It’s that time of the year – I know, I should be studying, but instead, I decided to write a post about how to study less, and do it more effectively. After reading this post, you will have more time to do other things, e. g. write blog posts for example.
So let’s break down a few key points in what makes studying more effective:
- Keep your study material (notes, textbooks, literature) organized.
What might seem very straightforward at first glance actually makes a big difference – if you plan to start studying at a certain point in time, and take hours to find notes or get your schoolmates to send you theirs’, that takes away a lot of valuable time in which you could be studying already.
- Plan how you’re going to study in advance.
It really helps to think about how you’re going to approach your study material, especially if there’s a lot of it. Therefore, a good way (at least for me) is to divide it into different parts. For example, I usually read the theory a few times first, and then start solving the exercises. Up until the exam, I will usually complete each exercise at least two times, as well as read some theory in between.
- Stay hydrated.
It’s super necessary for your brain to function properly and remember stuff.
- Get plenty of physical activity.
You have to move your body as well, not just your brain. If you exercise, you relax from all the hard work you did when studying. During a workout, you won’t think about anything else but the set your doing. After completing it, you will feel a sense of completion, which is what will drive you to study harder for that exam – to get that feeling again, passing it.
- Take breaks.
If you’re re-reading that paragraph for the n-th time, it’s probably time for you to take a break. Studying without taking time-off won’t help you remember better – if you study for a long time, your attention will get lower, and you’ll likely mix up the information. Rather, you should read it just a few times by trying to remember it in a meaningful way.
Now that I’ve laid down these key points, I’ll share how I follow them during my exam period. I usually get up at 8 in the morning and take an hour to fully wake up my brain – that involves watching YouTube videos, eating cereal and playing some guitar.
At 9, I start studying for the exam that’s coming up next. I have everything I need on my desk, including pencils, exercises, a calculator and the computer if necessary. I usually take between an hour to an hour and a half to get through whatever I had planned to study at that time.
When that’s complete, I begin my workout on my homemade parallettes. I’m currently working on a tuck-planche progression, which involves some planche leans, L-sit to tuck-planche transitions and fooling around, trying out new stuff.
When my workout is complete, I take a quick shower and get back to studying. I read the theory or complete a few more exercises. Then it’s time for lunch. I use my bike to get to the grandma’s and do some wheelies along the way.
After lunch, it’s time for playing Wii Sports Resort or watching the Australian Open on EuroSport until my belly is ready to workout again. Then I go do some pull-ups as well as toe-to-bar or leg raises. After I’m thoroughly exhausted, I return home and study until evening with occasional breaks. If I stay focused enough, there’s still some time for the TV before I go to sleep.
I hope this article helps you with your grades and makes your use of time more effective – if you have other tips on how to improve studying, please let me know 