When I sit down to do homework, I want to leave knowing I have accomplished something. Not the inevitable loop of looking at a blank Google Doc for hours on end, with nothing to show for the hours I have put into studying. Therefore, I had to master the art of locking in.
Your phone is not your friend
I have found that when I have my phone near me while I am working, the inevitable questions come up.
“Did he text me?”
“What are my friends doing? Let me check their location.”
“Is it too early to start planning my Halloween costumes? Let me look.”
“What is that one random person from my middle school up to? I should check on them.”
While all these seem like the most important thing at the moment, they are not helping me lock in. So, my phone is not my friend.
The best I can do for myself is enter a long-distance relationship with my phone. I place it as far away from me as possible. Sometimes I put it in my bag, shove it in a drawer, or put it in a separate room, depending on where I am.
Now, long-distance relationships can be a big commitment. Even overwhelming at times, usually to the point that I cannot part with my phone. To ease my anxiety, I set a timer, ranging anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours. I set it for a time that I can conceptualize as easy to handle. When the timer goes off, I allow myself to check my phone — we are reunited!
But sometimes the timer gets boring and loses its motivating power. To make my lock-in session more enjoyable, I have found apps that lock me out of my phone and give me “rewards” if I stay off my phone for a certain amount of time. For example, “Plantie” gives you a virtual plant that you can grow by staying off your phone (unfortunately, this has been the only plant that I have been able to keep alive). If I am feeling like a sweet treat would inspire me, “Bakery” bakes you a virtual dessert while you study.
I have found that staying off my phone has helped me get words on the page, and that the assignment looks a little less blank.
Work with the clock, not against it
The usage of timers and giving myself breaks has also taught me to work with the clock, not against it. Guess what, not everyone is a night owl. Throughout my academic experience, I have found that focusing and trying to do work late at night is not an option for me. So, productive lock-in sessions, late at night, cannot happen for me, not without an unhealthy amount of energy drinks. Therefore, I have found times in my day, in between classes, during my lunch break, or when I get up in the morning before my first class, are the best times for me to focus. I have found this to be a better alternative than forcing my brain to work when it is already thinking it should be asleep.
Location, location, location
Not only does my brain go into relaxation mode late at night, but also when I am in my dorm. Let’s face it, when I’m at the desk in my dorm with my bed merely one flop away… I am not locking in. A nap needs to be the last thing on my mind. I have found that location is essential to locking in and changing location helps me lock in longer.
I prefer certain locations for different tasks.
If I need to read, I prefer the library. Even though I’m usually reading on my computer, I like to surround myself with books to get the full essence of reading. I also like a quieter environment to help me comprehend the words on the page.
If I have a more creative assignment, I go to the pub on campus, or a café. I find that being surrounded by people helps spark my creativity. Overhearing random bits of conversation gets me thinking or at least giggling to myself.
When the weather is nice, I like to work outside. My productivity seems to photosynthesize. Sunshine is my ultimate lock-in tool.
Rotating locations for each assignment has helped me continue my lock-in session for longer. Walking from one location to the other gives my brain the break it needs. And I’m able to trick myself into thinking that I have been working for less time than I have been, which motivates me to complete more of my tasks.
The buddy-study
The best part of studying in different locations is studying with my friends! Studying with a buddy isn’t for everyone, but I have found it to be a wonderful way to spend more time with my friends and have someone to hold me accountable. When someone else is working next to me, it sparks my motivation to work.
I used to think in order to study with someone, we had to be working on the same assignment, but in reality, especially for a lock-in session, it’s best if we are working on different things. I’ve gotten the most work done next to my Occupational Therapy, Exercise Science, and Screenwriting friends, people who are nowhere near my major. We tend to go into our own little worlds and leave our sessions knowing that we accomplished something.
Set the mood/your aesthetic
“Why do you write like you’re running out of time?” as Eliza Hamilton would say, whether I am writing, calculating, memorizing, or studying, I become Alexander Hamilton, writing the Federalist Papers.
This is going to sound ridiculous, but hear me out: in order to study, I pretend. I play dress-up to lock in. I think of my favorite nerdy character, Rory Gilmore, or on certain days, I pretend I am Carrie Bradshaw, writing her column in her apartment.I pretend to be them while I study. WWRGD, what would Rory Gilmore do? I ask myself this question anytime I want to stop working.
I usually use this method when my study-buddies are unavailable. Two is a crowd in my imagination.
If pretending to be a character is too much, I like to put myself in a studying mood. I put on my glasses, which I really should be wearing more often, and play café jazz music or instrumental oldies, usually accompanied by a warm coffee. This makes studying feel more like a daydream than actual work.
Make a plan when you don’t even have a plan
When I am in the mood where I absolutely do not want to do any work or I am so overwhelmed that I have no idea where to begin, I write out my plan of attack. Now, I have found this plan does not have to be written on some Pinterest-worthy agenda. Honestly, in desperate times, I have written this plan on a crumpled receipt, that by no means would go up on the feed. I have found the simple act of checking off boxes to be a huge motivator, so I write out exactly what I have to get done. It is helpful for me to cross off the simplest task, such as getting out a computer. The simple check of the box starts the productivity train.
Through procrastination, all-nighters, breakdowns, and last-minute emails to my professors begging for an extension, I have been on a journey trying to master my lock-in techniques. I can now say that after using these tools, my studying sessions have become a lot more productive. These methods have made me feel like I can enjoy my time doing work, and I find myself often looking forward to it.