we all must admit how hard it is to just sit down and do your work sometimes. the following are a few random tips that i used to study better (i’ll probably be making another more specific study tip post but this is just a general set of things i do that really help me out).
set a routine
if you continue to do something, eventually it turns into a habit. try to study at a certain time every day. it’ll turn into a habit and eventually become an instinct to get your books out and sit down at that certain time of day.
create a pleasant study spaceÂ
this will definitely help. naturally you would want to go and study if you have a nice atmosphere to go to so open some windows to let in light, invest in a good chair, and keep the space lively with some flowers or plants (i surround myself with greenery. it makes me feel really calm). likewise, keep your space away from distractions such as your laptop (ahem ahem. unless you need it for work and have a website blocker or something), the t.v, and the kitchen (keep a healthy little brain snack on your table so if you feel hungry you don’t need to go to the kitchen to get food then get lost spending too much time making creme brûlée or something when all you really needed was some celery).
remember your future goals
this will keep you from procrastinating by giving you a little jolt of guilt and also keep you sane. i personally wrote down my goals on a post-it and stuck it on the wall. later on, whenever i felt like throwing my textbook out the window (rip louis pasteur and his scientific contributions to biology) i would look up and see the note which would promptly calm me down so i could take a five minute break and get back to work.
give yourself time beforehand
if you give yourself a little bit of time before you start studying, you will feel more refreshed and ready to study. when i come home from school i give myself  a half hour to change, have some fruit, and start getting my materials out. that way i don’t feel rushed from just finishing school to immediately starting all my work. i also stay off of tumblr and the internet during this time because if i got on i would probably spend my half hour there and not have any time to actually relax and unwind a little bit. also if you need more time, take more time, but don’t stretch it out to two hours or something overboard like that, especially if you come home later.
for when you really want to fling your work into a tornado and go on tumblr
nope. sorry. not going to work. i mean, you could probably get on tumblr but you’ll regret it come tomorrow when your teacher asks for your homework or hand out that test and you look at it and realize you don’t know the material. try working in pomodoro time chunks so that you don’t overwork yourself and also get rewarding little breaks in between. sometimes when i’m really unmotivated, i turn the pomodoro method into a little game and try working for just a little bit more and challenge myself to see how many more minutes i can study for. if i end up achieving 25 minutes, i take the 5 minute break.Â
you can do this!! ~hana from kageyama-studies
