Work at the same time, break down tasks into small steps and reward yourself for the work you’ve done.
Motivate yourself.
- Make a list of reasons why you are learning.
Write them down on a piece of paper and keep them before your eyes. When you want to skip school, reread them. So you remind yourself what you need to try to do. Like going to a good university, getting a scholarship or changing jobs. Write down as many reasons as possible, both good and small.
Sometimes you won’t have any motivation at all, that’s natural. On days like these, you will need a little self-discipline and this list will help.
- Find something interesting about everything…
Think about how the material being studied relates to your life. For example, you are bored to read a book that was asked for literature – try to find something in common with the characters. You don’t want to learn biology – imagine how much you learn about yourself and other living things.
Of course, all subjects cannot be equally interesting. But try to see how you can apply the knowledge gained to your own life. This will help you not to drop out of class.
- Set the timer.
Spend 30-50 minutes in class, and then take a short break. As soon as it’s over, go back to school. Or try the Pomodoro interval technique: set the timer to 25 minutes and start studying. When you hear the signal, rest for 5 minutes and then work for another 25 minutes. After repeating the four intervals, take a longer break.
Set a separate timer for the duration of the lesson. For example, if you start at lunch, finish by dinner. If later, at least 30 minutes before bedtime, so that you have time to relax.
- Regularly encourage yourself
After class, something small is enough: eat your favorite food, play with your pet, watch a funny video or lie in the hot tub. And after the exam, enjoy something a little more meaningful. For example, have coffee with friends or buy something you’ve long wanted. - Study with someone.
You don’t have to sit in the same room together. But it is important that there is someone with whom you can share problems and talk about your progress. Arrange to report back to each other every few days to make it easier to get things done and not waste time.
Make up a schedule of classes
- Start studying every day at the same time to make it a habit
If you’re a lark, try to get up early and study in the morning. If an owl, allocate a few hours to study in the evening. If you like to get things done right away so you can rest later, do your homework as soon as you get home. Keep a fixed time on your calendar so you won’t be tempted to do anything else. - Schedule your exam preparation
Once you know the test or credit date, put it in your calendar. Put a reminder a few days or weeks in advance to start preparing. Make sure you have enough time to learn and repeat everything. - Split the material into parts
When you need to learn a lot of information, we feel depressed and do not know where to start. Whatever it takes, break down larger tasks into smaller ones. Write down each step on paper and do it one by one, and tick the box next to the steps you take. This way you will see your progress and feel that you have the situation under control.
- Schedule time for rest and relaxation.
Don’t work out for hours on end – give your brain a rest. Take short pauses every 30-50 minutes. On a break, stand up and take a little walk, get some air, have a bite to eat or just give your eyes a rest.
Remember to allow time for relaxation, especially during exam preparation. When you’ve been studying hard for weeks, make sure you have full relaxation days to protect yourself from overloading.
Remove distractions
- Before class, eat something healthy and drink some water.
Hunger and thirst can be very distracting from mental activities, so eliminate them in advance. Don’t eat sweets: they only make you hungry again faster. Snack on something healthy such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, cheese, yogurt or hummus. If you want a drink with caffeine, limit yourself to one or two cups or one can of soda to avoid unnerving your nervous system. - Increase your concentration with physical activity.
In 10-15 minutes of exercise or walking you will get rid of stress and increase the level of endorphins in the body. After that, it will be easier to concentrate and remember information. You can even try to combine training and study. Grab your gym notes and read them while you work out on the treadmill. Both the brain and the body will be grateful to you.
- Find a place where you won’t be distracted by anything.
If you are at home constantly switching to other things, look for a new place to study. For example, in a library or a cafe. If you are studying for exams with friends, but they won’t let you focus, agree on rules for joint classes. Ideally, there should be no distractions of sound or visual stimuli.
Also keep a clean piece of paper at hand. When you have thoughts about non-study activities, write them down and get back to the task.
- turn off all electronic devices that are not needed for learning.
Don’t turn the TV on like a background. Leave your smartphone in another room or bag. If you use it as a timer, set the flight mode so as not to be distracted by notifications. Or use special applications that restrict Internet access. For example, Freedom, AppDetox. You can use them to temporarily block access to selected sites and applications. - Enjoy your music
Especially if you’re in a public place. Music in headphones will help you muffle the sounds around you and concentrate. Instrumental compositions are best suited for this. If music is distracting you, try turning on sounds from nature or white noise.