Whether you’re just starting at your university of choice or you’ve been going to school for years, you’ve probably experienced the 25-hour day. Tests, papers, projects, and reading, we all know how it piles up.
Fortunately, there are ways to check off every box on your to-do list, no matter how long it is. Read on and you’ll find a few helpful tips on how to survive some of the most stressful times in college. Let’s imagine a typical day in the life of an undergrad: you wake up late (of course), to the realization that EVERYTHING is due tomorrow. You have 200 pages of reading, a paper you’ve only done an outline for, and a major test in a subject that’s really difficult. Your first thought is oh crap! What am I going to do? The most important thing is not to freak out. Stressing out before you have even started your work will only make things worse.
Step one is to prioritize: what needs to get done first? I find it much easier to study when I take things in small portions. For example, you may want to start out by drafting a PowerPoint or outline of information for your project. Then move on to reading: do fifty pages at a time, highlighting and annotating the relevant sections that you think your professor will point out in class. Unless the teacher specifically cautions against it, don’t feel like you have to read every word on every page. If you’re short on time, it’s okay to skim. After you read a designated portion of text, make some flashcards to study for your exam. The best way to make flashcards is to go through your notes and highlight pertinent information your professor has gone over. Use vocabulary words and specific facts and dates on each notecard to remember specific information. Mnemonic devices are also super helpful (remember PEMDAS anyone?). Check out Amber’s article on High Tech Study Techniques for ways to use these great studying habits on helpful websites.
After you’ve started each task, go back to the assignment that is due earliest. If you know that you have a test at nine a.m., return to your flashcards and practice what you have already written down. After this, look back at the highlighted sections of your notes and write down a few quick multiple-choice questions to read again later. Then go over your notes once more and practice the multiple-choice questions. After you feel that you have mastered a specific section, switch over to reading another section of text.
By now you’re most likely completely exhausted. It’s time to take a quick study break (you’ll feel most rested after a 25 minute nap, not an hour long one) and head over to your nearest five-hour energy supplier. If you can, make the extra effort to walk to the store-this small amount of exercise will help rejuvenate you and help you refocus for your next portion of crunch time.
Once you’ve come back from your break, start your studies again in the same manner you began. Clean up the slides on your PowerPoint, highlight some more sections in your reading, and review your notes again for your test. By going through this routine, you’ll be able to finish your work without stressing yourself out beyond belief and only studying one subject. Remember, the key is to divide your work into small sections. This helps inspire a feeling of accomplishment after you finish your work. And finally, once you have completed all of your work, GET SOME SLEEP and you’ll successfully have survived the 25-hour day