1) Find the ~perfect~ study spot
Website: Bbase
Do you focus more in complete silence? Head over to the library. Work best with endless amounts of caffeine? Try a local coffee place or starbucks. Prefer to stay inside? Study in your dorm or apartment, but remember laying in bed with your textbook often results in more sleeping than actual studying. Whatever your favorite study environment is, make sure you are comfortable and motivated by your surroundings.
2) Make a To-Do list and study plan
Website: MentalFloss
College students are juggling so many different classes at once, which often means multiple midterms a week or even on the same day. The best way to stay on task and not feel overwhelmed is to make a list of all your midterms and the study strategies you plan on completing. My list often consists of reading over my notes, making flashcards, working out practice problems and attending review or tutoring sessions. If you aren’t sure what tricks work best for you, try out a couple or ask your professor for some guidance, but remember everyone learns things differently!
3) Ignore those distractions
Website: Scipps Media Inc
We’ve all been there. One minute you’re reading notes or taking a practice test and the next you’re mindlessly scrolling through Instagram for an hour. To prevent from becoming easily distracted by social media or texting, try turning your phone off or at least putting it out of reach. You are much more likely to get distracted by notifications if your phone is right next to you than if you have to get up or reach into your bag to check it. You may also get distracted by other people, so while studying in groups can be helpful, make sure to take at least some time by yourself to ensure you’ve really grasped the material.
4) Stay energized and hydrated!
Website: American Diabetes Association
This is a super important aspect of studying that unfortunately a lot of students ignore. It might feel like you have literally no time to make dinner or grab a healthy lunch but not only is taking breaks important when studying, but food will boost your energy, productivity and ability to retain information you are studying. Even if you aren’t eating the healthiest food, eating anything is better than starving all day and trying to survive off a venti iced coffee (I’ve been there) It is also helpful to bring some easy to eat snacks with you so you don’t lose your seat at a busy library or coffee shop.
5) Don’t sleep on sleep
Website: Queensland Health
Just as college students tend to ignore eating consistently and healthy, sleep is almost always the last thing on a stressed out college students’ mind. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential when studying and can make processing and retaining information so much easier. While college students often brag about how little sleep they got, getting the least amount of sleep among you and your friends is not a competition you want to win.
6) Say no to procrastination
Website: HealthCentral
Not procrastinating is hard. With so many classes and extracurriculars to distract us, it’s easy to put off writing your midterm paper or catching up on old reading. But the earlier you start an assignment, the more you can divide your time on it instead of pulling a coffee and red bull fueled all-nighter to finish something you could’ve been working on all week/month.
7) Take breaks to avoid having a breakdown
Website: National Canada Online
We all have ways of destressing and relaxing and it’s important to take breaks during midterm season by doing something non-studying related that you love. Whether that means meditating every day, watching your favorite movie, grabbing lunch with a friend, hitting the gym (can improve memory!) or simply taking a nap (my favorite kind of break), doing something that keeps you calm and makes you happy is essential to not experiencing burn out while studying.
8) One test is not the end of the world
Website: WeHeartIt
Okay, hear me out. I know it doesn’t seem like it, especially when you’ve spent days studying and have a GPA to boost, but it really is true that one test will not determine your grade in a class and it certainly won’t ruin your entire future. Most college classes have multiple categories that determine your grade and one average (or bad) score won’t mean you’ll get an F. It is important to look at the big picture, especially when you’re feeling super overwhelmed. Once test day comes around, as long as you’ve put in the effort and time when studying, all that’s left to do is to try your best. And don’t forget to reward yourself after it’s over!