Simple Study Hacks for the Stubborn
December 12, 2019
With the temperatures cooling down and finals season heating up, many students find themselves stuck in an almost infinite loop of procrastination. Whether it be their phone, Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), or simple laziness, something is holding them back from effectively studying and completing their work. Luckily, there are many different steps students can take to be more effective while they work.
One of the biggest distractions to teens is their own phone. They’ll be either listening to music or searching something up, get a notification and get trapped in the rabbit hole of social media instead of focusing. The best way to deal with this is to simply turn off the phone. This ensures no ringing or dinging can pull attention away and even though it’s tempting to look, it makes it much harder to go for a ‘quick’ browse.
However, for students who study away from home, this may not be an option. So, just turning the phone on do not disturb or silent, and placing it at a distance can be effective enough. Then the phone will be out of sight and out of mind, allowing for complete attention on any waiting assignments.
Many students have found that customized or suggested playlists really help them to focus. In fact, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, nearly 45% of students prefer to listen to some type of music while they work. The key to this is creating a perfect study playlist. Although different people listen to different things, classical, ambiance, beats, etc. are all very common. Also, the majority of music streaming sites have either a compilation of popular study pieces or even a 24-hour live stream.
Another huge problem is FOMO. Picture it, it’s a Friday night, the SAT is the next morning and although the idea was to squeeze in some last-minute review, what could be the party of the year has just shown up in the notifications bar. It’s safe to say that the majority of teens would choose the fun night with their friends over studying, but even those who don’t are distracted by the fact that everyone else is having a good time while they have to stay home and study.
While the easy solution may be to just ask friends to stay home as well, it’s selfish and unrealistic. Therefore, it’s important to realize that there will be a million more Friday nights and skipping out on one hangout isn’t going to lead to social destruction. Getting a good grade on the SAT is far more important than a single night of fun.
So while there are more ways to study effectively, applying just one of these three tips will ensure more productivity with time and secure future good grades.
