While reading week is designed to help students dedicate as much time as possible to studying for exams, many (myself included) may not have honored the true objective of reading week. Studying for exams, it can be easy to get distracted by everything that exists on the internet. However, instead of feeling guilty about getting off-topic while studying, we all need to recognize that breaks are the key to more effective studying. That being said, a “break” can easily turn into taking the rest of the day off. Through some of my own trial-and-error, I have found some break-fillers that have helped keep me both productive and entertained while taking the day to study exams. Hopefully, these recommendations can help keep everyone on task and in the best shape possible for exam season!
Online Quizzes
In the past, online quizzes have become a rabbit hole for me. In order not to fall in too deep, I try to limit myself to 5 before returning to studying. I love taking some of the funny Buzzfeed quizzes and have used JetPunk and Sporcle quizzes to test my knowledge.
FaceTiming Friends
This is one of my favorite ways to break up the monotony of studying. FaceTiming friends means that you get to accomplish two birds with one stone, talk to the people you miss, and give yourself a mental break.
Making a New Playlist
Many people find it incredibly hard to study without good music as a soundtrack. If you are feeling like you need to take a second away from the textbooks, hop onto Spotify and put together some new songs to help you refocus once you start studying again.
Short Workout Videos
One of the best ways to keep myself energized while studying is to get up and move around. There are some awesome, 15-minute, low-intensity workout videos that will help get the blood flowing but won’t make you sweaty for the rest of your study day.
Power Napping
The absolute best way to keep your brain energized while studying is to take time to catch up on sleep. In order to get the right amount of sleep, set an alarm for 25 minutes and just let yourself rest and reset before studying again.
Good luck! You got this!