The semester is nearly over, but it feels as though there is so much to do (and so much due) in a very short period of time. Even though we’re almost at the finish line, I’ve been finding it pretty difficult to motivate myself to do work, let alone concentrate for more than 5 minutes. But one thing’s for sure, I actually do care about my academics, so here are 5 very weird but very effective study tips I’ve recently come up with. I recommend you only use these for when you’re extremely desperate to be productive and have already tried everything else.
1. Give your friend $100, and if you don’t finish your work by a certain time, it’s theirs. When $100 is put on the line, suddenly nothing else matters and you will do whatever work you need to do. Speaking as a broke college student, I can confirm that this is very effective.
2. Do a Skunk Lap. The Skunk Lap is one of the rules in beer pong, the classic drinking game. Urban Dictionary explains it as, “when one must run a naked lap in beer pong due to the fact that the other team ended the game without having to drink any cups.” A friend of mine suggested that this “punishment” can be applied to situations outside of beer pong, e.g. making sure you finish studying everything you intended to. One sure way to motivate yourself is through fear and embarrassment—no one wants to run around naked on campus. But as bizarre as this sounds, it has been done! (I witnessed two of my friends do it.) According to Yikyak, popular spots include around Pearsons, and around lower lake.
3. Reward yourself with candy. If you’re trying to get through a boring textbook, take it a paragraph at a time or a page at a time. Use your favorite candy for incentive. Place an M&M or gummy bear or whatever you want after each paragraph, and every time you reach one you get to eat it!
4. Do your reading out loud and do an accent. I was reading an Argentinian play about military dictatorship during the Dirty War (a very fun, exciting topic) for my Spanish class, and I think the only reason I made it through was because I read it out loud in an Argentinian accent. (If this example doesn’t make sense, another example is reading Huck Finn out loud in a Southern accent.) You will look and feel dumb while doing this and there is a good chance your roommate will judge you, but I promise it will help you get into the story and of course finish reading.
5. For history and anthropology, watch a documentary on the topic. This is a pretty normal tip, but as a Romance Languages & Cultures major, I do a lot of cultural anthropology and art history and I’ve found that watching a documentary on your paper’s topic on is super helpful. It allows you to get even more interested and engaged. You’ll care a lot more about what you’re writing and form better arguments.
There are so many great ways to make studying both bearable and fun, the options are endless! Use your friends to keep you accountable, and do whatever it takes to motivate yourself, but please also keep in mind that your grades don’t define you. Don’t be so hard on yourself and have fun learning!
Best of luck with finals!
If you would like to write for Her Campus Mount Holyoke, or if you have any questions or comments for us, please email mt-holyoke@hercampus.com.