By: Nina Hudson

Hello Readers, I’m Nina! In this article, I will give you some advice to help you become a better student and studier. Keep in mind that this works for me; I just wanted to share and give you new ideas 🙂

Big Ideas

Where to start – If you find yourself putting off the more challenging work, leaving it to do at the end, it can end up leaving you lazy and in a slump that might be hard to get out of. Even though it’s tempting to do easy assignments first, starting with the most difficult work will likely make the most of your energy level and help you focus at the beginning of a work session.

Planning – Sometimes, when I know I have a big assessment coming up (usually tests and finals) it can be very I find it helpful to make a small schedule for each day leading up to the exam. Usually, I will try to do this a week ahead. On each of the days leading up, I will give myself three or four main goals that I want to try to achieve daily, and on the day before the assessment, I will leave myself a day to study. This obviously would change with each person’s needs, but I have found this to be very helpful.

Take breaks – It is always important to take breaks! It is scientifically proven that taking a break for 5-60 minutes while studying allows you to refresh your brain and body, increasing your energy, productivity, and ability to focus. 

Tactics

Study playlist – Another thing I find effective in getting me to be productive and focused is through having a study playlist. Everyone has their own preferences, mine being instrumental, but if listening to music with singing or in a different language is more to your taste than good for you! Music is known to boost moods, aid endurance during long study sessions, reduce stress, and so much more. If your goal is to drown out the background noise, it also can be helpful to utilize earbuds or headphones.

Clean workspace – My second piece of advice is to keep a clean workspace, especially if you get easily distracted like me. This is key to achieving a clear mindset that will enable you to succeed. Whether it’s your desk or your kitchen counter, wherever you do your work, ensure that it is clean and free from distractions like technology. Having a clean study space will keep you productive and organized, ensuring that there isn’t any unnecessary stress and disarray added to your to-do list.

Other things I find useful:

Notion – Rather than organizing my homework in the school-provided planner, I use a website called Notion, a “workspace that adapts to your needs.” To be honest, it is very hard to try to create an online workspace yourself on the website/app, so I recommend finding a template on youtube or online! If you are one for aesthetics, Notion also allows you to make it look very cute by changing fonts, colors, and images! 

Beverage – Finally, having a hot or cold beverage is always great while studying! Personally, I find that helping myself to a hot or cold drink helps me get in the mood to get things done. My favorite drink is matcha or chai, but any drink will fulfill the same purpose.