Narrowing in on the second half of the quarter can be a daunting and stressful time. At certain moments, it can be hard to focus, and it can seem like the workload is never-ending. If you find yourself being consistently unproductive, it never hurts to change up your study routine a bit.
Here’s some of the best advice I have received that has helped me improve my study habits.
1. It takes your brain 20 minutes to get into the “study zone.” Let it get there. Don’t read material for five minutes and then give up; allow yourself time to get into the zone.
2. Every time you look at your phone, it can “break” your study zone. Putting the phone out of sight helps you keep it out of mind and keeps your brain in study mode.
3. Dense material can be better learned if you talk it out. Explain concepts, in detail, aloud to a friend, to your dog, or even to a wall. Anything helps because just physically saying the words out loud helps commit the information to memory.
4. The All-Nighter. Some say it works for them, but staying up all night and taking a test in a caffeinated frenzy is never good. Even if you know you don’t know all of the information, at some point it is just better to get sleep than to force yourself to stay up knowing you probably wont retain any of the information.
5. Take a break! If you’ve been hunched over your books and laptop for the past three hours, get up and get some blood flowing. Breaks should happen during your lengthy study sessions, and the best type of break is a physical one. Going for a walk, running up and down the stairs, or simply getting up and stretching will help your brain refocus.
There are lots of studies out there that go into detail about these methods to improve your studying, but most of this advice has come from professors who have seen hundreds of students walk in and out their doors. They know what kind of student succeeds, and I have definitely seen improvements in my study habits when I’ve heeded some of their advice!
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