Easter break feels like forever ago, and now term 3 exams are fast approaching! You may feel super underprepared, but don’t panic, here are our top 5 tips for effective studying!
1. Look After Yourself!
The first, and most important thing, is to take care of yourself! Cars can’t run without fuel, and neither can you! You need to make sure you are eating well, sleeping enough and keeping hydrated.
When you’re studying hard, you’ll be tempted to scoff down sugary snacks for the sake of ease, but eating properly will help you concentrate for longer & feel better in yourself!
Taking yourself out for walks or runs during the day will also improve concentration and can relax your mind and also you to refresh!
2. Plan Your Time
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail! Create a time table to block out all of the topics you need to study for – then add things like showering, meal times & exercising.
Alternatively, write a to do list, and again, add everything on – ticking it off is super satisfying and makes you feel like you’ve accomplished things throughout the day.
Once you have planned out what you need to do – set timers, work through them, and then take a break!
3. Little & Often!
Little & often is the key to success with studying, as you can’t effectively concentrate for more than 90 minutes! Set small sessions & then reward yourself with a 15 minute break! Take a shower, do a quick workout, make some food, grab a coffee! Just switch your brain off for a few minutes!
4. Limit Distractions!
Your phone is not your friend when you’re studying! The group chat going off, the temptation to spend a “few minutes” scrolling through Tiktok… we all know that the next thing you know 6 hours will have passed! Stick it in a draw, hide it in a cupboard – whatever you need to do!
Don’t play music that will distract you – play something with chilled vibes that will hype you up just enough to still concentrate!
If you have Spotify, there are tonnes of study playlists you can use!
5. Enjoy Your Downtime!
You’ve worked hard all day, you deserve to enjoy your time off! You can’t study for every waking hour of the day! See your friends, go to the pub, eat out! Do things you enjoy and make sure you find a good balance!
