No matter what you’re majoring in, studying and doing homework in some capacity is a defining aspect of being a student. Unfortunately, there are times when your work gets grueling and your brain begins to slow down. Repeating the same tasks over and over can get boring, which can then decrease your attention span. Ultimately, this can snowball into losing your motivation and grades falling.
There are many study hacks and strategies that have been popular over the years. Some of these include taking breaks, using timers to space out work, chewing gum, and so on. However, even these start to get old. If you feel like your current studying habits and work ethic are still keeping you from focusing properly, here are a few different approaches you can try to get out of that funk!
1. Cardio
One of the main reasons I tend to get bored while doing work is that I’m stuck in the same place for so long. One of my most tedious tasks is punching out my class readings, which can range from 30 to 60 pages a night. To solve this, I have taken up doing some light cardio whilst reading!
In my experience, reading while walking on the treadmill or using a stationary bike has enhanced my ability to focus on the text, while also doing some physical activity. Both tasks can be pretty mind-numbing, but doing them together stimulates your body and mind. In this fashion, reading while doing cardio kills two birds with one stone.
A small disclaimer: this method is the safest and has the greatest results with reading. Doing any other work, especially if it involves having to write, is dangerous if you don’t have a flat surface to stabilize your work on and you’re moving. Additionally, while reading can make cardio feel less monotonous, keeping your cardio to low-intensity methods like walking and stationary biking significantly lowers your chances of improper physical form, and thus injury. Do what you feel is the safest and most comfortable!
2. Unplug
Unfortunately, my laptop has a weak battery life. It usually only lasts around four or five hours if I use it in one sitting. However, I’ve been determined to make the best use of that time, and found that it’s pretty effective at pressuring me into focusing on whatever task is at hand.
So, the strategy is pretty straightforward: don’t charge your device and use it until it dies. If you have a weaker battery like I do, it’s pretty effective for ensuring that you can complete something promptly. I keep my charger in my bag in case I’m on a roll and can’t stop, but you can even leave your charger somewhere else to raise the stakes.
3. Make your environment uncomfortable
Sleep deprivation is a rite of passage for many students. So when I see people showing their study environments with soft lighting, a warm cup of tea, and nestling into their pajamas to create a “perfect environment” for working, I know that these three ingredients would only be a disaster that would leave me dozing off at my desk. If you’re like me, your “perfect environment” to focus is likely something that makes you uncomfortable.
For example, I hate “big” lights with a burning passion. They douse the entire room in bright fluorescent hues that make me feel like I’m in a hospital room. I would rather have a million lamps than use ceiling lights. However, what I hate is sometimes what I need. Even as I’m writing this, I have my main light on instead of my usual lamps because keeping my environment “comfortable” will have me sit on my bed instead. Then, I might actually fall asleep.
Having the right environment is crucial for focusing on your schoolwork, but you need to decide what is truly “right” for you. Making it too lax might trigger a slippery slope downhill.
4. Competition
This one is also self-explanatory: compete with someone else to see who can complete an assignment faster. This often requires someone doing the same assignment as you, but it’s particularly flexible with certain types, in such cases like writing assignments. You may need to get a little creative, considering what you’re working with, but all you need is a goal that kicks your adrenaline up.
For instance, I do a method called “sprinting” with my creative writing friends, where you set a timer and see who can write the most within that timeframe. It’s fun to compare your results, encourages you not to be a perfectionist, and pushes you through whatever you’re working on. If you’re a competitive person, this method does wonders for helping you completely lock in!
5. Make plans
Having a lot of free time can be dangerous sometimes. Often, large blocks in my schedule give me wiggle room to procrastinate and waste time. A remedy for this is to fill in portions, whether it’s plans with friends, clubs, or picking up shifts at work. The remaining free pockets will be designated for working on assignments.
The key to this method is to be strategic. I find that this works primarily with long-term projects, which are always made less overwhelming if you complete split sections over time. While this may be difficult to schedule around your classes, I advise trying to keep your free time at similar points in the day according to when you feel the most productive. Plus, using a little guilt about potentially canceling plans is a great way to spur that productivity. As a chronic procrastinator, I believe that one of the greatest benefits of keeping a schedule as structured as possible is that it lets you stay social while keeping you from getting lost in the sauce of your schoolwork.
It’s so easy to get stuck in old routines and forget that there are practices you can implement if you want something new. Several of the above strategies I shared are primarily dedicated to maintaining focus and avoiding procrastination, which are two huge problems I have. However, I know that I’m not alone, and I hope that at least one of these methods can be useful to you. Who knows, you might come up with something even more creative and effective in the process!