Study habits are learning tendencies that enable students work privately. Study habits are defined as those techniques such as summarizing, note taking, outlining or locating materials which learners employ to assist themselves in the efficient leaning of the materials which is at hand. The term “Study habits” implies a sort of more or less permanent method of studying. According to Good’s dictionary of education, “Study habits are the tendency of students to study when the opportunities are given.

In the era of globalization and technological revolution, education is considered as a first step for every human activity. It plays a vital role in the development of human capital and is linked with an individual well – being and opportunities for better living. It ensures the acquisition of knowledge and skills that enable individuals to increase in their productivity and improve in their quality of life.

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Success as the name implies is wished for by everybody but it does not easily come by on a mere platter of gold; one must work for it through hard work and diligence. Schools, colleges, polytechnics and universities have no worth without student. The social and economic development of a country is directly linked with student academic performance; the desire of success is derived from individual’s concept of himself and in term of the meaning of various incentives as they spell success and failure in the eyes of others.

Learning is a very important personal matter and there isn’t one study habit that works for every situation. An individual student has to take more responsibility to acquire the desired knowledge to develop positive values, critical thinking, attitudes and skills.

Effective study skills and strategies are opportunities to approach learning tasks systematically and independently. Practicing good study habits is the key to becoming smarter and achieving success in school.

Paivio (2000) noted that habits of study, which are formed in school, have greater significance and students must realize the need to acquire these effective study habits. Effective studying will help students to prepare schoolwork in less time to achieve greater degree of mastery of the lesson. Students who study effectively and efficiently utilize methods of learning which aid the acquisition, retention, application of knowledge, facts and information from textbook and class discussion, lectures and other resources.

According to Pascual (2001), Study skills/ habits or study strategies are approaches applied to learning. They are generally critical to success in school, are considered essential for acquiring good grades, and are useful for learning throughout one’s life. There are arrays of study skills, which may tackle the process of organizing and taking in new information, retaining information, or dealing with assessments. They include mnemonic, which aid the retention of lists of information, effective reading and concentration techniques, as well as efficient note taking. Effective study habits are often up to the students and their support, however there is an evidence that they are increasingly taught at Secondary Schools and university levels. The researchers believe that the development of study habits helps a person become successful and productive.

Study habits are said to be improving because of the advents and wide use of the Internet, hypertext, and multimedia resources which greatly affect the study habits (Liu, 2005). Karin and Hassan (2006) also noted that the exponential growth digital information, which changes the way students perceive studying and with printed materials that are to be used in facilitating study. Liu (2005) and Ramirez (2003) report that students print material from the Internet in order to study and read later on. Igun (2005) also found that Nigerians study from materials downloaded from the Internet. Reading is an attempt to absorb the thought of the author and know what the author is conveying (Leedy, 1956). Studying is the interpretation of reading materials. Study habits and skills are particularly important for college students, whose needs includes time management, note taking, Internet skills, the elimination of distraction, and assigning a high priority of study. Fielden (2004) states that good habits helps the students in critical reflection in skills outcomes such as selecting, analyzing, criticizing, and synthesizing. Nneji (2002) states that study habits are learning tendencies that enable students to work.