Cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Instagram have all become major distractions when it comes to students’ studying habits.

With the start of second semester; practicing good studying techniques can help ensure success in the future.

A survey from Psych Central shows that a lot of students have a problem with shrugging off their notes in class and then expecting their homework to be a piece of cake. Try to know most of the material and come to school with only a couple of clarifying questions the next day.

“Be focused in class and make sure that you know at least 95 percent of the material from the lesson so that you don’t get too frustrated at home,” math teacher Monique Vaswig said.

According to the Psychology Today website, you should try your hardest to review your notes everyday or at least every other day. Do not get into the mind set that you can always put off studying until tomorrow because then you are only giving yourself less time for review.

“Studying is extremely important, but unfortunately I don’t do it enough,” sophomore Christina Nelson said.

Time is an important factor. Psychology Today has many surveys that show that students claim to study all night the day before a test, but studying in short bursts every single day has shown to be a more effective way of studying.

“When I learn that I have a test coming up I always forget to study until the night before,” sophomore Johnathan Kang said.

Find a good study technique that works for you. Vaswig suggests to have a study partner and make sure that both of you know how to do most of the material. Not every technique works for everybody. Try different methods.

“I read and hope that it sticks in my brain,” Nelson said.

Try flash cards or writing your own review questions. Get creative. The Psych Central website suggests any form of studying because it can help as long as you are consistent with it and keep in the habit of it. The more fun you have while reviewing for a test, the less negativity you will have while studying.

“I have always found studying to be very boring. When I am told to study, I don’t think much of it. I only study to get it over with,” Kang said.

The difficulty of your classes can also play a role in how often and how hard you should study. AP students should strive to study every single day. However, regular level class students should have good study habits too.

“Upper levels of kids, like AP, should be more apt to have a drive to study,” Vaswig said.

Especially with how much technology is now available, students have even more distractions from their school work.

“Facebook, my phone, anything around me is a distraction because I am very easily distracted,” Kang said.

The Psych Central websites advises to have good self discipline and pull yourself away from the electronics for a few minutes every night.

“Do not multitask, set aside all phones, computers and turn the TV off. Set aside time for all that stuff after you are done and focus on your notes,” Vaswig said.

Psychologists from Psych Central have done studies to provide information that proves that people can only focus on one thing at a time. They would suggest that you make studying an everyday, distraction free, priority.

“Studying is hugely important and every student should want to focus on their school work to be successful in the future,” Vaswig said.