How to increase your productivity while studying?
"We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action." -Dr. Henry Link.
It is not an unknown fact that being a student is a full-time job. It requires every ounce of your energy, focus, and a whole lot of motivation to power through those chapters. Coming from a medical background and having studied in two vastly different countries of the world where the study and work culture is like chalk and cheese, I can say one thing for certain, after a long day if you can go to bed satisfied, there is no greater sense of achievement. Having said that, here are my top tips to make the most of your day and get you inspired to strive harder and achieve more.
Plan out what you want to complete for the day a night before. It is extremely important to chalk out your entire day which would include time spent on commute, lecture timings, time that you might spend on group projects, and homework backlogs or assignments if any.
Develop a routine and stick by it. While sticking to a routine does tend to be a little difficult as a student, it is definitely worth it. Sticking to a routine helps you become efficient, and takes away the stress of planning out your day to day activities because you already know how much time that would take
Time management techniques. There are in fact different time management techniques that everyone follows. What works for one may not necessarily be effective for another since everyone is unique in their approaches and temperaments. So I would not really advocate anything in particular but adopting one technique would definitely boost your productivity. Head over to this website to take a better look at what technique best suits you and get going with it immediately!
https://clockify.me/time-management-techniques#time-management-techniques-10
Learning to say 'NO'. This takes a hell of a lot of willpower to do especially if your friend is inviting you over for a fun movie night with double cheese pizza..... yummm, but you know you have that important assignment due in two days. Do not feel ashamed to put off socializing appointments or unnecessary chores if you have your own priorities lined up. You have to understand that your friends and families do not have the same goals and aspirations as you and definitely do not have the same schedule and mindset as you. So if you have a task to complete that is always a top priority.
Have a neat and allocated study space. This is imperative as the environment you study in has a huge impact on assimilating and retaining the information your taking in. At all costs avoid studying on a couch or a bed as that would make you slouchy and lazy. Try sitting at a table, upright with ample and good lighting which will not cause a strain on your eyes.
Exercise. I was never the fitness freak and definitely did not like working out but all of that changed when I realized that I needed an outlet for all that stress. I suffered frequent panic attacks when I realized I was unable to complete the goals I was setting for myself and the deadlines closing in on me. But I realized that once I started spending barely 30 minutes a day exercising and gradually bumped it up to 1 hour, I felt calmer, refreshed, and energized to complete my studies. The adrenaline rush and increased oxygen intake during a workout help you to relax and cope with the stress better.
Take breaks while studying. Trying to cram in loads of information for hours on end is really not a great option. Instead, try taking a 10-15 minute break after studying for 2-3 hours. When you take a break make sure that you get away from your study table and clear your mind. Several studies have shown that eating chocolate that contains a high content of cacao helps decrease stress levels and boosts your memory power. So try and eat some chocolate on your breaks it really does help, and honestly who could refuse some decadent chocolate?
Social media and texting. I don't think there must be too many of us who have not been taunted by our mums for aimlessly surfing on the phone (pretty common in brown households haha). But I couldn't agree more with this when you are studying and really trying to assimilate as much information and trying to retain it. It is a good idea to not keep your cell phone around you and log out of all social media accounts on your laptop or computer (if you make use of them while studying).
Apps to the rescue!
"Life is too complicated not to be orderly"- Martha Stewart
Technology is constantly evolving and it is essential that you make use of this to your advantage. Go ahead and set reminders, use Google Calendars or Apple Calendars or any application that helps you record tasks you need to complete. Set reminders for upcoming tests. You can log in to how much you have studied for the day and set up your weekly goals to achieve. This makes achieving the goals more realistic with real-time tracking.
Making copious notes. Throughout my journey I have had to refer to several books, PowerPoint notes from Professors, and my own class notes and have found it very useful to take the time out when I am studying the chapter for the first time to compile all of this into one book. While I would take the traditional pen and paper route, since I could really memorize concepts and information well while doing so, you could create digital notes on your computer, whatever works best for you. But compiling all your study material for a chapter into one place saves massive amounts of time when you are going over the chapter during exams, so I swear by this method.
Sleep. It is absolutely imperative to get a good night's sleep of at least 7 hours a day. Rest is necessary to be productive and energetic throughout the day. Insufficient sleep would cause you to be grouchy and sloppy through the day and hinder you from functioning at your optimum so ensure those 7-8 hours of sleep a day. Besides a regular sleep pattern, something I do is taking a quick 15-minute power nap somewhere mid-day. It helps refresh me and power through the rest of the day. This is especially great when you are working a part-time job, attending classes, and trying to study at the same time.
So these are my top tips which I have tried and tested and follow personally. Go ahead and start making the most of your day and I guarantee this will make a huge difference to your productive outcomes every day.
