Netflix. Friends. Books. Magazines. Campus Activities. Food. Exercise.
These are just a few of the distractions we college students face every day that make it nearly impossible to study. The thing is though, these distractions can actually be used to help aid effective study and can be a fun way to make college life a bit more colorful.
As a reward, with my addiction to reading remaining a strong distraction in my life, I allow myself a certain number of pages in my current favorite novel after I have accomplished a major homework task. If I succesfully type and edit an entire page of my next 20 page essay, I allow myself to read 10 pages. If I have small assignments or tasks, I promise myself an episode or two from netflix later for motivation. If I have a major exam coming up, I force myself to study, using my favorite campus activity as a middle buffer to get out of the library and keep as sane as possible during hectic cram sessions.
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I also have heard of students who love laying out fruit snacks or candy on the next page of a major textbook. If a reading section is required, a candy break or keeping hydrated may just help the student feel like they pay attention more efficiently. Also, it's perfectly alright to use a caffeine addiction to help keep focus during a textbook reading session, (just go to bed before 3
am please). It is also important to remember that the food reward method should be taken in moderation, (no one wants to add the freshman 15), and can actually help students study. If this method does not work, there are other ways to use your favorite distractions in order to study effectively.
I also love to use online and app store games that are relevant to the subject I need to study. For my Greek homework, I have mindlessly played a game that teaches me the Greek alphabet for some time now and I have almost completely, unknowingly, learned it through the game. The game helped me study in a fun and easy way. It took most of the fear and pause away from studying, while helping me subconsciously study. There are many different app stores or online game resources that can help the studying process be fun and easy. What is important to remember about games though is that they do not take the place of actually studying and should just be used as a support to, or break from, studying class material.
It is also important to watch, do or eat things to prepare for studying that will help the process of studying. Almonds are a great study snack that can increase brain function and boost energy. Exercising can help boost energy and help keep a student active and engaged before, during or after studying. Watching documentaries can help get the thinking juices flowing and improve study. Documentaries targeted on the study subject can help visual learners physically see the material they are supposed to be learning. Documentaries are also a fun way to keep the brain engaged and learn new things!
Its also fun to create rhymes, songs or acronyms that relate to our favorite television shows or fandom-related interests to help memorize key words for the next test. I often use keywords from the study subject and combine them with Harry Potter quotes or references, with a few replaced pronunciations, in order to help me learn the correct pronunciation of any certain technical terms. I also used titles of the books to help me memorize many study terms and keep my brain on task.
I may not be very good at drawing, but it is something that I have always enjoyed. Drawing characters that represent major concepts in a study session can help you learn and understand the concepts better. For example, when I was studying for a biology test, I would create a heart or other body part characters that would help me remember the parts of the organ that I was required to memorize for our next exam. I gave each body part a character, with a saying that pointed out their functions and physical layout. Using my drawings, I learned the organs of the body in an easier way than memorizing a page of writing and barely understandable diagrams given to me by my professor. It is also helpful to print out diagrams that can be colored and separately labeled so that learning the different parts of the body is not a difficult or boring task.
Studying can be an exhausting process. Creativity, our favorite books, television, food and activities can help students remain engaged and study efficiently while attempting to learn all of the required information for exams. Always remember, a study break can keep you sane and help during even the toughest cram sessions.
