As another school year begins, it’s a great time to think about your academic goals and how you will work toward achieving them. Whether you’re feeling excited for the year ahead or nervous, unmotivated, or stressed out, it can help to take inspiration from people who love to learn.
And when it comes to studying, who better to take inspiration from than Hermione Granger, our favorite A+ student from J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series?
A top student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hermione is a Logistician (ISTJ) personality type who loves school. Enthusiastic and perfectionistic, Hermione may have a bit of a reputation as a know-it-all, but she is motivated by a genuine desire to learn. She is curious about the world around her, she enjoys challenging herself, and she sets high standards when it comes to studying.
Are you a Logistician like Hermione? Take our free personality test to find out.
If you want to get a strong start to the school year, no matter your personality type, here are seven tips based on Hermione’s tried-and-true study strategies.
1. Set a Schedule
Logisticians are the most likely personality types to say that they like having a routine they do not deviate from and that they usually try to complete tasks long before they’re due.
One of Hermione’s go-to study strategies is to create a daily schedule for when she’ll work on each of her classes. As a Judging personality type and a Sentinel, Hermione is comfortable with routine, and she excels at planning and organizing. She uses a homework planner to keep track of her schedule and organizes it with color-coding, specific details, and plenty of reminders.
For some people, especially Prospecting personality types, the idea of following a strict study schedule may remind you of that time Ron accidentally hit himself with a Slug-Vomiting Charm. (Not so fun.) If this sounds like you, we recommend starting small. Rather than scheduling every hour of every day, focus on planning study time for just a couple of classes.
For example, if you frequently procrastinate on one class in particular, schedule a specific time every day to dedicate to it. If it becomes part of your regular routine, you’ll get used to dealing with it efficiently, and eventually, it will feel less like a chore.
Or if you have a really challenging class, block out some larger chunks of time throughout the week to focus solely on that class. Breaking up your study sessions can make the course seem less overwhelming and can help ensure that you’re allowing enough time to cover the most important material.
2. Practice, Practice, Practice
Of all the personality types, Logisticians are the most likely to say that success is primarily determined by hard work, as opposed to talent or belief in yourself.
There is no denying that Hermione is an intelligent, naturally talented witch. But as a Logistician, she would probably attribute her academic success to something else: her work ethic.
Hermione is an exceptionally thorough and tireless studier. Before even arriving at Hogwarts as a first-year student, Hermione tells Harry and Ron on the train, “I’ve learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough.” Throughout her time at school, she is constantly reviewing her books and notes, practicing spells, quizzing herself, and then doing it all again for good measure. If something doesn’t come naturally to her, she just works all the harder until she’s nailed it.
While we don’t recommend trying to memorize your textbooks or going overboard with your studying, Hermione offers an example of a strong work ethic. Her classmates often wonder why she studies so hard when she already seems to know the material better than anyone else. But Hermione knows that to learn something – to really understand it and retain it over the long term – often takes extended focus, repetition, practice, and patience.
Another important aspect of Hermione’s work ethic is that she’s not afraid to ask questions and seek help when she needs it – which brings us to our next tip.
3. When in Doubt, Go to the Library
Logisticians are more likely than other Observant personality types to say they spend a significant amount of their free time researching things.
When Hermione can’t find an answer to a question, her first impulse is often to go to the library. When she wants to double-check a fact or investigate an idea, she goes to the library. And when she just wants a quiet place to focus, away from the bustle and high jinks of the Gryffindor common room, she goes to – you guessed it – the library.
As tempting and easy as it is for students nowadays to turn to the internet for many of these needs, libraries offer distinct advantages. In school libraries in particular, the resources are academically oriented, and they’ve been vetted for credibility, accuracy, and trustworthiness. If you’re not sure where to find something specific or don’t even know where to begin, librarians are an invaluable resource. (Seriously, ask your librarian questions – they love to help!)
And whether you’re studying with others or alone, there’s something about being surrounded by books and busy classmates that can be both motivating and comforting, lending a certain feeling that we’re all in this together.
What if physically going to the library isn’t an option? You might have schedule conflicts, or maybe you’re learning remotely. (And most of us don’t have invisibility cloaks for sneaking in after hours.) In that case, be sure to get familiar with your school’s digital and online resources – e-books, electronic journals, digital databases, and more – which you may be able to access from home using your school account. If you’re not sure where to find these resources or how to access them, ask a librarian for assistance. They might be able to point you to other freely available, high-quality online resources too.
4. Read (for Fun!)
Among Observant personality types, Logisticians are the most likely to agree that they are avid book readers.
Even when she’s not doing schoolwork, Hermione loves to read. She has a habit of checking out thousand-page volumes from the library for what she calls “a bit of light reading.” Reading for pleasure can be its own form of self-directed learning. It stimulates our curiosity, introduces us to new ideas, and helps us discover new interests.
Whether you’re exploring nonfiction books or articles on topics that interest you or diving into novels or other forms of fiction, reading for fun can complement and enhance your learning. It’s a great way to learn more about topics that you’ve studied in class as well as topics that your classes don’t cover.
