Here are five ways to keep at it when it's the last thing you feel like doing.
Whose bedroom is the tidiest during exams? The weeks of the year when you'll do just about anything to avoid sitting down and pulling out the books.
If this isn't you, maybe you can relate to just starring blankly at a computer screen while getting more and more stressed about the amount of work you need to get done?
Here are 5 tips you can use today to get you in the mood to study:
1. Use different learning styles
Change is as good as a holiday. Maybe that’s a slight stretch in this context, but it has been shown that mixing up your learning style can help with increasing your productivity.
Try it out by mixing and matching the below:
Use different coloured pens to highlight what you're studying.
Change your location. Pick a different room to study in for each topic.
Study with a friend and have them test you verbally.
Watch a documentary or listen to a podcast on the topic to get you thinking about it from a different perspective.
2. Create a routine
Holding yourself accountable for the time you study and giving yourself time off not to study helps your "study time" be more productive. As opposed to just feeling like you need to be sitting in the one spot nutting away at it all day.
Schedule what time you'll wake up, have lunch, stretch your legs, and speak with friends. This helps to avoid the blur of how a day can feel without any structure.
Write out your ideal day and do you best to stick to it .
3. Try different productivity methods
Again use the trick of change to keep your productivity levels elevated.
When yours start dipping, try out the below:
Get a timer to dictate how long you study and have breaks in between.
Tell someone else what you expect to have done before a certain time and then you’ll be accountable for letting them know when you’re done. The pressure of having someone expect you to complete something can be very powerful.
Make a list of your highest priority to-do's to your lowest priority tasks and feel that satisfaction as you tick through them.
4. Combat burn out
Know when you’re physically exhausted and when your basic needs haven't been met, like sleeping and eating. This is "Burn out".
You’re not a robot and no one expects you to function without these basic needs first! If you can learn to combat reaching burn out your productivity levels will have better longevity.
Ensure you get enough sleep during exam time.
Make sure you’re eating well and don’t over do it with your extra curriculum tasks. DON'T burn the candle at both ends.
Make time to exercise and connect with friends. Friends remind you that it’s not just you – we’re all trying to keep the study momentum.
5. Reduce distractions
Reduce distractions in your environment. These can include people, gadgets and general mess. A clean space helps to promote a clear mind. You'll find with as much clutter removed as possible your attention will increase and your creativity will have space to flourish.
It's also helpful to have your basic needs on hand. You might need some snacks, a glass of water and a comfortable set up with good lighting!
These things can sound obvious. But the trick is doing them all during your exam weeks. If you do, you'll find it a hell of a lot easier to keep your study momentum.