Final exams are approaching quickly, ladies. And that means spending way more time studying than you’d probably like to. However, it’s important to take regular breaks in order to maximize efficiency; you should take a ten-minute break after every hour or so of studying. Unfortunately, those ten-minute breaks can accidentally become three-hour breaks if you’re not careful. So here are some ideas for what to do and what not to do during those ten-minutes in order to avoid such accidents and make the most of your study breaks.
1. DO stretch. There’s nothing quite like a good stretch after sitting for too long. Even something as simple as reaching towards the ceiling and then touching your toes feels amazing.
2. DO NOT take a “ten minute nap”. Yes, I know, you probably haven’t had a proper sleep in weeks. But ten minutes is not long enough to be an effective nap and it will just make it harder to get up and get back to studying afterwards. Save naps for your longer breaks.
3. DO take a drink of water. It is so important to stay well-hydrated, but many people don’t make it a priority. If you don’t already have a bottle of water on your desk, use your break to get up and go get one.
4. DO NOT eat just for something to do. If you’re not actually hungry, don’t eat to kill time. Eating out of boredom is a bad habit to get into, especially since it’s easy to just keep eating in order to avoid work.
5. DO paint your nails. This is a great study break activity. It only takes a few minutes and when you’re done, you have cute nails! It’s also easy to get back to studying after your break since studying is one of the few things you can do while your nail polish is drying without wrecking it. However, avoid complicated designs because you will almost always end up re-doing at least one nail and taking longer than you expected.
6. DO NOT browse through social media. This is probably the worst distraction ever. You swear you’re just going to check facebook really quickly and the next thing you know, you’re wondering where the last hour went. Even those with mad self-control can fall into this trap if the subject they’re supposed to get back to studying is boring enough. It’s best to avoid social media altogether. The same applies to Youtube videos.
7. DO dance it out. Put on your favourite song and have a mini dance party in your room. It’s a great change from sitting still staring at a book. As an added bonus, it can help wake you up if you’re feeling really tired.
8. DO NOT watch “just one episode” or read “just one chapter”. If you’re in the middle of a season of a good show or the middle of a good book, it’s almost impossible to stop once you’ve started. You’re better off leaving your TV catch-up and recreational reading until after exams.
9. DO make a list of all the things you’re looking forward to doing after you finish your exams: go home and see your family, go out with your friends, sleep for 14 hours straight. Reminding yourself of all the fun that’s to come once you make it through your finals can help you to stay motivated.
10. DO NOT actually try to make official post-exam plans with people. Trying to make plans always ends up being more complicated than you expected, especially if you’re trying to plan with a large group of people. Once you send that first message to the group chat, you’ll be getting distracted by notifications for the rest of the day with everyone trying to agree on what to do and when. It’s better to save the actual planning until after you’ve made it through your last exam.
Happy studying, and good luck!