Reading can also help improve your writing by exposing you to different writing styles and new vocabulary words. Often, reading inspires connections between different subjects that you might not otherwise see, which can make your research papers or other school projects more interesting.
Of course, reading on your own can also add some fun and creativity to a school routine that might sometimes feel repetitive or less than exciting.
5. Join a (Reliable) Study Group
71% of Logisticians say they think that learning with other people is more often distracting than it is helpful, a significantly higher percentage than other Observant personality types.
Introverted, Thinking personality types like Hermione tend to prefer studying solo. But joining a reliable study group can be beneficial, and even Hermione occasionally opts to study in small groups. This can be especially useful when you’ve got a heavy workload, a difficult course, or a big test coming up.
Study groups can also be helpful during times when you feel that your education is lacking something. Maybe a teacher isn’t spending enough time on certain topics in class, or perhaps you’re learning remotely and feel that the experience leaves something to be desired. Sometimes you have to step up and take your education into your own hands, like Hermione did when she started a secret study group (a.k.a. Dumbledore’s Army) to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts properly in her fifth year, after Professor Umbridge banned students from practicing spells.
Whether you’re gathered around the common room fireplace or in front of your webcams for a virtual study session, study groups can help you review material more efficiently and thoroughly than you can on your own. Study groups tend to work best when they’re well organized and when every member is committed to focusing on the task at hand.
We suggest agreeing to some basic guidelines right from the start, like when and how long the group will meet and what each person’s responsibilities will be. For example, if you’re studying for an exam, each person could bring notes on a different section of the material to share and discuss with the group. That way, each individual is responsible for less work, and everyone still gets to review all the material.
If you’re like Hermione and don’t feel completely comfortable studying in groups, you might be tempted to take charge of everything or do most of the work yourself. Keep in mind that, ideally, the work should be shared equally among each member of the group, and it’s okay to let other people take the lead. Collaborating with others is an important skill to learn.
6. Try Teaching Someone Else
Most Logisticians (76%) agree that they enjoy teaching or mentoring others, although they are notably less likely than other Sentinel personality types to agree.
Have you heard the saying that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else? Well, it’s true! Of course, it helps if you already have a solid understanding of the material. But if you really want to master it, try teaching it to someone else.
If you’ve ever wondered why Hermione spends as much time as she does helping Harry and Ron with their schoolwork, we suspect that this is one of the reasons. Even though Logisticians tend to be less interested than other Sentinel personalities in teaching, Hermione takes it as an opportunity to help her friends and brush up on her own knowledge at the same time.
To be clear, we don’t condone doing someone else’s homework for them. But activities like these can be great ways to enhance your own learning:
- guiding a classmate step-by-step through how to solve a complex math problem
- explaining a passage in a reading assignment
- demonstrating a tricky step in a lab experiment
- offering feedback on an essay
- leading a review session for an exam
Teaching a concept or process to someone else can help reinforce what you’ve learned and sharpen the areas where you still need a little more practice.
7. Learn Your Limits and Take Time to Relax
At 74%, Logisticians are the least likely of all personality types to say they always try to devote some time to simply having fun.
Logistician personalities value responsibility and productivity, and for some, taking time to relax and have fun can feel uncomfortable.
For Hermione, one of the benefits of following a daily study schedule is that it allows her some time at the end of the day to relax and unwind. Many are the nights when we see Harry and Ron working into the wee hours, desperately trying to finish their homework, while Hermione sits happily by the fire reading, chatting with friends, or knitting hats and socks for house elves.
If you’re overwhelmed by your classes and other school, work, or personal commitments, and you feel like the only way you could get everything done is by using Hermione’s Time-Turner to turn back the clock and buy yourself a few extra hours – well, you’re probably doing too much.
It’s great to study hard and be a dedicated student, but balance is important. Taking breaks and setting aside time for fun and relaxation is good for your mental health. It can also help you return to your studies feeling refreshed and focused. If you have too much on your plate, we suggest talking to a counselor, advisor, or trusted teacher who can help you find solutions.
Remember, even Hermione had to draw the line somewhere and drop a course to make her workload more reasonable. (And that line went right through the tea leaves and crystal balls of Professor Trelawney’s Divination class.)
Happy Studying!
Are you feeling inspired to start the school year studying like Hermione? That’s great!
Depending on your personality type, some of these tips might be just what you need, and others might not be a good fit for you. We recommend trying them out, adjusting them as needed to suit your personality traits, and sticking with the ones that make studying easier, more manageable, or more successful for you.
Best wishes for a successful school year!
Do you have other study tips you’d like to recommend to our community? Share them in the comments below!
Further Reading
- When you’re feeling stressed and unfocused, taking a day off can make a difference. For tips and suggestions, check out our article “How to Take a Mental Health Day for Your Personality Type.”
- If you’re a college or university student unsure of what to study, we’ve got some advice on how (not) to choose a major.
- Think you don’t need to study to succeed? You’re not alone. See our research on which personality types prefer to skip studying.
- Our Premium Profiles offer even more guidance about your academic path, including how your personality type learns best and how to develop healthy academic habits.
- Want to learn a whole lot more about Logisticians and their study habits? Our Logistician e-book has a full chapter dedicated to their academic path, from high school to college to lifelong learning.