1. DON'T PROCRASTINATE

I'm not going to lie, I am guilty of this. I leave everything until the last possible second and then drive myself crazy with all the stress that could’ve easily been avoided had I started sooner. So take a lesson from me and give yourself ample time to study at a pace that’s good for you and not all at once.

2. SET ASIDE TIME FOR BREAKS

This is super important. Frying your brain with four straight hours of nothing but dates and names and events and terms will not help you in the long run. You’ll also probably get a nasty headache to show for it.

3. WHEN NOT ON A BREAK, STAY FOCUSED

This can be difficult. It’s not easy to keep your mind from counting down to your next break instead of using that time to study. If you keep your mind trained on the task at hand, it’ll be time for your break before you know it. And you’ll have made some progress in your studies.

4. IF POSSIBLE, WRITE OUT WHAT YOU ARE STUDYING

From personal experience, I find rewriting my review sheets over a few times helps me remember way more than just reading it over and over again. I sometimes rewrite until I can write most of the review sheet without look at it. This article has some pretty cool facts and reasons why writing out your notes helps you remember what you’re studying better.

5. GET TO BED

Sleep is what keeps our brains working the way they should. Lack of sleep leads to diminished memory, motivation, and just overall irritability. Check out this articleto learn more about how your sleep affects your memory.