1) MAKE A SCHEDULE

"How can you follow a strict schedule?"

2) DON'T CRAM

This goes hand-in-hand with what I stated above, scheduling. You've probably heard this a million times before, but cramming does nothing for you. It only leads to stress, and 

studying + stress = burnout. 

Try to plan out your time so that you start studying far in advance. Make your study load heavier early in the exam season because you will get tired of studying! Having fewer chapters to study closer to the exam date will be a huge weight lifted off your back! Make the day before the exam a review day! Don't spend that day studying the entire course! Remember, it's not about studying hard, it's about studying smart. 

3) PRACTICE QUESTIONS & FLASHCARDS

The more times we see something, the better our brain is at remembering it. This is why cramming will not help. You want to study in advance and review everything you've studied already each day. Seeing a definition or concept multiple times will help you remember it way better than if you cram. To do this, flashcards are a great way to go! Flashcards made by hand can work really well, but may take a lot more time if your notes are typed out. I love Quizlet, it's a great way for you to not only make flashcards, but turn those flashcards into multiple choice questions, true and false questions, games and more. It's a great method that I like to use when it comes to formulas and terms - things I need to memorize.

Also, use the resources given to you! Textbooks have a bunch of review questions and you can find so many online! Use these resources so that you can learn to apply what you've studied. Knowing a term is one thing, but comparing that term with similar terms, or knowing how to set it apart from similar terms is what will help you succeed. Nowadays, teachers/professors are no longer testing students on memorization. There's a lot more case questions and such, that require the student to know more than just the definition of words.

4) PUT IN TIME FOR GOD

رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

Please share and leave your feedback below, Jazak'Allah!

1. Five Daily Prayers: Allah has given us timings that divide up our day so well. Fajr, (usually around 5AM or 6AM) is a great time to start our day. We can wake up, pray, and start the day by pleasing Allah and praying for a good day. Also, we can get done any homework assignment or task we have yet to do. Did you know that our brain cells are more alert at the break of dawn? Not only do we wake up with a fresh mind, but we also have minimal distractions at this time. Zuhr, is usually around 1:30PM, this being lunch time for students and working men/women, is ideal to pray and eat lunch. Asr, which is usually around 4-5PM is a time that most students and working men/women come home. This allows us to freshen up, and pray before starting homework or other tasks. Maghrib, falls around 6-7PM, which can be the time for us to take a break from studying or other tasks, and perhaps pray, and then eat dinner with the family. Then comes Ishaa at around 8-9PM, which can easily be read before going to sleep. By sleeping at this time, instead of studying till midnight, we can ensure that we wake up for Fajr, as well as get our work done in the morning. This is why, we should create our schedule around these prayers, they allow us to get more done, while accomplishing our purpose in life. 
   
   
   
2. Monthly Schedule: For the most part, we know the due dates of our assignments, exam dates, and Jamaat event dates far in advance. This is why, having a planner or organizer is a great way to ensure that we have all of these important dates marked down. This way, we can have assignments done in advance, if we know that the assignment date and an event date clash. This is a great way to attend Jamaat events to gain knowledge, yet not fall behind on assignments. 
   
   
   
3. Time Management: We must remember that most events at Masjid take around 2-3 hours. In these 2-3 hours, we not only get to learn something new, but we can also pray and socialize in order to keep our bond with the community. Now, if we make the excuse of not attending an event because we need this time to study and get other stuff done, we don't have our priorities straight. These 2-3 hours, when we are at home, can easily be spent watching TV or movies, talking to a friend, scrolling through social media etc. but we won't care. So why don't we give up these things that could easily add up to 2-3 hours and not benefit us, instead of the event that would add up to around the same time? Attending the Jamaat events is not only going to bring us closer to the Jamaat and Khilafat, but it will also help us build a stronger relationship with our Creator. So these 2-3 hours will in fact be an investment in the life to come, and not wasted at all.
4. MSA & AMSA: I remember when I was in highschool, I spent around 6-7 hours there, 5 days a week. I was blessed with a Muslim Students Association (MSA), that had many services offered during school, allowing me to continue building on my spiritual life at school. On Friday's, Jumaah would be offered, and teachers had to grant any student that wanted to go pray, the permission for this short time. I would attend the Jumaah, listen to the Khutba which was very informative, and then not read Jumaah (behind the non-Ahmadi Imam), instead offer Zuhr (and/or Asr prayer). Also, MSA held several fundraising events, allowing me to give back to the community, and this was a great way to earn blessings. Later, in University, I joined the Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association (AMSA), which is an amazing blessing at University. I not only got to meet many amazing Ahmadis from different Masjids, but now some of my closest friends are Lajna from other cities, which was a blessing when I started University not knowing many people who attended! Also, Jumaah is offered to the Lajna and Khuddam, enabling us to pray it, despite being at University at the time. Also, it has been a great platform for Tabligh, whether this be information tables or the organization of events, it has allowed me to gain so much valuable knowledge and share the teachings of Ahmadiyyat with others. I honestly believe that AMSA has been a blessing for me to keep a strong link with the Jamaat even while being at University. Moreover, the girls that I have met, don't bring me away from the Jamaat. Instead, when we're together, we go and pray together, and keep each other connected to Ahmadiyyat and on the right path. It's groups and opportunities like these that will help us in this life and the life to come.
   
   
   
5. Prayer Areas: Most schools and universities have an area assigned for praying. I know at my University, there are prayer areas set up in libraries and other buildings, with prayer rugs available at all times for Muslims to go and pray. This has been a blessing for me with my lengthy University hours. It allows me to pray whenever I have time, in between classes, and not miss any of these prayers despite being at school. One thing I've realized is that the peace I get when I pray at school is different than when I pray at home. I'm more focused, and more relaxed. Perhaps this is because I set aside all of my school-related worries momentarily, to worship my Creator. Whereas, at home, it's not always as quiet, and there are many distractions. 
   
   
   
6. Importance: I can give you many techniques, but the truth is, it all comes down to what we give more importance to. Remember, this life is a droplet, in the ocean that is the Hereafter. When we die, our education and careers won't be of any concern to Allah, instead it will be our prayers, our Tilawat, our good deeds etc. We must realize that, yes, an education and career can be important in a world that revolves around money. However, when we pray and develop a strong bond with Allah, our education and career will be blessed by Allah. As I've grown up, I've realized that my average in school has always been around the same, since the start of high school until now, and when I got closer to Allah, and started spending more time praying and attending/organizing Jamaat events, it reduced the time I was able to give to my education, however, my average didn't go down. Alhamdulillah! Meaning, Allah blessed my education, with marks that I may or may not have deserved.