With finals just around the corner—only two weeks away!—it’s time to gear up so we can celebrate a summer of ease, not regret. So put on that cup of coffee, make a library playlist so you don’t have to hear the kid across from you enjoying his gum too much, or, do what most students do: watch all the movies you’ve added to your Netflix queue, maybe Google more cat videos, or find time for that Spring cleaning you should have done at the end of March. While it’s sometimes difficult to find the motivation (and procrastination hasn’t hurt us too badly in the past), it is important to not judge your time too liberally, or the level of needed preparation for final exams and projects. So instead of waiting until the last minute, consider this semester to be the one where you focus less on cramming and more on planning. Here are some study tips and ideas that will hopefully make studying a little less…awful.
1. Study with friends
Collaborate to decide and schedule times to meet at your favorite coffee shop, or take over an entire section of the library. This isn’t social time so maybe it’s not the best idea to bring your chatty BFF if she will distract you; instead, find people who are willing to spend the time to work. Maybe you’re suffering, but at least you can all suffer together.
2. Reward Yourself
While you shouldn’t go too crazy snacking, allow yourself treats during study sessions. Maybe you earn a piece of chocolate after every Biology chapter you take notes on. Or you get to read a chapter of your favorite book or magazine after every page you write of that final paper.
3. Colored Ink
We’re not really sure what it is, but writing in different colored ink makes everything more enjoyable. Take notes in pink, write questions in baby blue, or edit your text in orange. It’s a better way to stay organized, and potentially a better way to organize information for later studying. Keeping studying more interactive will help you better retain the information.
4. Walk Around
Enjoy the nice weather by taking fairly frequent excercise breaks while studying. Studies have proven that walking and other forms of exercise improves your memory. The best thing about not cramming is being able to have the freedom to take a break instead of panicking that you don’t have time for one. Instead of feeling like you have no time to go to the gym, bring homework with you–flip through flashcards on the elliptical, or recite information while you lift weights.
5. Make a Schedule
Break up your study time by planning when and where you will study for the next two weeks. We all have tests and projects we dread more than the others, but if you just dictate how much time you spend studying, not necessarily on what subject, you can feel a little more relieved that even if you didn’t spend time studying for the Calculus test, you at least studied something else. Again, give yourself a reward for sticking to the schedule: maybe a night off (and out) with friends!
Whatever finals are in your future, we want to wish you good luck. If you do end up procrastinating a lot of these tips are still helpful, albeit, a lot more stressful. It’s important to remember to make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep—unfortunately, coffee isn’t a food group—and eating relatively healthy.