“Okay today I’m going to do some studying! Christmas and New Years have passed and there are only a few days until school starts again. Been putting this off for far too long now. I’ll start at 10 am!” *clock: 10.03* “Oh, I can’t do it now. Have to wait until 11 then.” This continues for the rest of day and then it’s another day lost without catching up on all that reading work. Sounds familiar?
This is happening to me right this second. Instead of doing some actual work and preparing myself for the exam period, I’m distracted by mundane and useless activities. I’m sure everyone has this problem too, especially after these weeks of holidays, parties and relaxation. So I thought of some tips for you to get back into the study spirit (if that even exists).
Tip 1: Your environment
For many people it depends where you are working. Some people need complete silence, others can’t stand that and need people milling around to concentrate on studying. Personally I don’t like the quiet and need to be in the Food Plaza on campus to study. Figure out what your ideal environment is and make the effort to go there. That will help towards making a start in studying.
Tip 2: Plan your time
Before you even start to tackle your stack of books, it’s smart to make a plan. Ugh, yeah I know it sounds boring, but trust me, it helps. When you sit down for a day of studying, plan out the time that you have. Divide it in to hours or spaces for different subjects and assignments. You don’t need me tell you how to make plan, as it’s so easy, but don’t forget to plan to relax time, because then you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.
Tip 3: Treat yourself
Yes, that’s right, good studying comes with treats. My motivation is food, hence why my favorite study place is the Food Plaza. But you can think of your own “treat”, a few minutes of relaxation or a walk outside. I always tell myself: “if you have done this chapter, you can have another handful of M&M’s”. For me, it works very well, I’m so productive if I know that I can eat something at the end of it.
*Please note that that is a picture of my actual study book.
I do realize these tips are quite simple and you probably could think of them yourself, but sometimes you need that reminder to actually do some work. These are the things that actually work for me and I will probably need it this coming weekend before classes start next week.