As mid-term season starts to heat up, it’s even more crucial to kick your work ethic into high gear. However, that is easier said than done. It’s easy to get bored in class or while studying and that will make you give up. As much fun as it is to sit at a desk and stare at a blackboard, the idea of studying isn’t exactly enticing. When you’re the only one who seems to be crammed with work, don’t slack off! We’ve compiled a few tips to keep your mind on track and away from being mind-numbingly bored.
1) Take a Break: If you’re in class and about to go crazy, don’t get frustrated – get up. Taking a short mental vacay can be just what you need to settle down and get refocused. Walk yourself out of the room and get a drink of water, check your twitter or just stretch. Be careful not to make this break too long, anything more than seven minutes runs the risk of turning into procrastination.
2) Give Yourself a Treat: If you have a long study night ahead of you or an awful three hour class, reward yourself as an incentive to stay focused. Hit up Starbucks for some delicious caffeine, or fix your favorite meal to take with you. If you can find something to look forward to, assuming that an A+ might not be enough, then the image of you studying won’t be quite so bad.
3) Keep Busy: In those long drawn out classes, it seems like time goes by unnaturally slow. But if you keep your hands busy, you’ll find that the clock will tick faster. As un-fun as it may be, taking notes is a great way to keep your mind focused on the class or task at hand. Physically writing will give you something to turn your attention to other than the time. If you do better with busy hands, consider bringing a little thing of Silly Putty. If you like to doodle, that’s great! Just a tip to keep the drawings out of your notebook and only on scrap paper. With more to keep you entertained, maybe it won’t seem so bad.
4) Turn off the Cell: We know that this one made you cringe, because we shed a tear ourselves at the thought of being without our life link, but we promise it’ll be beneficial. The distractions of the TV, cell phone, Facebook and Twitter are wildly more appealing than 19th Century Literature or Cell Bio, but the time you spend on Facebook Chat or texting your friends could be used to study. The quicker you get the work done, the quicker you can get out of there. In class it’s hard to pay attention, but turning off your phone is one giant step in the right direction. Check your phone during breaks! Don’t worry; all of your friends will still be there when you get back!
Now that you have these great suggestions, you’re sure to be successful in your mid-term endeavors. Just make sure to keep your mind and your body happy by getting lots of rest and eating right, too! The time will be over before you know it, and whatever you do now, you won’t have to do later. Just think about that A+. What’s the point in beauty if you don’t have brains?