Dedicating a set amount of time to finishing assignments is one of the hardest things to learn in college. Half the battle is having a consistent routine of studying, but small things like improving the look of your desk area or using colourful pens can boost your motivation levels. So if you find yourself constantly unmotivated to write essays, grab your notepad and take a seat. I’m going to tell you four ways to make your study so aesthetically pleasing you won’t be able to resist finishing your assignments on time.
Look for inspo online
Pinterest is every aesthetic girl’s best friend. Scroll the endless pages with keywords like ‘study’ or ‘aesthetic notes’ to find endless inspiration. Many will link to study gram profiles – Instagram accounts dedicated to posting studying tips and which often go all-in in notetaking designs. There are an infinite amount of them, my personal favourites are @studywithqiuls, @studywithnali and @redlitmusbluelitmus. Some users also have YouTube channels where they upload note taking methods and ‘How I Take Notes’ videos. Dive in!
Notes
Everyone knows that one kid in secondary school who had pens of every colour and drew complex diagrams to illustrate their notes. Whether you lean towards physical or digital note taking methods in college, there are many ways in which you can make them more pleasant to look at.
For the digital gals, try OneNote and Notion (my personal favourite). You will find endless tutorials on how to manoeuvre both of them online. As a summary, OneNote is perfect to take your actual notes in lectures and Notion to organise your whole life (basically). Notion gives you many tools to customise your pages, allowing you to create infinite tables and calendars so you won’t forget your deadlines. From colours to imported images, it allows users to choose widgets to create whole student dashboards. OneNote is a little less customizable, but I find its simpler design allows me to locate and organise notes better, resembling the design of the physical binder.
If you prefer physical notetaking, go wild on colours and stickers. Again, look for YouTube tutorials and Pinterest ideas. There is nothing more satisfying than looking at a notebook with a whole colour palette.
Organize your study space
For many, having their own study space at home can be a challenge. Make the best out of what you got. Be it a small table or a desk, having a productive, organised space to sit down will help you focus on your tasks. I personally find the simpler the better, but if you’re not afraid to be distracted, set up your pens in organisers, hang some fairy lights, (like these gorgeous ones from Amazon) and enjoy the late-night study sessions. Choosing a colour palette can be a great option so as not to get overwhelmed. And remember: the idea is to make you more productive, so prioritise efficiency and convenience.
Playlists
This is my favourite one. Grab your preferred music App and build your own go-to playlist for studying. Listening to the same songs whenever you’re studying will train your brain to get into a focused mindset easier. Several studies have shown that music helps the brain process information easier, so try this out. Just try staying out of songs with lyrics – you’ll start humming along and get distracted from your work. Classical music is perfect for this! If you’re lazy like me, look for playlists already made by other users. Go wild with them and enjoy your studies!