Looking for some practical and effective ways to maximize your time spent studying?? These college study tips will definitely help you get more done in less time!
Since I think everyone learns differently, I really wanted to focus on setting yourself up for a productive study time instead of talking about different “methods”. So you’ll find very simple but easy ways to make sure you’re getting the most out of your study session!
I’d love to hear your thoughts and if you have any suggestions to add to the list… Here are the study tips:
Plan It Out
Before you actually sit down to start studying… you should have a plan for the work that needs to be accomplished. I know this sounds super basic but I’ve found that if I don’t have a clear idea of the things I need to do, my mind starts to wander and it’s super easy for me to start procrastinating
There are so many different options out there so my advice would be to use whichever way works best for you! Whether that’s a simple to-do list in your planner/bullet journal or you use an app like Notion to store all your notes, the main idea here is to have an easy to follow game plan
Do Not Disturb
I don’t know about you but I can get distracted very easily so when I start studying, I like to turn my phone on do not disturb and put it in my backpack. Now I know this can be a tough one but even if it’s for a certain period of time and only checking it lets say every half hour… doing that will keep you focused on the task at hand
Another way I like to disconnect is to turn my laptop on do no disturb just like my phone. (top right menu button if you’re on a Mac) If you really want to cut out all possible distractions, then you can add a chrome extension to your browser that will block certain sites that you choose when it’s active. I like to do that if I’m behind in my work and need to knock out a lot of studying!
Stick To One Playlist
Photo credit: After Naomi on Instagram
I personally love listening to music when I’m studying but I’ve found that if I start changing up the songs and looking at different playlists I start getting distracted. So what I like to do is choose a single playlist that I know has songs that are easy to have on in the background. You can set the playlist up to have a certain amount of songs that will get you through at least 45 minutes to an hour of work
It might sound weird… but listening to music in a different language or songs that don’t have any singing really helps me focus so I don’t start thinking about it. I love putting on a playlist and having the music drown out all the other noise that might be around me. If you’re someone that doesn’t get distracted by your everyday music or listening to podcasts, then I’m jealous! But just like all the study tips here, you need to find what works for you and what helps you stay productive
Study In A Public Place
This might sound a bit contradictory to the tips from above but, I’ve found that working in a public space like Starbucks or the library really helps me stay on task. If you’re out in public it’s a lot harder to let yourself watch those Tik Tok’s or read a random gossip article
Sticking with the theme of removing all the distractions and staying focused, I like to wear my noise-canceling headphones when I’m studying out in public. I get the benefit of feeling like I shouldn’t be paying for expensive coffee and not working, while not listening in to someone else’s conversation ? I know that those noise-canceling headphones can be expensive but even throwing in your earbuds will help to keep your mind from drifting
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Start With One Easy Task
Now this has to be my favorite study tips on the list! I have a hard time actually getting started so I like to knock out a few super easy tasks to get myself in the right mindset. It helps me feel productive and if I don’t do that, I’ll just “actively procrastinate” but checking random notifications or messages
Even if its something simple like reading over my notes or writing out the definition to something a few times, I think this really helps to get the ball rolling. The main idea here is to pick something simple but only let yourself do this for the first 5-10 minutes. Any longer than that, it really just defeats the purpose! Stick to a time limit, get it done, then start working on your plan or to-do list
Block Your Time
There gets to a point where you’re productivity and willingness to focus just drops off… For me, the amount of actual work getting done past that certain point just gets smaller and smaller
To remedy this, you can block out your time into 45 minutes, an hour or two-hour chunks where you know that all you should be doing is studying. Once that time is up, that’s when you can grab your phone.. get up to take a walk or whatever else works for you to get your mind off your current study topic. This will also help give you a fresh look at something you might be stuck on!
Study Partner
Just like studying in a public space, finding a good study partner that will keep you accountable will dramatically increase your productivity. If they’re working, it will motivate you to get your stuff done aswell
It also comes in handy when you need to bounce ideas off each other or ask each other for help on a specific subject!
Eat Before You Start / Bring Water
Okay… I’m just going to stay it, I’m a GRUMPY gal when I’m hungry! So eating before you start studying will help you stay focused without constantly thinking about what’s for lunch or dinner
I also like to fill up my water bottle before I start working so there’s no need to get up and waste time looking for a drinking fountain
In Conclusion
To wrap it up… when you remove distractions and force yourself to focus on just one thing, I think you’ll find that the time spent studying will be highly productive. This way you’re spending less time to get more stuff done!
I’d love to hear if you have any other tips or tricks that you personally use when you’re studying!
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