Here are a variety of methods that will help you start the new semester off strong!
#1 – Breaks that gain, not drain
- Breaks that gain: taking a power nap, going to the gym, reading, coloring, taking a break from the screen
- Breaks that drain: social media, overstimulating tasks
#2 – Create a vision board (make one for the new year/semester!)
- Resources: Canva, magazine cutouts, cork bulletin board
#3 – Create a motivation board on Pinterest
- Add motivational quotes, aesthetic pictures, or “toxic” motivation
#4 – Be productive to impress yourself, not somebody else!
- Think to yourself, “why am I studying?” The answer should be some variation of a goal you’re keeping for YOURSELF. The other person’s validation is not enough for you to keep going.
#5 – Teach the material to someone else (or pretend to)
- For example, teach the topic to your stuffed animals, your family, or a pretend YouTube video.
#6 – Bullet journal!
- Keeping to-do lists on paper gives you the satisfaction of crossing out a task once you’ve accomplished it. You can also make it aesthetic by adding cute cover pages for each month.
#7 – Surround yourself with people who are being productive
- Go to a library or coffee shop. When you’re around productive people, you will not feel like being unproductive. Also, you’ve already taken the time to go to this location, so you might as well do your work!
#8 – Find a study place that works for you
#9 – Stop doomscrolling!
- Think about an activity that you can do to replace scrolling (go back to Study tip #1 for ideas). Or, simply put your phone in another room.
#10 – Make studying rewarding
- Examples: materialistic things (such as buying makeup, clothes, etc.), hanging out with friends, or doing a hobby
#11 – Splash water on your face if you feel foggy after scrolling
- Solution: splash some water on your face and take a quick nap. Now, you’re ready to study!
#12 – Don’t stay up late and expect to wake up early
#13 – Finish your homework the day it’s assigned
#14 – Have a good night routine
- How you feel the night before is how you’re going to feel in the morning.
#15 – Break big tasks into smaller tasks
- For example, if a project is due in 2 weeks, keep track of exactly how much of the project you want to complete per day.
#16 – Create goals
- Create these at the start of a new day, week, or month.
#17 – Write to-do lists the day before, not when you come back from school
- This will help keep you motivated and on task.
#18 – Make sure you are being specific in your to-do lists
- For example, write exactly how many pages of notes you want to finish.
#19 – Create a Google Doc to keep track of homework
- Add your classes as headers and list the homework under each class in order of priority
#20 – Use notion.so to plan
- There are many great templates for all types of aesthetics and needs!
#21 – Use Google Calendar
- Use this to keep track of tests, big projects, and finals
#22 – Sleep at the same time every night
#23 – Make use of study hall
- Think about what you want to accomplish during study hall before you go to school so you can bring the materials you need.
#24 – Take advantage of time in between events, activities, etc.
#25 – Don’t be hard on yourself!
#26 – Use the Zeigarnik effect for studying
- Stop a study session right before a natural break or on a slightly incomplete thought, like finishing a paragraph but not the section, to make your brain keep working on it subconsciously, which will help you remember it better later.