Choosing a Comfortable Environment
Pick a quiet area that will help you stay focused. It is usually best to study in a place that is relatively quiet so that you can focus. There are many great places where you can study, both at home and in public. Your bedroom can be a great place to study. Just make sure you have a desk in there. Studying on your bed may make you sleepy. If you don't have a desk in your room, try working at the kitchen table or at a computer desk somewhere in your home. Ask your family to keep their voices down. Try a public, school, or university library. These often have desks in quiet areas where you can just study. You might even be able to book a study room for a few hours. Some people study well with a little bit of ambient background noise. If you feel this might help, try studying at a cafe.
Keep your study area clean. Clutter can be distracting and discouraging, which will not make studying enjoyable. Clean up your desk or other chosen study spot and arrange your study materials in a neat way. Make sure you have room to spread out your books and take advantage of the space.
Remove immediate distractions. To get the most out of your study time, make sure that there are no distractions that will bother you. Turn off the TV, radio, and computer and put away your phone, leisure reading material, and video games. You will be able to enjoy studying if you are able to engage with the material fully. If you are using a computer to study, try installing an app on your browser to filter out distracting websites while you work, such as FocusMe or Freedom.
Vary your study locations. Whenever possible, bring your study session to a new locale. Take your books or laptop to a relaxing setting like a café, park, or beach to work. The enjoyable surroundings will boost your mood and help to make studying feel less stale or routine. If you get easily distracted while you study, opt to visit a library or secluded field so that you can work without disruptions.
Making Things More Interesting
Use colorful study materials. Keep yourself engaged while you are studying by using bright, colorful school supplies to take notes and write down ideas. These may include pens and paper, note cards, stickers, highlighters, and Post-it notes. Adding color to the studying process will make it more fun and activate the creative part of your brain, which will help you retain things better.
Play background music while you study. Atmospheric music will make studying more enjoyable and stimulate your brain without distracting you. Try playing classical music or movie scores in the background while you study. Play music at a moderate volume and avoid anything loud or jarring, which will break your concentration.
Watch educational videos. Studying from textbooks and class notes can be boring, so improve your learning by looking for educational videos on the same topics. Video can be an effective learning tool because it engages students and enhances understanding. Search for credible videos online by making sure that they: are made by an expert in the field of study (e.g. a health video featuring a licensed doctor). cite the third-party sources of the information being shared, either in the video or in the video description. are produced or approved by a reputable institution.
Draw pictures of your subjects and notes. Drawing can help you learn your material, and it may prevent you from getting bored while you study. Instead of reading or rewriting your notes, draw a picture to represent the information instead. For example, if you are studying biology, draw pictures of cells and organisms. Label these with their proper parts. If you're studying literature, make a comic of the main events of the novel or story. If you're studying business or public policy, maybe make a chart or graph depicting trends.
Write a song about your notes to help you remember them. This can be a fun activity that will help you remember information more easily. Write the song before practicing a few times in your head. If you need to, use a melody from a popular song. For example, make your math equations into a song or sing about historical figures in chronological order.
Studying with Other People
Find study partners with similar habits. Get to know people in your class and take the time to ask them about their study methods. Look for a potential study partner who likes to study around the same time of day as you do and who uses similar methods of learning. Ask them if they'd like to study with you sometime, which will make the process less isolating and boring. For instance, if you prefer to study in the library at night, seek a study partner who does the same. Ask fellow students about their study habits by saying something like, "I always need to set up in a library to study properly. What works for you?" Avoid studying with friends or classmates who will be a big distraction.
Quiz a partner as a way of studying. Discuss the study material with your partner to gain new perspectives on it and understand better. Quiz them on course content to test what they have absorbed, and have them do the same with you. You can turn this into a fun game by keeping points and answering questions as fast as you can. Ask questions as if you are conducting an oral exam and review the correct answers together afterwards.
Start a study group. Assemble a group of study partners that share a common goal, such as studying for a big exam. Set up regular times to meet in a venue that will accommodate everyone, like a library study room. Make the most of the group dynamic by dividing up study tasks and working together to solve difficult issues. Studying with a group of people is a great way to tackle subjects that you don't understand or simply don't enjoy studying. The social aspect of group meetings will make studying enjoyable, and it is a good way to make new friends.
Giving Yourself Breaks and Rewards
Schedule regular breaks during study time. For every hour that you study, schedule ten minutes of time to relax. Breaks will reduce your stress levels and help you retain what you've studied. If you are studying with partners, study breaks will help to combat the feeling of isolation that studying sometimes creates. Use a watch or alarm to mark the time while you study. You can use your breaks for brief activities such as going to the bathroom, getting a snack, or calling a friend.
Take a short walk during breaks to prevent sleepiness. If you get sleepy while you study, movement can help wake you up. Instead of browsing the internet during your break, stand up from your desk. Stretch and run in place. Then take a short 5-minute walk around the room.
Treat yourself at certain intervals of studying. Before you start studying, decide on certain "check points" where you will reward yourself for your hard work. You can mark these accomplishments in intervals of time or by the quantity of study material covered. Decide on specific rewards ahead of time, whether they be edible treats, entertainment, or leisure activities. Choose a reward that won’t take too long to enjoy. For instance, you might reward yourself for every two hours of studying by watching a half hour sitcom episode. If you reward yourself with a snack, opt for something healthy and energy-boosting like fruits, vegetables, whole grain crackers, cheese, yogurt, and almonds.
Break your material down into smaller chunks to avoid burnout. Studying too much information at once can cause you to feel overwhelmed. Instead, separate your notes into smaller sections. Each time you master a section, you'll feel a sense of satisfaction! For example, instead of trying to memorize all of your equations, focus on 1 or 2 at a time. Add more only once you have mastered the previous ones. If you're studying history, break up your notes according to event, historical figure, or time period. For example, you might study 10 years at a time or focus on the consequences of 1 historical event. You can organize your breaks around these smaller chunks. This will help you rest a little more while you learn your material.
Set larger achievement rewards. To encourage yourself to accomplish large study goals, plan large rewards for your hard work. For instance, if you study all weekend for a midterm exam and cover all the material, reward yourself with tickets to a concert on the next weekend. Having an exciting incentive in mind while you study will make the whole process more enjoyable.
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