study alone and is distracted by noise.
• Auditory learner. Learns through listening and hearing. Prefers to explain things aloud. Skilled in oral reports and presentations. Prefers to study in groups and is not distracted by noise.
• Tactile learner. Learns through experiencing and doing things. Prefers a “hands-on” model of studying. Has excellent hand to eye coordination and motor memory. Prefers to study in groups.
• Reading and writing learner. Learns through reading and writing. Prefers to rewrite the material in their own words. Uses lists, bullet points and numbered paragraphs. Prefers to study alone.

Study strategies for each type of learner

• Visual. Create road maps and to do lists of your study activities. Use different colours and formatting tools to study written materials. Make flashcards, charts and handouts for verbal lectures. Watch videos and presentations on your topic.
• Auditory. Read and memorise things out loud. Record lectures and home practice to listen to later. Take part in discussions and oral activities. Listen to podcasts and audio materials on your topic.
• Tactile. Use flashcards and games to memorise things. Use exercises and activities to study, and act it out. Study in short blocks of time. Use highlighters and other tools to format texts.
• Read and write. Write out and read your notes again and again. Use lists to arrange and understand information. Revise the material through questions and answers. Translate diagrams and visual aids into words.

10 tips to study smarter not harder

1. Keep everything in order. Use a planner and digital tools to keep tasks, classes and other important events in order.
2. Respect deadlines. Stick to the schedule and submit assignments on time.
3. Be active. Communicate with your teacher, ask questions, ask for help and show interest in the topic.
4. Make it comfortable. Arrange a safe, cosy place to study, at home, outdoors or in the library.
5. Make it fun. Use flashcards and games, a colour coded system for notes, and stay optimistic.
6. Make it social. Study groups do not suit every student, but they can boost overall study efficiency.
7. Make it diverse. Add subjects that interest you, so you have something engaging to turn to when you need a break.
8. Pay attention to details. Do not turn studying into a race for marks. If a topic needs clarification, take your time over it.
9. Create a roadmap. Make a board of study objectives, split big goals into smaller to do lists and follow the plan.
10. Keep it balanced. Balance study with personal life and remember to take breaks and rest.

Ineffective habits you need to avoid

• Being all over the place. Focus on something particular rather than spreading yourself across hundreds of interests.
• Overdoing things. “Overstudying is just as bad as not studying at all.” Rest, sleep and eat well.
• Being constantly distracted. Turn off your phone, mute social media, pick a quiet place and focus on your task only.
• Studying to remember. Memorising material by heart instead of understanding it makes learning ineffective. Use exercises, do research or ask your teacher for help.

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What research says about these study tips

Learning styles. A review in Psychological Science in the Public Interest by Pashler and colleagues looked for evidence that teaching people in their preferred style (for example, visual material for a “visual learner”) improves learning. It found plenty of evidence that people state preferences, but “virtually no evidence” for the matching effect, and concluded there is no adequate evidence base for using learning styles assessments in general education [2]. The four learner types on the graphic are best read as preferences, not a reason to avoid other methods.

Which techniques work best. A 2013 review by Dunlosky and colleagues rated ten common learning techniques [3].

• High utility. Practice testing and distributed practice (spreading study over time) help learners of different ages and abilities across many kinds of test.
• Moderate utility. Elaborative interrogation, self-explanation and interleaved practice.
• Low utility. Summarisation, highlighting, the keyword mnemonic, imagery for text learning and rereading.

Several tips on the graphic fit the stronger evidence: flashcards and revising through questions and answers are forms of practice testing, and studying in short blocks and keeping a roadmap support spacing study out. Rereading notes “again and again” and highlighting texts are rated low utility, and the review suggests practice testing in place of rereading [3].

Notes on this infographic

• Learning styles. The graphic presents the four learner types as fact. Reviews have not found good evidence that matching study methods to them improves results [2].
• Rereading and highlighting. The tactile and read and write strategies include highlighting and rereading notes, which the Dunlosky review rates as low utility [3].
• Source. EssayWriter, an essay writing service, published the graphic. It cites no research.

Questions about study tips for students

What are the four types of learners?

The infographic names four learner types: visual, auditory, tactile, and reading and writing. Visual learners learn through seeing and prefer to study alone, auditory learners learn through listening and like studying in groups, tactile learners learn by doing, and reading and writing learners rewrite material in their own words. Each type gets four study strategies, such as podcasts for auditory learners.

Is there evidence that learning styles improve results?

No. A review by Pashler and colleagues in Psychological Science in the Public Interest found plenty of evidence that people state learning preferences, but "virtually no evidence" that teaching them in their preferred style improves learning [2]. It concluded there is no adequate evidence base for using learning styles assessments in general education [2]. The four learner types are best read as preferences.

What is the most effective way to study?

Practice testing and distributed practice, meaning spreading study over time, were rated high utility in a 2013 review of ten learning techniques by Dunlosky and colleagues [3]. Both help learners of different ages and abilities across many kinds of test. Flashcards and revising through questions and answers are forms of practice testing, and studying in short blocks supports spacing study out.

Is rereading notes and highlighting a good way to study?

Not according to the evidence. The 2013 Dunlosky review rated rereading and highlighting as low utility, along with summarisation, the keyword mnemonic and imagery for text learning [3]. The review suggests practice testing in place of rereading [3]. The infographic still recommends rereading notes "again and again" for read and write learners and highlighting texts for tactile learners.

Sources

1. EssayWriter, How To Become a Straight-A Student (Infographic), George Lynch, published 6 July 2020, updated 28 December 2021. The creator’s post of this graphic.
2. Pashler H, McDaniel M, Rohrer D, Bjork R, Learning Styles, Concepts and Evidence, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2008 (PubMed).
3. Dunlosky J and others, Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013 (PubMed).

Last reviewed 30 October 2026