School is hard. Studying can be boring. But it's all something that high school and college kids have to do on a regular basis. If you're one of those people who can just sit back and read a textbook for hours on end, then congratulations. I wish I had your will power. If you struggle to focus for long enough to get through one page of a textbook, then don't feel bad. I'm here with you. There are many stages of studying that most everyone goes through.
"I have two weeks until my test. I'll start studying in a few days."
Mistake number one. Always start studying super early. That way, you don't have to cram for hours and hours the final few days before the test. Study for just a few minutes a day for a couple weeks beforehand and be amazed at how much you've retained.
"This material is easy. I don't need to study it."
Although it may have been easy at the time, a good review can never hurt. When it's been weeks since covering the material, it's likely you definitely forgot some stuff. If it's easy, still go over it--just maybe not as much as you would the more complicated concepts.
"Okay. It's time to start, but first I have to..."
Distractions aren't going to make studying better. It's just delaying the inevitable. Start studying and don't worry about anything else! You don't really have to do anything to prepare.
"I don't feel like working on *insert class here*, so I'll just do *insert other class here*."
It's important to give equal attention to all your classes and not delay working on one because you don't like it. Make a schedule and stick to it. Dedicate a small amount of time to each class, then rotate to keep things fresh and interesting.
"I'll just wake up early and do it in the morning."
Although this isn't a bad option, it can be detrimental to your studying if waking up early never happens. Know yourself and the way you operate. Is it really that likely that you will wake up an hour or two earlier than normal just to study? Probably not.
"I guess I'll just stay up all night to study."
Also a bad idea. The later you stay up, the more tired your brain becomes and is less likely to retain the information that you take in at three and four in the morning. Instead, start working earlier in the day, and that way you can be done studying at a more reasonable hour.
"I really wish I would have studied more."
Just moments before the test, we all have experienced self-doubt and regret at not studying more. But at this point, there is nothing we can do about it. Just embrace the test and do as best as you can and learn from this experience for next time.