zero to hero: HELP I CAN’T/DON’T WANNA START STUDYING
five minute strategy. this is something that has really worked out for me: when i can’t bring myself to start, i force myself to do something just for five minutes. then once i’m in, i go on a roll of 20-minute periods of studying, rewarding myself every time i am successful in accomplishing that 20-minute period. the rewards i’ve given myself range from tea/coffee, small 5 minute breaks, to hanging out with my friends or buying things i’ve always wanted to buy.
be curious. don’t get me wrong: not every subject is equally appealing and sometimes i do struggle with boredom. but since i enjoy quite a lot the process of studying and learning more about medicine, during the first month of the semester i force ahem, give myself every day about 5-8h to be curious on the subjects i’m studying. so if, say, i’m studying cardiology and i want to learn more about valvular problems, i’ll read from textbooks and borrowed notes even if it’s not something our professors have talked/might be talking soon about, because it’s something i want to know more about today.
go study somewhere that is relaxing to you: yes, even if it’s an hour-long drive from where you live. Always better to lose an hour or two than an entire day or week.
make it fun: …and now as last resort (or maybe not) try to blend in at least one of your hobbies into your way of studying. if you’re into drawing, include sketches or doodles in your study notes to help you remember facts, lists, etc. coming up with crazy games, small challenges or milestones can also help. be inventive! think of a way to make it fun so you can actually bring yourself to start.
the trick is to reduce the total amount of time you spend procrastinating, or thinking about doing it; doesn’t matter how you start, so long as you do start. Trust me, you’ll be better off starting at 20% of productivity (then slowly walk your way up) than not starting at all. Your future self will thank you for that.
now i know this is not our ideal goal, but sometimes it’s always better to face that exam having learnt a 50% of the subject instead of just a 2% because you thought it was too late to make a difference, or decided that you were done trying to find ways to make your studying more enjoyable/fun, because you felt that by doing that, you weren’t being productive enough. (And i’ve seen that happen a LOT.)