With finals coming up, lots of students are studying for exams. With studying comes study breaks. It’s important to make sure that you’re using your breaks to the best of their ability. Here are some tips to make sure you get the most out of your time off.
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Take an active break
It can be very tempting to scroll on your phone endlessly for 20 minutes, but I’m sure you’ve realized that doesn’t entirely feel like relaxation. Making a deliberate choice about how you’re going to spend your break can help you feel more relaxed. You don’t need to do anything important; even watching an episode of TV may leave you feeling more energized than 20 minutes of social media.
2. Get a snack
You’re heard it a million times, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Food is fuel for your brain. Make sure to take snack breaks frequently and choose foods that will keep your brain power up while you work to help you stay energized during those long study sessions.
3. Go to bed
It can be disheartening to struggle with difficult material. However, everyone reaches a point where they can’t study anymore. If you’ve been re-reading the same page for an hour, it might be time to call it quits. An extra hour of sleep will do you more good than staring at words you’re too tired to read.
4. Teach the material
One of the best ways to absorb new information is to teach it to others. Take a break from reading your notes, pretend you’ve got a class in front of you, and explain to them the coursework you’re studying. This will help you catch gaps in your own knowledge, and explaining the information out loud will help you to remember it later.
5. Set timers
Make sure to keep track of how long you’ve been studying (and how long you’ve been taking a break)! Plan how long you want to study/break ahead of time and set timers to keep yourself on track.
Before you know it, another season of finals will be over with! Keep working hard—you’ve got this!