Advice: How to survive a study habit slump
She says:
After a nice, long and relaxing spring break, the last thing you want to worry about is the stress of homework and finals. But avoiding them completely could be very damaging to your grade point average.
If you’re anything like me, you probably get the feeling that you’re in over your head, literally swimming in the homework that you neglected over the break. It’s important to remember, however, that it’s never too late to start smart study habits.
Realize that if your study habits are suffering now, the things you need to do and the changes you need to make are not going to happen overnight. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to get everything done in one sitting. Go to the library to catch up on homework or take time to review class material from the previous week. Just work on it in small amounts at a time, and soon that mountain of homework you once had will be a mere molehill.
After catching up on some homework, it’s also smart to begin studying for finals now. Prioritize your classes in order from hardest to easiest, and begin studying for the harder classes first. You will feel more confident and better prepared for finals week, which is closer than you think.
Setting goals is also a great way to be successful in your studies. Set a realistic, attainable goal for yourself. Plan to take a certain amount of time each day to spend studying per class and follow through. The hard part is making sure to actually go through with your plan. You may have to cut back on Netflix binging and actually go to bed before midnight.
At first it may be hard, but if you stick with it, you will meet your goals. Take the time to check up and see if you are making any progress with the changes you have made. If you aren’t seeing any improvement, then change it up until you start getting your desired results.
Once you have achieved your goal, it is important to reward yourself. Make sure you find time for you. If that means taking a 15-minute nap or eating some ice cream, go for it. Do whatever will motivate you, without totally distracting you from your newly developed good study habits.
— alyssa.hawkins@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @_alyssahawkins
He says:
You have six weeks until you reach the most anticipated time of the year. Yes, I’m talking about summer vacation. You only have 40 days (roughly) until you walk out of that last final and head to the beach or go home or do whatever you do for the summer.
Now, six weeks doesn’t sound that bad. However, you have a dilemma. As you’re sitting in class, all you can think about is how amazing spring break was and how miserable you are in class. In my opinion, spring break is cruel. It’s a peek into the amazingness of summer, but then you’re forced back into study mode to prepare for the most intensive part of the semester.
So how are you going to stay focused? My first piece of advice is to order more pizza. It’s proven (somewhere, I’m sure) that when you eat pizza while you study, you will focus more on the task at hand. Also, as you’re eating greasy pizza, the last thing you’ll want to do is go swimming and enjoy the warm weather.
My second piece of advice is to prioritize. You need to decide whether it’s more important to study for your chemistry test or catch the latest episode of “House of Cards.” I’m going to leave this decision up to you, but remember that it is easy to find reruns on the internet these days.
The third and final piece of advice is to put off your homework until nighttime. Enjoy the weather. Those who have lived here long enough know that nice spring days are limited in Logan. Don’t miss out while you’re cooped up in the library.
Ok, so maybe you should really just buckle down, study between classes and give your absolute best performance. Reach out to your professor if you’re struggling in a class. Now is the time to be caught up and ready for finals week.
It’s easier said than done, but really try to put every last bit of energy you have into your schoolwork. Summer will be here before you know it, and you’ll enjoy your break much more knowing that you did your absolute best during the semester. When times get tough, eat pizza, watch Netflix and go outside.
— coltenvantussenbrook@gmail.com
Twitter: @coltvant