Hello everyone! Happy finals! 😦 I can’t say that I am the most motivated person when it comes to school (I am working on it, ok?) and I am the BIGGEST PROCRASTINATOR. I have decided it is the only way I can find any inspiration or drive to get all of it done. As finals for some of us lurks near in the future, I thought I would offer some of my own advice that might make studying a little more enjoyable. Not like what the teachers preach redundantly, like “don’t procrastinate” or “spread out your studies” and etc. I am sure you have heard the lecture once or a thousand times. 😉 but if you tend to feel unmotivated or just straight up neglect school work sometimes like me (hey, we are all human) than this advice will hopefully help you too! 🙂
1.) It’s all about ambience.
For me, I have to be in an environment that is comfortable, welcoming and encouraging in order to even put down my phone and get the ball rolling. It definitely varies from person to person, but go somewhere with an overall good vibe. I love going to coffee shops like Better Buzz Coffee or local coffee shops (sometimes Starbucks can be too chaotic for me 😦 )with other people working hard around me. Get me a good bev and the smell of coffee and I am set! Or if you are at home, make your desk space clean, light a candle, turn on your fire, just make it cozy and to your liking. I know in my room I have made my desk super cute so it makes me actually want to sit down and study (crazy, right?!?!) Maybe I am just all about a good vibe, but sitting in bed in front of a TV is not a great place to start studying.
2.) Supplies is everything!!
Giving yourself the impression that you have your life together is also very helpful. I like to convince myself that I am ready to study if I have to at least make it seem like at least some idea like I am prepared and organized! For example, I always make sure to get the CUTEST school supplies, like Bando Pencils, Kate Spade Pencils, and other fun utensils that I find at Nordstrom and stores of the like 🙂 again, it might sound weird, but when you have all your little desk accessories and notebooks laying adorably on the table, it is just so exciting!
3.) Study in timed intervals.
In order to be effective with my time, I find it so helpful to set a timer for 30 minutes to an hour where I can be in complete and utter study mode with no distractions. At the end, I can take like a 5 minute break, and then back on the grind. It is pretty self explanatory and simple, but SUPER effective, especially if you are easily distracted.
4.) DO NOT listen to music!
Contrary to popular belief, I find that music is incredibly distracting. As much as I want to listen to music, I find myself to be much more productive when not listening to any music. It is much easier to put all your attention towards your work and won’t make you want to change the song. My psychology teacher even says it is proven that listening to music impairs your memory and your attention span so that is pretty legit if you ask me 😉 I know this is a bummer piece of advice, but take my word for it.
5.) Drink water and eat healthy stuff!!
From one stress eater to another, SURROUND YOURSELF WITH HEALTHY FOOD. I went to the store specifically to get yummy fruits and veggies in preparation for my stress eating endeavors/attempts. Then, I feel more compelled to eat all that fruit I just got rather than eat mindlessly all that junk that I would normally eat. Plus, since you are just sitting around all day, you can rest assured that you at least are eating right if you didn’t get to exercise. (However, I would recommend doing like 10 jumping jacks or something sporadically to get your blood flowing 😉 it works I promise!)
6.) BREATHE
Listen girl, take a deep breath and know that this test is SOOO minuscule in the span of your life. You are soooo much more than how a letter grade and in no way does this grade define you as a person, so stop comparing yourself to others (come on, we all do it). As long as you do the best you can, that should be enough. Stressing will only make matters worse and life has so much more to offer other than assessment. So relax, take a break, and just do your best.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you can find some help in this! Good luck studying!:)
xx, Madison
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