I just commented this in another thread, but I highly, highly recommend the free Coursera course Learning How To Learn.
In particular, I found that the following worked especially well for me:
* Emphasis on balance between focus and diffuse mode: taking a walk or exercising after a focused study session.
* Spaced repetition: Anki works wonders. Reviewing notes multiple times is also tremendous.
* Sleep: ignored the importance of this for so long, but it helps so much.
I made it through undergrad without these, but applying these and the other lessons from the course in my post-graduate classes felt like magic. The results (both in understanding gained and grades) were completely different.
In particular, I found that the following worked especially well for me:
* Emphasis on balance between focus and diffuse mode: taking a walk or exercising after a focused study session.
* Spaced repetition: Anki works wonders. Reviewing notes multiple times is also tremendous.
* Sleep: ignored the importance of this for so long, but it helps so much.
I made it through undergrad without these, but applying these and the other lessons from the course in my post-graduate classes felt like magic. The results (both in understanding gained and grades) were completely different.