It’s that time again, the real spooky season. Midterms are right around the corner, and that could involve exams, essays or a combination of both. Pinterest boards and motivational Instagrams are flooding with tips and tricks, and even aesthetically pleasing pictures of study habits that you might be tempted to copy to be just as happy as the girls in the photos. But I’m here to tell you that those strategies being boasted on social media really are not for everyone, and frankly, are tailored for views and follows instead of actually being helpful for a majority of students. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
1. The problem with listening to music while you study
There are so many study/chill Lo-Fi playlists on YouTube that look and sounds so peaceful. And yes, studying might be the only time you ever pull one of them up, but music, especially the Lo-Fi branded for studying, is carefully created to be enjoyed, not as a backdrop to Calculus! You might find yourself consciously (or even subconsciously) focusing on the music and not notice it until you’re halfway through your textbook chapter and realize you have not digested it as well as you could have. If you are resorting to music to cancel out noise in your study space, or to fill a boring silence, white noise might be helpful since it has no tune for your mind to follow and potentially get distracted.
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2. The problem with the Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro study technique is super popular and all over social media. There are even YouTube study-with-me videos that utilize it. Basically, you study/work for 25 minutes, then take a break for five, and repeat as long as you need to. While the technique advertises that it is easier to focus for smaller chunks of time, and treat yourself with breaks, there are two problems I’ve discovered with it. First, I find that working hard and intensely for a small period of time will not be as effective as working for a longer period of time, and then treating myself with a longer break where I can actually do something for myself, like apply a face mask. Personally, I am able to crank out meaningful work when I am fully engrossed, and only produce the bare minimum when working for tiny amounts of time. Also, I know that I, and many other tech-savvy girls can’t just spend five minutes on an app. Even if you spend your five minutes resting your eyes or slumping back on your bed, it is super hard to get up from that. Even worse, the fact that you have to leave your comfy pillows might make you cranky and resentful towards your studying, which will just make the process more dreadful than it is. As Newton said, “a body in motion stays in motion, while a body in rest stays in rest.” You just can’t beat science.
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3. The problem with social media motivation
While it’s safe to assume that we all follow study motivation accounts and even watch study-with-me videos to convince ourselves about how effortless and fun studying can be, it’s very easy to feel inadequate as a result of investing thought into them. Truthfully, I see some posts with beautiful class notes of watch timelapses of fellow students studying for five consecutive hours. I set similar goals for myself and when I approach my work a different way, I feel unaccomplished or bad for not doing it the “right” or popular way. Basically, you could be setting the study bar too high for yourself, and feel unachieved when you don’t reach it, then feel unprepared or unsure as you walk into your exam. Remember, social media posts and videos about studying are curated for views!
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The moral of the story is, however engaging or convicining study tips on social media or articles seem, they are not tried and true for everyone. TBH, this article might seem totally wrong to some people, and that’s fine. What’s important is getting over that part of you that wants to study aesthetically because it seems more fun, and study your way, however boring, for your grades. It’s your grades, your degree, your tuition, so don’t let wanting to fit in with the social media crowd slip you up from your goals. Study a way you know works for you, collegiettes!