I came out of high school with virtually no studying skills because I never studied in high school. I had this belief that if I studied, I would not pass, based on previous experiences. So I spent most of my high school days trusting what I had in my brain and using that to pass. It worked out pretty well. The main reason why I chose not to study was because I felt that, whenever I sat down to study, I start realizing all the things that I don’t know perfectly, so I start stressing about not knowing them for the quiz, test or final and so I, eventually, end up stressing myself more than I need to before the exam. It’s never a good idea to be stressed before an exam, my teachers would constantly tell me, so I avoided studying.
My rule in high school: the more you look at it, the more stressed you’ll get, the worse you’ll do. Obviously, this is not the same in college. You have to be constantly looking at your notes and lecture slides/videos or past homework assignments. However, there is a way to still not over stress yourself even when you’re doing all of this.
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Here are seven things that help me to study well, do well and not stress.
1. Know what I have to get done first, i.e prioritize effectively.
I always go into the library with the intent to study for upcoming exams, etc. But, I always start with my most urgent assignments and homework. Even if I don’t get the chance to actually study, when I have my homework done, sometimes a week ahead, I create more time for me to focus on this one exam in the following days without worrying about the homework due whenever.
2. Putting the things I have to do down on a list really helped with reducing stress.
I use to hate using planners, but I have come to like them. I might go in thinking I have so much to do, worrying about having enough time and all these other things that I may think I have no control over. But once I write down everything that I have to do, I don’t even set a time limit for myself; just listing them down drives away all that stress. When you have it written down, you realize that you don’t have as much to do as you thought. Oh!, the feeling of checking off an item as you go on through the night is the best thing ever. I try not to put time limits because that just increases stress really. It helps me remember that, if I don’t do it today, I will do it tomorrow. This is why prioritizing comes in handy again. The least urgent and important things just move on to the next day.
3. Having everything that I need for the studying session out in front of me.
I literally spend about five minutes taking everything I need out of my bag and making sure that everything is neatly arranged. It kind of makes the little library cubicle my home for a while. As I finish using one thing, I put it back in my back. The less crowded my desk gets, the closer I am to finishing and the less I have to worry about.
4. Music or just having headphones without music.
It helps me keep my focus on what I have to do. I don’t have a particular type of music I like to play when studying. Some people listen to classical music but it is so slow that I would fall asleep. I usually have some kind of music I can tap my feet, hum to or move my head along to. This may not work for everyone; it doesn't even for me sometimes. When I’m taking notes or doing light math, which is basically all I’ll be doing for the rest of my college career, I have music on, sometimes louder than I need it to be. But once you get to the thermodynamics and Calculus 2 and physics, I either turn the music off or play it softly. For me, I find that the longer I spend studying with no music or headphones, the less I actually do and the more stressed I get.
5. Well, coffee.
I try to avoid coffee. First, I don’t like coffee, and second, it’s not that good for you. I only started drinking coffee because of college and may or may not have developed an addiction to it. It does help me study effectively and I cannot study without it. However, something that I’ve realized I’m doing lately is getting coffee, taking a sip, putting it next to me and forgetting to touch it again. And I study with no problem. However, I recommend coffee or tricking your brain into thinking it was drinking coffee this whole time.
6. Taking a break a lot but not too much.
I cannot study for more than two hours without taking a 15 minutes or longer break. Even that is not enough. I am not a machine, I am human and I am not trying to fry my brain. I take a lot of breaks and I mostly use these breaks to watch watercolor painting videos on YouTube. Not too bizarre and it won’t drag me away from my studies. Then when I feel like I’ve had enough, I just go back and continue studying.
7. Knowing when to start and when to stop, i.e. knowing myself.
I can only study at night. I never go to the library in the morning because I know I will not do or learn anything. I cannot learn anything past 3 a.m., and once the clock hits that, I pack my things and go to sleep (unless I drink coffee, then I’ll stay awake until dawn). Knowing when to start and when to stop is so important. The studying you do outside this time frame is, to me, wasted because you will not remember anything.
Studying effectively mainly has to do with knowing how to organize yourself and your time, taking breaks and finding an effective studying routine for yourself.
