How To Study For Longer Hours
These are some of my tips that I used for studying for longer hours during my junior and senior year in high school. I generally studied 4 heavy content subjects and 2 languages. And, yes, i did get good grades.
Studying is a task that requires you to be consistent and driven. That is why, I want to make one thing very clear. This is not a promotion of toxic studying when you feel too tired.
I will start with a simple process that i formed.
Work => Compensation => Repeat.
By quality I mean. One hour spending time recalling facts and answering questions and filling gaps is better than 5 hours of reviewing notes. Just focus on improving your focus and methods. I call it the "FM Method"
You choose one specific method, and you consistently follow it for a specific period.
Longer Hours Should Not Exceed 5
If you have to study for long hours, don't let it exceed 5 hours. The reason is simple. It's useless, and your body will drain up and use all your energy. I used to study for 9 hours some days in my junior year. Now i study only for 3-4 hours every day. The results? Practically the same. My grades didn't drop but i feel more motivated to study and complete everything.
So, don't extend the hours you study. Make your focus and methods better.
When you complete a topic, small or big. Just close your eyes for 20-30 seconds and lean back on your chair and calm your breathing. Process the information. Let everything sink in. Take out the tension. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PHONE. And then after those 20-30 seconds, just glance through the topic before moving to the next one. So, take 20 second breaks.
Active Studying > Passive Studying
This is the same thing i spoke before. Use active methods of studying. Active recall and filling gaps, visual representation, learning through stories and mnemonics.
Passive studying is when you learn through notes, repeating things over and over again, trying to memorize instead of learning and understanding the concepts.
One hour of active studying is better than 5 hours of passive studying.
When you complete an hour or two, give yourself a small reward. But the reward should be as productive as your time spent. If you spent the last two hours studying and then you watch 3 hours of your favourite tv show then that is not a good reward.
A reward should actually compensate, you need you calm your brain, not indulge yourself in instant dopamine hits.
A reward is different from rest.
Rest is essential for your body. Sleep is the body's soother. You used your brain for hours and if you don't let it rest than definitely it doesn't matter how well you're actually studying. You. Will. Feel. Tired.
In one way, burnout is good. Honestly, some people's highest point is 30 mins or an hour. They find burnout creeping in after some time had passed. And that is why, if you want to reach at least two hours of studying. You need to push that limit. Every single time. Try moving 30 mins every week. Your max limit is 1 hour. Then this week, study for 1 hr 30 mins. The next week, study for 2hrs. then 2hr 30 mins. Do it for a few weeks.
If you don't push yourself to the max limit. Then you'll never actually reach your goal.
This is an indefinite rule. You want to improve your grades. Do it every day.
Your work ethic and your willingness to stick to habits will determine your success.
Make a "Your" Environment.
This is a very underrated thing; you must have a "you" environment. It doesn't matter what it is. Basically a "you" environment is whenever you're there, you're motivated to do work. It doesn't have to be a place really. Another example would be, whenever i'm on my phone, i'm likely to waste my time doing unnecessary things but whenever i'm on my laptop, i'm automatically in "work" mode. So, for you it might be your study desk or even school sometimes.
(I remember, during the last 2 months in senior year, i used to go to the very corner of my classroom, sit on the ground, face the wall, put my headphones on, placed my bag in front of me as a table and just solve accountancy sums because that place was my "work" environment. Honestly, it looked so weird but whenever i was there, my focus was just amazing)
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