Hello hello! Since I am a huge procrastinator myself, I decided to make a masterpost about starting a productive study session. My school starts next week and I am ready for some changes, this way I hope to get rid of my bad study habits and ofcourse to inspire you guys!
Take a break as soon as you get home, breaks are so important! Recent studies have shown that taking regular breaks of as little as 2 minutes, can increase your productivity with 11%. When I get home from school I am tired and I can’t stop thinking about all the stuff that’s happening at school. By taking breaks you reduce fatigue and increase productivity and alertness.
1. Get a snack
The first thing you should do when you get home is make yourself a snack and get some energy in your body! Everbody loves a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but try to eat something healthy. I recommend brain foods like advocado, nuts, dark chocolate and blueberries.
2. Drink a big glass of water
Going without water for too long causes headaches for some people, and has been identified as a migraine trigger. Feeling tired is one of the first signs of dehydration and dehydration causes shrinkage of brain tissue, this way your brain needs to work a lot harder to perform at the same level. As we all know water keeps you refreshed, hydrated and focused!
3. Do something fun
Do something fun to keep your head of studying for a little while. Take a walk, do yoga, read a couple of chapters, journal or get creative. Try to avoid anything digital, like looking on your phone on watching television, this can cause fatigue and restlessness.
Remove any possible distractions
This is the most important step if you are easily distracted. I know your phone, computer, friends and basically everything are way more interesting than studying, but remember that you are studying for a reason!
1. Clean your desk
Get rid of any clutter from your desk and if you have time left clean your room or study space too. Remove irrelevant items from your desk. If there is anything you won’t use while studying, get rid of it (they will only distract you)!
2. Open up a window
Get some fresh air into your room or study space, this increases energy and focus. If it is too cold outside you can burn a candle or use essential oils for a nice smell.
3. Turn off your phone
Your phone is such a big distraction, just turn it off! If you don’t want to turn off your phone make sure you turn of the sound and notifications. Limit yourself to only using your phone during a break to avoid further distractions.
4. Use a website blocker
If you like to time your study session or if you are more familiar with the pomodoro method I recommend using a website blocker. A website blocker blocks websites and phone applications of your choosing for a certain amount of time (you can choose this too). I use an app called forest on my phone and cold turkey on my computer, you should definitely check those out!
Plan out your study session
Before you actually start studying, you should plan out your study session. Figure out what you need to study, how long you are going to study for each subject and when you are going to take a break. Planning out your study session ensures you are spending your time useful, this is the key to a productive study session!
1. Check your planner
Figure out what subjects you need to study, if you have any upcoming assignments or homework you need to finish for certain classes. This way you won’t forget any important deadlines, appointments or exams.
2. Make a to-do list
You are going to procrastinate if you don’t have a game plan! Write down every single task you need to finish, schedule these tasks according to priority. You could create a time schedule, but make sure you schedule your breaks too.
3. Set achievable goals
What do you want to accomplish during your study session? Do you want to incorporate new habits in to your study session? Write down every goal you want to achieve during your study session and place or hang them somewhere you can see them, so you are constantly reminded to achieve your goals. Make sure to set achievable goals, you can’t study for ten classes in an hour if you know what I mean.
There are only a few steps left until you can actually start studying. It is almost impossible to forget your supplies, but there are a other key steps you might have never done before!
1. Grab your supplies
Figure out what books you need for each subject you are going to study, do you use particular notebooks or binders for a certain subject? Do you need different pens, pencils or highlighters for every subject? Do you need a ruler, calculator or other tools? Make sure you have your syllabus, available powerpoints and your class notes.
2. Pick a study strategy
Decide what study strategy you are going to use for each subject. Are you going to rewrite class notes, make a mind-map, read your textbook, create flashcards, etc? Write down what study strategy you will be using for each subject on your to-do list.
3. Look for a study playlist
You can skip this step if you don’t like studying with music, but you can always give it a try. If you prefer studying with music you should look for a good study playlist, but you can also create one yourself. I recommend classical or acoustic music, since you might get distracted by the lyrics. There are some really nice study playlist on spotify and 8tracks.
4. Grab another glass of water
Grab another glass of water, this way you stay hydrated. You could even fill a bottle of water, so you don’t have to keep filling your glass. Don’t forget to stay hydrated during your study session, drinking water is so important.
That’s it, you can start cracking now! Take a deep breath and try to get into your study mode. I know it is not always easy to be productive, but remember you are studying for a reason!
Reward yourself - You are working so hard and you deserve a reward. Reward yourself when you achieve a goal, pass an exam, get a good grade for an assignment, etc. Buy something nice, go to the movies, hang out with your friends, you deserve it!
Use your syllabus - Your professor made it for a reason, it is a good guideline for your study sessions. Your syllabus contains a lot of important deadlines, check it regularly so you don’t forget to turn in any assignments or essays.
Work on the least interesting thing first - You are way more focused and energized at the beginning of your study session, this way you finish the least interesting tasks faster.
Use different study methods - You can’t use the same study method for every class, obviously. Try to switch between different study methods when you are studying for a class, so you stay a bit more interested.
I hope this masterpost will help you to start a productive study session and ofcourse inspired you to start studying! Let me know if there is an important step I missed, so I can add it to the list. I would love to hear your method to start a productive study session, I hope you have a very productive day! <3
