After all the excitement and festivities over winter break, the last thing we want to think about in January is school but the sad reality of the Japanese academic calendar tells a different story. Yep, it’s the dreaded finals season.
We tell ourselves, “it’s okay, I got this”, but do we really?
Here’s a short anecdote:
Girl A wakes up and starts her day feeling determined to tackle all her assignments and start studying for her final exams. She writes the introduction to one of her essays and feels that she deserves a break. She binges on some snacks and watches 2 episodes of her favourite show before declaring that break is over. She reads a few pages of her textbook before her phone buzzes and she starts texting a friend. She then tries to study again but finds that she can’t concentrate and is feeling really tired. So, she comes to the conclusion that she needs a nap. She ends up waking up at *gasp* 9pm. “Well, the day is almost over so I’ll try to do better tomorrow”, she tells herself and she spends the rest of the night using her laptop and her phone, finally going to bed at 2am.
Sounds familiar?
“Well, the day is almost over so I’ll try to do better tomorrow”. Lil Mama is crying over Girl A’s naiveté / Image
If you belong to the majority of the people who not have their life together, you’ll probably know and have experienced what will happen to Girl A – she ends up pulling all-nighters in her effort to make all her deadlines. Thankfully, we at Her Campus are here to offer an alternative to this lifestyle with some tips on how to be productive during finals season. Here are 4 reasons why you are unproductive and their solutions.
1. Chaos
When you’re taking so many classes, the amount of assignments and exams can overwhelm you. The reluctance to start working on these assignments may be a coping mechanism and a form of escapism. To manage the chaos, it’s important to make a plan and routinize your life.
Have a Plan
It sounds cliché but planning really is the best way to help you keep track of what you need to do. The important thing is to keep it specific and flexible so that it gives you clarity and focus. If you’ve tried to make a plan before and it didn’t work, it might be time to reconsider whether it was specific and flexible enough. If it’s the first time making a plan the following steps may be a good guide to follow.
i. Mark your calendar.
Write down all your assignment deadlines and exam dates on a calendar so you have a clear representation of what to expect.
ii. Break it down.
Go through the requirements for each assignment and exam, including essay guidelines and the course syllabus. Then, break down each one of these items into specific tasks and allocate an approximate amount of time to be spent on that task. For example, if you have to study 10 chapters for an exam, estimate how much time you would have to spend on each chapter. For an essay, it might be helpful to break it down to researching on the topic, coming up with an outline, and the specific paragraphs that you would want to work on.
iii. Arrange your schedule.
Arrange your tasks around your daily schedule. It’s a good idea to rotate the tasks so you work on different things from different classes. A good example would be reading chapter 3 of a textbook and then writing the introduction to an essay for another class. The change in subject would do good to refresh your mind. Do not try to be ambitious and squeeze in too many tasks in one day. There should be at least an hour of leeway each day and if time permits, keep your evenings free. The thought of a being able to reward yourself with a good movie or drinks at a bar at night would spur you on. It is important to be flexible as well. If you’ve been stuck on a task with no progress, do something else instead. It’s also recommended that you put the difficult tasks earlier in the day when you are more focused.
iv. Make social plans.
It might seem inappropriate to be spending time on ‘frivolous’ activities with friends but spending time with company is one of the best ways to recharge. Also, the thought of having to meet someone and be accountable to them would force you to complete the tasks you are supposed to do prior to meeting them. After all, a time limit is what makes people the most productive. You could also make plans with friends to study together. Sometimes, company is all you need to keep you focused.
Routinize your Life
There’s a reason that people like Steve Jobs and Obama wear the same outfit every day. They are trying to avoid decision fatigue. A good metaphor to explain this concept is to think of your brain a reservoir. Each time we make a decision, a small amount of water or brain power gets drained. In order to keep our minds focused on the tasks at hand and to conserve enough brain power to make good decisions (such as self-control to stop ourselves from watching the next episode of our favourite show), we need to redirect the brain power we waste on trivial decisions to things that really matter. The best way to do this is to routinize your life. While it may be a bit drastic to only own and wear multiple sets of one outfit, there are other changes you can definitely make! Having a morning routine would cut down the number of decisions you make each day. You could even design your morning routine as a spiritual boost to help you start your day. For example, you could wake up at the same time every morning, go for a run, take a shower and round it off with a hearty and healthy breakfast while listening to some music. By the time you get to school or start the first task of the day, you’ll find that you’ve not had the need to make a single decision and can start your day 100% focused.
2. Unconducive Environment
Do you live in a pig sty? No, honestly be truthful. Although it might be tempting to justify the dishes piled up in the sink and the dirty pile of laundry as a result of studying for finals, they can actually be major mood kills and affect your productivity. Take the time to do some cleaning up as doing household chores can actually be therapeutic and even give you a sense of accomplishment and a mood boost. Slot your chores in between your study tasks so even your study breaks become productive!
Another reason you may be unproductive is because you have been studying at the same spot. A change in environment could help you focus better. If changing your studying spot is not a feasible idea, consider taking a short walk when you start feeling a sluggish. If you’re at home and leaving it is not an option, you could perhaps try brightening up your room or buying some scented candles to improve the overall atmosphere.
3. Low Energy Levels
We all have those days when we hit a slump. Well, how about hitting the whip, the quan or the dab? Hah! Sorry for the bad pun but a little dancing could get your energy level back up and so can short workouts or walks. Incorporate physical activities into your study breaks to get your heart pumping and increase the blood flow to your brain. Of course, a quick power nap would work as well. Keep it to under an hour so your body does not enter ‘sleep’ mode.
The best way to deal with low energy levels is to prevent it in the first place. Ensure that you are eating right and getting enough sleep. If you do feel the need for a quick caffeine boost late in the afternoon, opt for tea instead of coffee as caffeine can stay in the body for up to 14 hours and cause fatigue the next day. The lower amount of caffeine in tea ensures that your sleep will not be disrupted.
4. Distractions
If you find yourself distracted by your phone or some other device, eliminate the distraction. The old adage ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is a useful one to follow. Place your distractions in a drawer or leave the house without these distractions. You can also turn on the ‘do not disturb’ function on your iPhone. On your computer, close the LINE application and mute iMessage. If you’re wasting too much time on websites, the StayFocused browser extension is a good way to limit yourself.
Well, we hope these tips were useful to you. Tell us about some of the ways you increase your productivity and stay focused. Good luck for finals collegiettes! The end is near!