Ok, so it’s Monday and you want to have a productive week but also spend the weekend with your friends/dog/pokemon go. Where do you start?
Make it easier to start studying. We’ve all had those times when we sit down fully intending to study but the desk is messy so we HAVE to clean it or there is no way we can focus right? Organise your workspace at the start of the week, file all your loose papers into nice folders or boxes and have your most used stationery, chargers and other study equipment in easily accessible places. “My laptop is about to die and my charger is in the other room, therefore I cannot study” is no longer a valid excuse.
What do you want to achieve? Write up a simple to-do list for the week, and break the tasks down into chunks that you can complete each day. Be disciplined and stick to the lists. Don’t do more than you’ve assigned yourself unless you finish unreasonable early. No one wants burnout.
Estimate your study time and set deadlines. So now you have a list of tasks, review each task and approximate how long they should take to complete. Set deadlines for each task, as well as a deadline to complete study at the end of the day. Stick to these! If you can’t finish a task in time, start the next one and return to it later if you have time.
When are you most productive? Work better in the morning? Wake up earlier and schedule your study accordingly. Night owl? Plan for that! There’s no point getting up to study at 6am if you are going to fall asleep at your desk and vice versa.
Eliminate distractions. Literally walk into another room right now, turn off your phone and put it in a drawer. Don’t even think about checking your notifications while you’re studying. You will have breaks, and it’s not the end of the world if you don’t reply to a text within 30 seconds. If you’re using a computer to study, install a distracting website blocker if you think you will be tempted to procrastinate.
Time to study! Now all of that is out of the way, how can I get all of this work done??
Start with the important concepts. Think you’ll be tested on X and only covered Y in class for 10 seconds? Focus on understanding X before you bother with Y.
Multitasking is evil. “I know most people perform worse when they multitask but I am not most people.” Nope. Noooope. Don’t even think about trying to work on two things at once, it doesn’t work, even if you think it does. Even looking away from your work for 30 seconds to check an email is enough to break your concentration. Train your brain to focus on one task at a time and you will be amazed at what you can achieve in a short time.
Avoid perfectionism. Your essay might be worth 20% of your final grade but that doesn’t mean you should put off all your other assignments just to make sure you leech every single mark. Do the best you can but don’t spend hours trying to create a masterpiece.
Minimize time sucks. Sometimes we do things that seem productive but don’t actually get us anywhere. For example, checking emails, organising computer files or researching productivity (my personal fave), seem like you’re being productive, but you’re taking time away from actually getting things done. Schedule 30 minutes a day maximum on these things and get on with the real work.
Schedule mini breaks. I really like the pomodoro technique because it takes your break time into account and you aren’t forced into studying for prolonged periods of time. Study for an amount of time you feel comfortable with and take a 5 minute break. After a few of these, take a longer break to recharge. Bonus points: go for a short walk between study sessions to improve your focus.
Reward progress. You might be in the mindset of feeling bad when you don’t meet all your goals or expectations, but don’t forget to celebrate your wins, no matter how small. Small progress is still progress. Reward yourself when you complete tasks and take time out to relax at the end of the day.
Schedule “me time”. I always felt bad when I wasn’t studying, even when I know logically I can’t study 24/7. If you’re in the same boat, schedule a few hours a week in your calendar dedicated to something that you enjoy, even if it’s just sitting on the couch watching tv. Don’t even try to feel guilty for not studying.
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