Finals week is rapidly approaching, and with that comes feelings of burnout and not wanting to study anymore. The winter holidays are quickly approaching, and everything sounds much better than being stuck in your dorm and taking a hundred tests a week. You can keep yourself from feeling burnt out in many different ways, such as using different study tactics, hanging out with friends during your breaks and finding new ways to motivate yourself.
Something that helps me study is taking handwritten notes instead of using my computer to type them out. It is said that writing things down helps with memorization. With that, I also hand write my study guides and go over them the week leading up to the test.
Another important study tip is to study in increments. Study for an hour, then take a 15-minute break to help keep yourself motivated. I’ve also heard that chewing gum while you study can help with your short-term memory, and if you chew the same kind during the exam, then the taste can bring back the memory of what you were studying.
You can also call a friend during your breaks or go and study with them and just relax together when you need a minute. No one wants to sit alone in the library or their dorm room studying all day. When you do that, it is easier for you to lose motivation and feel more burnt out than if you had someone studying with you. My friend and I work better and get more done when we study together and take breaks to talk.
The final tip I have is to find new ways to motivate yourself. If you have one way and it stops working, there is no reason to force yourself to continue going that way. There are plenty of different things that you can do to help yourself stay focused.
What works for one person will not work for everyone, so there is no reason to feel bad if it seems like they have everything together and you do not. If studying by yourself works for you, then there is no reason for you to change it, but if it feels hard for you to focus when you’re alone, you should try studying with a friend or two.
I hope that these tips can help you feel less stressed out and more able to keep yourself motivated. Once finals week is over, then we can all relax for a month and come back to the new semester ready to take on our courses and do it all over again.