Underrated Study Tips everyone needs to know
the whole idea of taking breaks is gaining momentum, but scheduling breaks is just as important. for example, I schedule my breaks at breakfast and lunch, and one break each in between the time from breakfast to lunch and lunch to dinner (these are very specified times, by the way). this way, I know exactly when I’m going to be taking a break and how to plan my study session.
managing energy is more important than managing time. I know my most productive time is after breakfast and in sunlight, so I do the most demanding tasks then. in the evenings, I just do some light reading or watch a video lecture (I’m currently self-studying).
planning your day/week doesn’t always work out. there’s always something that comes up, including random drops in motivation and productivity. always leave some legroom for such events – even though you can always rush in the end – to avoid stress and anxiety. and don’t feel bad if you didn’t check off all (or even any) tasks on your checklist.
have a little notebook with you at all times to jot down any ideas you have while studying. this is an incredible technique for days when you cannot focus and/or have too many thoughts running through your mind. I don’t suggest the notes app on your phone, since that increases the likelihood that you’re going to open a distracting app (muscle memory, amirite?). you may use a small dry erase board, too. post-it (the company) makes a whiteboard which is slightly smaller than the size of an A4 paper.
the two-minute rule is pretty bullshit. if there are, say, ten tasks that will take you under two minutes to complete, and you remember each task after five minutes of studying, you are essentially wasting an hour. the brain finds it difficult to switch between tasks so quickly, and constantly getting up from your studying spot to do something makes it even worse. this is why it's a better idea to jot down what you had to do, and then do all the tasks later, saving a lot of time (hence the notebook).
you really have to love what you do. I know that this is a privilege that not many of us get – however! worry not! you can actually make yourself like a subject, especially if you link it with daily entertainment and observations. my favourite methods are interconnecting how science and culture are related and making fandom references/daily applications while I’m making notes. it makes you see that what you’re studying is actually not useless, after all. I also like making fun mnemonics: my favourite is “And Another Mildly Hyper Ninja” for the order of priority for naming benzene substituents and derivatives (acid, alcohol, methyl, halogen, nitro)
do something creative regularly. this keeps your mind active and happy, making you more receptive to what you will study. ‘doing something creative’ may sound very vague, but that’s the beauty of it! doing literally anything creative, such as drawing/painting, music, photography, cooking, or even making your notes look aesthetic, can do wonders for your brain. this is especially helpful for science subjects, since a scientific mind is inherently a creative mind.
that’s all I can remember today, I hope this helped!
my main: @nerdartsy