Welcome to the life of a college student, where the late-night studying and number of exams seems endless. This is the reality of most college students. Each week is another round of exams and projects to get through. This can be tiring and stressful, but I am here to change your mindset towards studying. In order to establish strong and effective studying habits, one must change their perspective first. It’s not about how difficult the task at hand is, it’s about how you approach it. Once you see how easy and fun studying can be, it will be easier to get all those assignments done that you’ve been procrastinating.
5 Minutes
The hardest part is always starting because sometimes that motivation just isn’t there. However, next time you find yourself struggling to get started, tell yourself that you only have to do it for five minutes. Five minutes really isn’t that long, but you’ll be surprised to see how impactful these five minutes can be. In a blink of an eye, suddenly that introduction is done. Usually, once we start something, we have the urge to finish it or come to a good ending point. So when that five minutes is up, you might find yourself wanting to continue and this can be the key to finally getting that assignment done.
BREAKS
Staring at the same reading for two hours straight isn’t going to work. Sometimes people are so focused that they forget about taking a break. Studying in increments can be more beneficial to you than studying continuously for three hours. According to Fast Company, “Performance starts to deteriorate after 50-60 minutes of continuous work.” Building breaks into your study sessions can help you be more focused and productive. There is a specific method that you can try as well called the Pomodoro Technique. This is when you work for 25-30 minutes and then take a two to three minute break, repeating the entire process until you’re done.
Games
Turn boring flashcards into fun and engaging games. Instead of using Quizlet, which now costs money, create your own games. For example, “Guess that Element?” Or “Who Can Find the Future Value the Fastest?” Turning concepts into challenges with your friends will allow you to learn the material easier.
Little wins
This is a strategy I like to use when I have a long list of tasks I need to get done. Start with the easier and simpler projects. Finishing those first would give warm feelings of victory and would motivate you to continue. This isn’t always the case, but at least you got something done. This can also be applied to bigger projects or assignments. Split it up into steps and use those as your little wins, like simply finding the sources necessary for an essay or creating formula sheets to study.
These are just a few ways you can change your approach to studying. Hopefully you find these tips helpful — and good luck on exams, lovelies!