We have all experienced procrastination and the brunt of its consequences as a student before, so here are my top 5 tips to stay caught up and make studying more enjoyable!
5. Pomodoro Technique
There are multiple variations of the Pomodoro technique; some are studying for 25 minutes then taking a 5-minute break, and on your 4th break, taking a 15-minute break instead of a 5-minute one. Others may study for 50 minutes and have a 10-minute break. Ultimately, the Pomodoro technique is a tool to overcome procrastination, by rewarding breaks between studying, which makes studying less overwhelming.
4. Feynman Technique
Gone are the days when we had to write empty words repeatedly from our textbooks to understand and memorize them! Instead, the Feynman technique is where you cover up your notes, then attempt to teach/explain what you just learned to an 8-year-old. Of course, it does not have to be an 8-year-old, the idea behind this technique is, that if you can simplify and successfully explain what you have learned even to a kid or someone with relatively little knowledge about the subject, then you have understood it. This is also a great tool to catch gaps in your knowledge, so you can go back and study what you don’t know and try again. That way, you spend less time simply memorizing a list of sentences that you do not understand, and less of a chance of becoming stumped on upcoming tests where your understanding of a subject is based on the notes you took in class.
3. Time-blocking
Allowing there to be a specific time of the day (that is the most productive time of day for you), when you schedule yourself to study, results in you building more discipline, which eventually leads to you studying into a habit rather than a chore that must be done. Furthermore, if you allot time for yourself to study, but also a lot of time for you to enjoy your hobbies or rest, then it will reduce the feeling that you are missing out on enjoying your personal life by studying. Also, if you assign yourself a specific time to stop studying, then it pressures your mind to become more focused and productive since your brain knows that you must finish your task before a particular deadline.
2. Prioritize your tasks
If you have fallen behind in class, then it is important to prioritize your tasks from what affects the most of your grade, to what affects your grade the least. By doing so, if in the worst-case scenario, you do not finish your assignments on time, your grade average will be fine.
1. Do a little Each Day
I know, I know, nobody wants to do work that’s not due soon, especially during their free time. However, suppose you finish the less urgent and relatively small tasks sooner. In that case, that is one less thing to worry about in the future, especially if there are more important exams, presentations, or assignments coming up.
I hope this helped! Thank you for your time, and get back to work instead of procrastinating by scrolling on the internet!
