A student’s life is comprised of a variety of activities. Studying, working, extracurricular activities, and so on. Although the chief priority of a student is to study, we know that’s not always the reality. Employers want to see those who excel in a variety of areas other than academics, thereby often causing students to overextend themselves. For students of lower socioeconomic backgrounds or who are maintaining their own needs and bills, studying, extracurricular, and work is equally important. As a student who knows this firsthand, sometimes I feel that work rivals the extracurricular activities I need to show employers because it yields quicker profit. And work can definitely rival studying, though I try not to let it. It’s because of all these competing responsibilities and resulting stresses that I feel obliged to share some healthy studying tips I have acquired throughout college. I have mastered some, and I am still trying to train myself to habitually do others:
1. Realize you can’t do everything
I had to learn that there was no way I could do everything. I couldn’t go to all the talks or parties or plays. For most college students, this may seem like a boring college life, but sometimes boring pays off. After I started to limit myself to certain events and placed a priority on my studies, I found that I became less stressed. If my friends were going into town to have fun, I had to realize that probably wasn’t the last time they would go. My life didn’t end and, in fact, I had more time to myself so I could hang out with them at other times. There are times you should put yourself first, and that comes in handy with your education. It relieves the mental stress of extending yourself in ways you don’t need to. Of course, it is best to be balanced; but I found that I don’t need to go out every week, and if I did want to go out every week, I had to wisely choose where I would be willing to go without regret.
2. There are weeks when you will have to take a step back
Throughout my first year and this semester, I have learned sometimes it is best to take a step back from at least one “obligation.” I have had to miss club meetings just to not fall back on work and to continue to be sane. If you are stressed out, the chance that you will have anything beneficial to offer either to your clubs or your studying is low. It may seem contradictory, but by doing this, I have been able to stay on top of all my work and other obligations and even get sleep.
3. Know your studying quirks
I have come to realize that it is important to know yourself and your learning quirks. I am extremely picky with where I study. For me this makes all the difference between effective studying and a whole day of getting nothing done. Be honest with yourself and know how much you can get done. It is okay of you cannot do something in 30 minutes; maybe you need an hour to do it. You will just have to budget your time better. Don’t stress yourself out and break down because of unrealistic standards that you place on yourself. The other issue I had my first year (this is no longer the case) is that I could not study early. If it was before 6pm, I could not focus on studying. I would waste hours trying to stick to this study routine that did not benefit me. I spoke to an upperclassman about it, and she gave me sound advice that I would like share with you. She told me that it was fine to focus better later on, and that the only problem was that I just wasn’t using my time wisely. She said the time I could not study, should be used to get other obligations done: appointments, meetings with professors, clubs, laundry, emails, work, whatever it may be. I started to do this and I began to accomplish more in my days.
4. Work wisely
Work when you can, whenever you can. This may take some training but it is essential to practice. If you even have an hour between classes, make use of this hour. Or, use this time to better plan your day or speak with a professor. In college, it is best to maximize your time in whatever way possible. In addition to this, while I advise that you try to study according to what class has more pressing work, I have often found that sometimes studying what I’m more interested in first or what stresses me out more gets the ball rolling because you’re starting with what you’re motivated to do.
5. Self-care
Self-care is an overused word at Mount Holyoke, but rightfully so, especially with our high stress culture. My advice for self-care are these two things: (1) take at least one night a week to get good sleep. It may seem like there is too much to be done, but if you take one night, preferably in the middle of the week, you will feel really energized to continue the week, no matter how stressful it is. I have done this for awhile now, and my work always gets done on time. (2) Don’t do homework while eating. You need at least 30 minutes for yourself. It is not always possible, but refrain from doing it when you can. Going to eat with friends is a way to hold yourself accountable for this.
What are some ways that you practice healthy studying? Let me know in the comments section!
If you would like to write for Her Campus Mount Holyoke, or if you have any questions or comments for us, please email mt-holyoke@hercampus.com.