You are probably reading the title and thinking, “Finally here is a way to justify my procrastination” and in some ways you are right. The upcoming weeks can be rather daunting especially if you can’t find the motivation to start studying for your finals even when you know it will be hard to perform well without investing some time in reviewing beforehand. If you sit down to study and find yourself spending hours on social media instead, keep reading to see some easy ways we can use social media apps to motivate you to get studying and crush these finals!
Warning: You will still need to have some self-discipline when using these apps to avoid getting sucked into the black hole that is social media. Making a few changes in the profiles you visit will help satisfy the desire to use social media but motivate you to study as well.
-
If you are one to scroll for hours on your homepage or the explore page start searching for Instagram study pages through the #studygram. These accounts focus primarily on posting study spaces, their desks, the pens and highlighters they use, note pages, and their favorite study apps or tech devices. Even though you might not have all of the things they are talking about, sometimes spending time scrolling on the page will not only remind you that you need to be studying as well but the study aesthetic can also spark a little jealousy that will make you want to have your life together like them. Remember these pictures are usually calculated and staged to look really pretty, again for the aesthetic, but don’t feel the pressure to have really neat and colorful notes as they do. The main focus is on taking the time to study and actually retaining the information. A great account to follow is @waystostudy on Instagram. This student posts her workspaces, but also keeps her stories up to date with realistic content about school and studying. Also, check out her website for printables and tips!
- TikTok
-
Aside from being entertaining, this app has great hacks and tips from students just like you. The videos are usually less formal than on Instagram, so you get realistic videos. If you have a lot of final presentations, there are great websites that have created google slides templates or tips on how to create your own. Check out these two accounts for tons of ideas [1 and 2]! Also, similarly to Instagram, some accounts focus solely on studying and study motivation. Two great accounts are @studyfairyy and @studynotesideas, they both give tons of tips on how to take notes and apps or websites that are super helpful to students! The short format of the videos helps you get all the information you need without spending hours on the app so you can get to studying!
- YouTube
-
Because of the ability to post longer videos, YouTube is a great website for those looking for long Study With Me videos. There are YouTubers such as Merve, a graduate student at the University of Glasgow, who studies regularly. She posts “Study with Me Videos” that last for 2+ hours, with breaks every 50 mins. If you have trouble sitting down and studying, try putting on one of these videos. There is a timer on the screen and you work until the timer goes off. There are breaks periodically so it isn’t overwhelming. Since you are seeing someone else study as well, it is like having a study buddy. There are tons of other YouTubers in college who create study videos as well. Check out the comments too because there are people all around the world sharing their study goals and wishing everyone luck with their studies. Try to put the video on tv, on another monitor, or in full-screen mode, so you can’t get distracted from other videos on youtube. Time goes by fast when you are focused on the work and you will get tons done in those 50 min time blocks!
- Bonus: StudyStream
-
This technically isn’t social media but can be really helpful, and we were introduced to this through TikTok… so it counts. There is a website called StudyStream which allows college students to join a Zoom room together and study. Everyone is muted, but it’s a way for you to stay focused and have accountability in a way because you don’t want to be seen as being distracted. If you like to study with other people, give it a try! Try not to get too distracted looking at other people! Check out StudyStream’s TikTok page to see how the study group’s work or search #studystream for other students’ experiences with the website!
We hope these tips help you study and we wish you the best of luck with your finals!