tips on how to organise your study sessions
Hi guys! So quite some time, i asked you guys if you were interested in some tips on how i manage to stay concentrated for a long time period and how i prepared for my exam season - writing 4 exams in 1 month when i haven’t written a real hard exam in 2 years. It was not that easy, but i managed to do okay. I passed all of them so far - which is cool for me, because they were exams in business class, and i usually don’t have business classes. Anyway, i’m blabbering, so here’s my tips on how to stay focussed!
1. have a look at the material you need to study!
This was actually the first thing i did before studying anything. I checked everything i needed to know, wrote down the chapters on each subject (which was, for me, marketing, cultural philosophy, accounting and leadership), and did a study time planner. I roughly planned the time i needed to study for every subject, then i made a day-by-day-study-plan. I customised it half way through and made sure i sticked to it. Also, be sure that you’re honest with the time you’re planning. If you know that you’re a slow learner, please allow yourself the time you need! It’s not a shame if you’re studying 3 months before your exam. It’s a shame if you don’t study because you wanna be cool and only start studying 2 weeks before your exam. IT WON’T BE ENOUGH TIME, depending on what subject you have! At university, it most likely won’t be. Also, be sure to add other things to your study planner, like birthdays, grocery shopping, eating, work, appointments, showering, etc. These all take time, and only if you note these down, you know how much time you’ll have for your study.
2. have a regular daily schedule
So this is, in my eyes, the most important advice. For me, it worked best when i studied from 9 am to 12 or 1 pm, depending on my concentration, then have a lunch break, and continue to study from 2 to 6 pm with breaks in between. If i still felt like i could concentrate after that, i did another hour or two in the evening. But i slowly had to make my body and my brain accustomed to this rhythm, which took some time. So, if you know you have a though exam period coming up, be sure to not cram, but to slowly work your way towards studying several hours a day. This is best if you start studying or at least making study guides at least 2 months before the exam.
3. Don’t study the same thing the whole day
So this is actually how i manage to do such long study periods during exam time. In the morning, i usually study some theory - learn things by heart, learn definitions and these things that require your memory. I read them a few times, then first try to recall them by talking, then i need to write the definitions down. So this actually works best when i’m home. I’m running around in my dorm room and need to be comfortable with that. The Library’s not my favourite place for this kind of study session. However, sometimes i have to go to the library, especially if i can’t concentrate at home, which happens too often. Then, in the afternoon, when my concentration isn’t too good and i feel sleepy, i did some calculating and exercises. Since i studied for marketing and accounting, there was a lot of maths involved, which i always had to practice a lot in order to fully understand stuff. It is not as demanding as learning stuff by heart, but it is still important to do exercises for some subjects. If you don’t have to practice stuff, try to do other stuff. There’s mostly the possibility to play around with your study methods, and i totally recommend you to do so! It’ll boost your creativity and also your brain action so you’ll feel more productive!
This is really important. In the mornings, i often managed to study 90 minutes to 2 hours in one session, but then i need a break of at least 15 minutes. In the afternoon, my breaks are often much more frequently. I got quite comfortable with studying 50 minutes and having a 10 minutes break. So it’s like the Pomodoro technique, but the double of it. And after 2 or 3 study session, i’ll have a longer break, for like 30 minutes to 1 hour. Also, in the evening, i’ll take time to do other stuff, for like 1 or 2 hours. For example, i like to practice the piano, do some sports, read a book that doesn’t require much concentration, make yoga, cook something nice, etc. I’m sure you’ll find a creative way on how to spend your breaks. Also, it’s very nice to talk to friends during breaks, or have a walk around the campus, if the weather’s okay.
5. allow your body the right food
Food is a really important thing. I love cooking, and during exam period, it is even more important for me to stay well nourished. Also, i drink lots of coffee and water during my study sessions. And, which is very important, i also allow my body to have sugar in the afternoon. Yep. It is totally okay to have a muffin, or some other sweets if you feel like your brain is a bit down. It’ll help you to stay concentrated for another hour. At least that’s with me. And yes, i also gain weight during exam periods, but for me, that doesn’t really matter. I can always lose that weight afterwards.
6. stay away from your phone
Seriously. Lock your phone so you can’t see it. Even shut it down. And it’s best if you’re doing the same thing with your laptop, if you don’t need it to study. I printed all of my material, so i didn’t have to be on my laptop all the time. I now that when my phone is lying right next to me, i’m gonna feel the need to check tumblr, twitter or instagram every half an hour. Or respond to unimportant messages right away. Believe me. Your friends can wait until the evening. Tell them that you need to concentrate on your studying, and they’ll understand. If not, ask yourself if they’re worth it. They should be supportive about your education, and if you decide to only reply to them in the evening, they’ll be okay. you’ll be okay. You won’t miss anything important in a day. Trust me.
7. make sure you know WHY you’re doing this
This is really important if you feel like it’s all useless anyways. I had a clear focus, because i absolutely wanted to pass these exams. It was a totally different subject from what i study (Cultural management/Cultural studies), but i know that i had to get through these subjects because they’re useful tools if you want to be a top manager, even for a cultural organisation like a theatre or an opera. It is always good if you know about financial stuff, even though there may be someone else responsible for that. So, what i wanna say is: find your goal. Find your motivation, know, why you need to do this, and if it’s only just to prove yourself and anyone else wrong. YOU. CAN. DO. IT.
Disclaimer: I’m NOT saying that this is how you get straight A’s, or that it is helpful for everyone. For me, these things worked - and if you have no idea how to stay concentrated, maybe you need to customise the suggestions i give you. I hope they’re useful in some ways to you! If you have another thing that always works for you to stay motivated and concentrated, please don’t hesitate to add it!
