Another Summer has practically come and gone. Hopefully you had the opportunity to unwind over the last few months, and are now ready to jump back into the grind. However, if you had a lesst-than-relaxing Summer and simply hearing the word "school" makes you gag, all hope is not lost. Going into a new semester with some new study strategies will have you crushing your classes in no time!
If You're Able, Buy New Stationary
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If you're fortunate enough to have the funds for back-to-school shopping, include some new stationary on your list. I don't know what it is about new post-it notes, pens, and notebooks, but they never fail to motivate me. Additionally, there's nothing worse than sitting down to study and realizing you're out of paper or flashcards. Save yourself time later by stocking up now.
Spread Out A Long To-Do List Throughout The Week
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Multiple tests, projects, and papers due in one week can feel impossible to tackle. And it can be if you don't plan ahead. Don't rely on one day every week to do all your assignments, or the day before to study for an exam. Instead, break up the work and studying into smaller chunks over multiple days. Soon your procrastination will be nonexistent!
Do The Things You Want To Put Off, First
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Avoiding the work you're dreading and doing other assignments first will only foster procrastination, first. So try to get the work you want to procrastinate on first, and do the more interesting or fulfilling work afterwards or later in the week.
Study In Chunks To Avoid Burnout
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Attempting to write an entire paper in 3 hours sounds find in theory, but it will only leave you tired and frustrated in the middle. Instead, set an alarm and when it goes off, take a small break. This will boost your productivity and keep you sane. How long you set the alarm for is up to you, but the Pomodoro Technique works for a lot of people. For this technique, you work for 25 minutes then take a small break (around 5 minutes). Then, after 4 work sessions, you take a longer break (maybe half an hour).
Reward Your Accomplishments, Big And Small
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Wait to go to the gym until your work for the day is done. Hold off your dessert until after your study session. After a few hours of work, do a little reading for fun. Make yourself a deal that if you reach a certain GPA, you'll take yourself out to dinner. If you need extrinsic motivation to get shit done, give yourself that.
Find Your Most Productive Study Spot
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Your bed might be your favorite place to unwind, but it might not be the most productive place to work. If you live on or near campus, chances are there are countless options for study space indoors and outdoors. Take some time your first week of class to figure out what you need from a study place. Consider noise, comfort, food proximity, open hours, and number of distractions.
Know When To Say No
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Before you say yes to plans with family and friends, or pick up an extra shift at work, look over your schoolwork for the week. Consult your syllabi. It's okay to say no and put your studies first sometimes!
Keep An Agenda Book, Even If You Have A Great Memory
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Keeping all of your assignments and test dates in your head may work, but writing them down will keep you accountable. Physically crossing off tasks on paper is a feeling like no other.It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but if you pick a pretty one that can't hurt!
One Unproductive Day Is Not The End Of The World
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There might be days where you burn out. Days where you can't read one more sentence or write one more word without keeling over. Those days are normal, and it's okay to take care of yourself. You won't be productive if you're not in the right heads pace or not feeling well, anyways. Take time to recover when you need it. Maybe you fail a quiz or get a bad grade on a paper as a result, but it happens and your health is more important.
Sleep
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Again, your physical and mental health is more important than your grades. Without proper sleep, you'll never be able to reach your full potential. So prioritize it, and use your new agenda book to plan your work hours around a solid sleep schedule!
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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