Studying can be a hard task, let’s share some of our secrets for staying focused.
Many of you, myself included, still have that first swarm of midterms of the semester hanging right around the corner. This time of year makes studying and focusing really difficult, not only because of the crazy weather and the constant gloomy, tiring days, but also because trying to focus takes up way too much time.
1. Find the Perfect Study Spot
Finding the perfect place to study is the best way to focus, whether it’s your desk, bed, couch, kitchen platform, or anywhere else as long as it’s wide and stretches out for a few feet. This way you can be comfortable enough to not move from your spot for a couple hours and have your study materials spread out and ready to go. Many people find libraries better for studying because they have individual study desks that you can make into your own personal study zone.
2. Have your Drinks Ready
It’s a known fact that chewing helps with memorization and you want to extend that rhythm for as long as possible. For me, chewing gum helps me get through class without falling asleep as well as memorizing things faster. However, what works for me might not work for you. Some people prefer having coffee next to them and others prefer green tea. While studying, I feel like my brain soaks up so much of my energy that I need a consistent amount of fluids and so I find surrounding myself with juices, tea and/or coffee, and lots of water really helps with focusing.
3. Flashcards & Highlighters & Crash-Courses
Start your study sessions with crash-course videos that review the whole topic generally and, from personal experience, Khan Academy is one of the helpful sources. Make quick flashcards for vocabulary you absolutely need to know for your upcoming exam and highlight things that you know are important. Start by reading over those concepts and when you do not remember something, or are not able to recall it from your memory, read that certain part of the textbook.
4. Mellow Music & Concentration Music
Sometimes background noise really helps with focusing and many people find sitting in the dining hall or student center for studying really helps them. Other people like to study where its quiet and no one can find them. However, when none of those things work, you will find that the motivation you need to study can be granted through listening to mellow music or having the background water-dripping noise playing during study time.
5. Laptop Screen Lighting & White Lights
Studying at night can be even more tiresome but studies of the past have proven that white light really helps with staying awake, which is why most classrooms are full of them. Sometimes, when I study at night, I keep my laptop screen on the brightest setting so I do not feel tired, lazy, or sleepy. Laptop lighting and other electronic lighting usually strain your eyes and, even though this technique is not recommended, it does help.
6. Find a Study Partner
Having a study buddy can kind of go both ways – either you guys spend the whole time seriously studying by motivating each other OR you guys end up talking the whole time. I find that having a study buddy is helpful when we do not share the same course because then we do not have many conversation sparkers. And, if it is crucial to have a study buddy because you do not get some topics, then make sure your study buddy is not one of your close friends.
7. Give Yourself Rewards
Studying and focusing are hard enough as it is so give yourself time to relax. I recommend studying for forty-five mins and giving yourself ten to fifteen-minute breaks afterwards or pulling through till the end of your chapter and then watching a thirty-minute episode of one of your favorite shows. Either way, having a cycle can keep you from losing focus and give your brain time to relax and recharge.