Study Tips

First things first, Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!

My bunny is pretty happy it's Friday too :)

Studying is probably the last thing I want to be thinking about today, but I think the celebrating will have to be kept to a minimum. I've got a busy weekend coming up and lots of school work to catch up on. I'll be sure to post a recap with our costumes later this weekend! 

I was thinking about it after yesterday's post and I've realized that writing on the blog is also a nice stress reliever. I spend 100% of time in school reading and writing papers, but somehow this kind of writing feels different. It's a nice way to reflect and unwind, and it helps me refocus. 

Speaking of focus! Since my life currently revolves around school, I figured it would be useful to write out a few things that help me concentrate when it's time to buckle down and study.

5 Study Tips

1. Make a List: This is always the first thing I do when there is a lot to get done. Writing down tasks makes them seem more manageable (visualization always helps me), and it's really satisfying when you can check things off. 

2. Have a study space: As a college student, my bedroom and my "office" are the same place. If I'm going to study at home, I need to minimize distractions. Usually that means taking 10 minutes to make my bed and clean up my desk. Going to one of the libraries on campus is also a good idea. I'm always more productive at the library because I feel guilty if I go and don't use my time wisely. 

3. Unplug: For some people, studying with music is really helpful. For me, it's a major distraction. It is really difficult for me to retain information like important dates and concepts if I'm distracted by music. Although I look like a super dork, I've found that wearing ear plugs is tremendously helpful! 

4. Logout: These days, there are millions of things to get distracted by on the internet. Whether it's social media (Facebook and Instagram are the biggest time suckers for me), blogs, Pinterest etc. LOGOUT. By logging out, I have to make a conscious decision to log back in. This helps prevent mindless scrolling. Often during finals I will deactivate my Facebook temporarily, or have my roommate create a new password so that I can't log back in. 

5. Take breaks: If you know you'll be focusing on dense material, allow yourself time for breaks. I try to focus for 50 minutes and then take a 10 minute break to stretch, get some tea, use the bathroom or chat with my roommate. Taking a step back helps me refocus and stay on track. 

I know these tips are fairly generic, but sometimes it's good to focus on the basics. 

Hope you have a happy and safe Halloween!