Real talk tips for studying
I know, itâs easier said than done. But it is going to be hard for the first 15-20 minutes, maybe even the first hour, but make yourself some coffee, and get the fuck out of that bed.
2. Do 3 useful things right after you get up.
This doesnât have to be âcram one lessonâ or âtake 500 pages of notesâ. No. Brush your teeth, make yourself something nice to drink, comb your hair. Wash your face. Literally whatever you find useful, do it. It may take 10 minutes, but you will feel instantly better when you see youâve done something.
3. Organize your study space.
I donât mean organize all your highlighters by color. I mean arrange everything so it is within your reach. That means when you sit down to finally study, there wonât be any need for you to get up and get something.
Itâs easy to start scrolling through instagram, or facebook when you sit by a 200 page book. Trust me on this. But set an alarm when you plan on taking a break. Make the break your instagram time, or facebook time, or just chill time. Whatever you do, organize your time so you donât leave anything out.
So you have a 300 page chapter to read. Or a 30 page paper to write. Divide it into smaller parts. For example, I will read through the first 30 pages and then take a break. Repeat. Or, I will write 3 pages and then relax. Repeat. Literally whatever shit you have, divide it into smaller chunks and then just tackle the chunks.
6. Donât listen to music with lyrics.
There are a ton of âstudy musicâ or âmotivational musicâ playlists on Youtube. Blast that. That way, you wonât find yourself mouthing the perfect lyrics to Shape of you, and not knowing shit about what youâve been reading. Iâve been there one too many times and itâs just wasting time.
7. Donât feel bad about not responding to texts, or not hanging out with friends.
There is time to study and time to play. No between. By all means you should go out and have fun. But your work time can only be your work time. That text can wait, that coffee date can wait. During the break you will have more than enough time to catch up. And your friends should understand that, after all, this is important to you so it should be for them too.
This is the most used tip, but trust me, you get tired much quicker if youâre not hydrated. Get a nice ass bottle of water and fill that shit up. Everytime you finish a paragraph take a sip. (At least!)
9. Donât worry too much.
Iâve lost countless hours by panicking and trying to reason with myself why I should just quit. And let me tell you, itâs very easy to get stuck in that vicious circle. But when you begin to worry, take a deep breath, drink some water and just do. Read that sentence. Write the opening line to your paper. Underline that unknown word. Just do. It will not go in vain. No effort is ever useless.
You are not the first one to have trouble with this. You are not the only one struggling with this material. But you can do it. It is possible. In 10 years you wonât remember that godawful task or chapter. But you will remember taking shit into your hands. And that feeling when you accomplish your goal is going to be worth all the while.
Thatâs about it, worked for me. Just be real with yourself. Good luck and may the odds be ever in you favor!
