Hey there, study bugs!
Today’s post is on 10 study hacks that you definitely need when studying.
1 – Make your intentions clear – Study Hacks
The first of the study hacks on the list is to have a little chat with yourself. I know it seems useless or stupid, but if you fix your mind, you can do whatever you set out to do.
You can journal the reason why you want to get good grades, or the reason why you want to study today. You can also reflect about it in your mind. If you find a fulfilling enough answer to why you are studying, you will find it easier to study.
2 – Set a specific time to study every day
Routines are very important for humans. It makes them feel safe and confident in themselves. Routines make you feel safe by not introducing new and scary things to deal with in your day.
Routines make you confident in yourself because you think, hey, I’ve done this before, and I can do it today too! By the way, I learnt this from a book by Brianna Wiest called 101 Essay that will Change the Way You Think. It’s an awesome read.
This is the perfect study hack: Set a specific time to study every day. It can be 8am, or 8pm, but make sure that whenever that time rolls around, you are ready to study. This will in time create a routine, and the human body loves routines!
3 – Create a to-do list
One of the important study hacks is to always create to-do lists. These are lists of what activities you want to get done by the end of the day.
You can break down your lists into the hard things and the easy things. That way, you can feel accomplished and productive by just doing the easy things.
I like to ask a little question in my journal: What is the least I can do today?
This helps me to delegate my energy and time wisely.
4 – Start small study habits
Another important study hack is the knowledge that one tiny habit carried out over and over a long period of time gives amazing results.
Show of hands, who is going to study for 7 hours straight every day? Not me! In fact, the most I’ve studied in one non-stop study session is probably 2 hours. And that was the morning before the exam!
Find one tiny habit that takes next to no energy or time, and stick to it for months.
Here are a few examples:
- Lightly read through your class notes immediately after the class
- Write down one important fact from your class
- Do one math question every day
These might seem boring, but they take next to no energy, so try it out.
5 – Study in bursts – Study Hacks
This is where the pomodoro technique comes in handy. This is a technique where you dedicate at least 5 minutes of time to absolute, pure dedication to your activity. Learning to study in burst is a great study hack, and it’s better than long winded studying that goes on for half an hour before you quit.
Remember, when it comes to studying, something is better than nothing!
6 – Take breaks
I love it when I get into the flow of studying. However, you must know that studying involves a lot of brain power. This is why it’s important to take breaks when studying.
Breaks don’t have to last five days, though.
Keep your breaks minimal. A break can be as simple as standing up and stretching. Staying hunched and focused on your books can cause back aches.
You can also take water breaks, and snack breaks. It’s all about moderation.
7 – Use different study techniques
The best way to study is to use loads of different study techniques. Studying works best when you switch things up. Here are some examples of studying techniques:
- Reading and writing down points (my favorite study hack)
- Using flash cards
- Using mnemonics (funny things to help you remember stuff)
- Using mind maps
- Making up questions
- Singing
- Talking in the mirror
I know some of these might sound a bit silly, but hey, whatever works, right?
8 – Make it fun – Study hacks
Have you noticed that the word studying conveniently has the word “dying” in it? Not cool. They should have made it something like “stu-flying” or “stu-flowers” or maybe just “stuting”.
Make studying fun. Come up with funny mnemonics. Use cool highlighters and markers to write titles and headings. Create flash cards.
Or, pretend you are a mad scientist.
9 – Motivate yourself
Part of the process of getting yourself to study involves motivating yourself. This is an important study hack. If you don’t feel like studying, take some time to motivate yourself. Tell yourself how accomplished and productive you will feel after studying.
Remind yourself that you would rather know something than nothing in your exam. Tell yourself that you believe studying will be more worth it than watching those YouTube videos you would rather watch.
Try out this self-talk, and watch how you set yourself up to succeed!
10 – Reward yourself – Study Hacks
My final study hack for you is to reward yourself. A reward doesn’t have to be extreme or expensive. Keep it minimal. Reward yourself with a few scrolls of social media – you earned it.
A YouTube video is a good study reward. You can also reward yourself with a little study snack. Be sure you tell yourself that you are proud of the good job you did. That is also a great reward.
Study Away!
This was a compilation of some study hacks that you can use to study every day. Remember to create a specific study time, and always take breaks. Reward yourself, and tell yourself what a good job you did.
Additional Helpful Posts:
- How to Increase Motivation to Study
- How to Study Even When You Don’t Feel Like It.
- How Can I Study Better at Home?
- How to Study Last Minute
- 15 Study Session Essentials
- 16 Healthy and Easy Study Snack Ideas
- 10 Daily Habits to Improve Life at Home
It was a very helpful article…