You may be taking some general ed classes in college or are in high school rounding out your last few courses before graduating, and you may be thinking, “When will I use this material I learned in the real world?” Whether you do or not, the way you study can make an impact on your real-world skills. You may have heard of hard/technical and soft skills in the workplace, and maybe you think you harness these skills solely once you get into your career. However, it turns out, you can harness these skills here and now as you study, making any subject you invest in directly translate to your future career. In this blog, we’ll explore how these skills develop in your test prep and classroom efforts, as well as what they are. Your Peterson’s subscription gives you access to a complete course on study skills so that you can refine more than just your test-taking abilities.
What are Soft and Hard Skills?
Hard Skills
Hard skills are specific, measurable, and teachable abilities. Some examples in academic settings include mastering a precise mathematical formula, proficiency in a foreign language, understanding scientific principles, or utilizing specific software programs (e.g., spreadsheet applications for data analysis). Your study skills dramatically impact the hard skills you acquire throughout your education, as your study efforts usually determine your proficiency level in specific technical areas.
Soft Skills
Soft skills are interpersonal attributes and personal qualities that enable effective interaction with others and successful navigation of environments. These qualities are often more complex to quantify but are crucial for workplace success. Some examples in academic settings include collaboration in group projects, effective communication (verbal and written), problem-solving under pressure, and adaptability to new information or teaching styles. Soft skills often develop through the process of applying study strategies.
So, How Do These Study Skills Correlate to the Now and Beyond?
Your study skills should naturally lead to technical abilities in the subjects you take. You’ll want to apply your knowledge of the best study techniques for direct information intake and retention, so that you can use these skills in the future. In case you doubt the hard skills you may be learning in your education, here are a few general examples that may apply to you:
Examples of Technical Study Skills in Practice Now and In the Future:
Effective Note-Taking
- Could include different methods of note-taking, like Cornell, outlining, and mind mapping
- Real-world application: Effective note-taking is a key advantage in meetings in the future
Active Reading & Comprehension
- Strategies like SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review)
- Real-world application: Extracting key information and understanding complex texts (like the employee handbook) 😉
Time Management & Organization
- Creating study schedules and prioritizing tasks
- Using planners or digital tools for academic organization
- Real-world application: Key for project management and deadline adherence in the workplace
Memorization Techniques
- Spaced repetition, flashcards, mnemonics
- Real-world application: Critical complex skill of recalling specific facts and figures for when you need to show your expertise in your field
Test-Specific Strategies
- Understanding test formats (multiple choice, essay, problem-solving).
- Developing strategies for specific question types – a direct hard skill for exam success.
- Real-world application: Understanding best-fit options in your future workplace when faced with tests or decisions, the process of elimination
Soft Study Skills Now and In the Future
Below are some soft study skills that often go unnoticed but are incredibly valuable. They are advanced methods for student success that translate directly to professional growth. You may not realize it yet, but your professional career will be largely dependent on these skills in how you relate to yourself and your colleagues.
Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving
- Analyzing complex problems in math or science
- Evaluating arguments in essays or debates
- Real-world application: Strategic planning, decision-making
Resilience & Perseverance
- Overcoming academic challenges and setbacks
- Learning from mistakes during test prep
- Real-world application: Grit, bouncing back from failures
Self-Discipline & Motivation
- Sticking to a study schedule even when unmotivated
- Setting and achieving academic goals
- Real-world application: Work ethic, personal accountability
Communication Skills
- Articulating understanding in written assignments or presentations
- Asking clarifying questions in class or study groups
- Real-world application: Presenting ideas, clear written communication
Collaboration & Teamwork
- Participating effectively in group projects or study groups
- Sharing knowledge and learning from peers
- Real-world application: Working effectively in teams, collaboration, and leadership potential
Adaptability
- Adjusting study strategies based on different subjects or instructors
- Learning new material efficiently
- Real-world application: Navigating change, continuous learning
Empathy
- Relating to classmates
- Understanding people, their desires, their pain points, and their successes
- Real-world application: Empathetic individuals may make great leaders, managers, and customer service reps, leading to a more compassionate, productive, and successful organization
Combining Hard and Soft Skills for Ultimate Student Success (and Beyond!)
Mastery of both hard and soft skills in your academic journey creates a well-rounded individual, as you have a good mix of technical skills and skills that will impact how you do your work. Technical skills without soft skills may mean there’s a disconnect between you and your coworkers. Soft skills without hard skills may mean you lack the experience to get the job done effectively. Though you may not realize it, study skills for high school students and college students lay the groundwork for success in your career. In any one class or test preparation effort, you may be growing both technical and soft skills at the same time. Here are some examples of how this dual growth may play out:
Example 1: Preparing for a history exam.
- Hard Skill: Memorizing dates and events (using flashcards/spaced repetition)
- Soft Skill: Critically analyzing historical sources and forming an argument (problem-solving, critical thinking)
Example 2: Tackling a complex math problem.
- Hard Skill: Applying specific formulas and calculations
- Soft Skill: Persevering through challenges, identifying errors, seeking help when needed (resilience, communication)
The integration of hard and soft skills becomes your competitive advantage in college admissions, internships, and future careers. So, even if you don’t see the application of material in class, rest assured, you are still making progress as an individual. You’ll be able to effectively claim the technical skills in your resume, as well as your soft skills. Be sure to leverage these advanced methods for student success that extend far beyond graduation.
To recap, don’t just think of your current studies as isolated academic tasks. Every time you engage with material, every challenge you overcome, you’re not just mastering content. You are actively honing a powerful toolkit of hard and soft skills that will serve you throughout your life. By consciously refining your study skills, you’re investing in your future, building the foundational study strategies that will make you adaptable, effective, and successful in any real-world scenario. And remember, with your Peterson’s subscription, you have access to a wealth of resources to develop these crucial study skills further in our test prep and study skills courses.
