So you’ve been enjoying yourself in college and suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, midterms and finals are right around the corner. You thought you had time to study later, but it looks as though later is now and you have no clue what to do. Not to worry, Her Campus is here to help and with these 8 tips you’ll be the most prepared procrastinator out there.
1. Don’t freak out
The first thing that I can tell you is to not freak out. When you’re stressed, you tend to take in less information and disrupt your memory (Huffington Post) which is the last thing you want when huge exams are coming. So take a mental (or physical) step back from your desk and think about the things you need to do and breathe because you got this!
Try This: Make a list of all the things that need to get done with the most important (i.e the most work, the subject you need to study the most, etc.) at the top and the least important (i.e the subject you know the best, the easiest, etc.) at the bottom. This will give you some tangible organization of not only your thoughts, but your work.
2. Coffee is your best friend
As any college kid knows, coffee is a lifesaver and in this situation that’s no different. So get your favorite macchiato from the nearest coffee store or start brewing some black coffee ASAP so you can get to studying. If you’re not into coffee, make your favorite drink (tea, soda, flavored water, etc.) and get down to business.
Try This: Since you’ll, no doubt, be swimming in coffee by the end of the night, try to make sure that you’re also staying hydrated or coffee can have an adverse effect on attentiveness to what you’re studying as well as dehydrate you if you drink too much (Huffington Post) so for every cup of coffee try to drink at least two cups of water.
3. Do not disturb – use it!
If you have an iPhone or a Mac you can easily place your phone/computer on “Do not disturb” to ensure that you don’t get distracted by Twitter or Facebook notifications that will tempt you to tweet about how much you procrastinated. You can tweet about how much studying you did when you’re done!
4. Snacks!
No matter what you’re studying, snacks are always a must! They keep your stomach satisfied and your mind on studying so it’s great to keep some snacks around your dorm if you can, and they also save you a trip to the dining hall. Try not to go for completely unhealthy snacks and add some healthy things, like trail mix and fruits into the mix because what you snack on can have a great effect on you!
My Personal Favorites: Flavor Blasted Goldfish, acai blueberries, strawberries, trail mix, and chocolate
5. Incentives
Incentives are a great way to study! They give you something to work for and keep you motivated, especially when you just want to give up and go nap.
Try This: For every 30 minutes you study, take 10 minutes off to do whatever you want (check Twitter, go on Tumblr, etc.) or for every page you read, eat a cookie! And then when you’re all done studying you can reward yourself with some Ben & Jerry’s and watch your favorite TV show with a sense of accomplishment.
6. The most important tip…..
JUST DO IT!
Studying can seriously suck sometimes but you have to do it to succeed, even if you put it off for four weeks, so listen to Shia LeBeouf and Nike when they tell you to just go and do it. It’ll help you in the long run and you’ll finish with more knowledge than you had before and a newfound confidence on your exams.
In case you need more motivation:
Happy Procrastinating!