There are plenty of reasons why anyone would have problems with studying. Often enough, studying happens in preparation for a stressful event, such as an exam or a test. But even if it’s just the regular study session out of the blue, if it occurs on a particularly nice day, or if it coincides with an interesting sports event or any of the hundred things students would do rather than studying – the session becomes difficult, and it becomes next to impossible to study.
The fact of the matter is that, for a lot of students, studying doesn’t come easy. But it’s still something they have to do day in, and day out. Sure, being instructed using a fitting teaching style can help to some degree, but there’s still a lot left to the student. And if it so happens that you’re a student who’s having some difficulties with studying, here are a couple of things to try and make it a bit easier.
Try Different Approaches to Learning
If you want to deal with your studying issues by making it easier to learn, a good starting point would be to figure out the easiest way for you to acquire information. Some people like visuals, others like text. Some prefer hearing, others like doing. This is the simplest way to classify yourself as a type of learner, but it might be all you need to help make studying less tedious. At the very least, it should help it go quicker.
Find a Study Group
A great way to tackle difficult study sessions is to not go into them alone. A study group can help you focus, it can help you benefit from other people’s studying strengths, and it can make the whole process more interesting.
On the other hand, even if your study group just sits together and study quietly, it can do wonders for your accountability. The best thing about this approach is that you don’t even have to find people on your campus to join you – you can find studying and productivity videos and live-streams online, where you do nothing but studying with a video of other people studying. Sounds weird, but it can be effective.
Mix Topics Up!
If the thing you’re studying is boring and you’re facing a long study session in front of you, divide it into interesting chunks. Find different topics within and cover them in short bursts. Go back to them later if you need to, but keep it dynamic, exciting and you just might find yourself on the other end of a study session with a head full of useful knowledge and plenty of free time to do the things you love.
Take Regular Breaks
Taking regular breaks is essential to making studying easier. It goes the other way around, too – not taking any breaks might be one of the things that are making studying too difficult for you. If you’re afraid you’ll run out of motivation to get back to studying after a break, don’t worry. We have a step for that, too.
Visualize a Reward at the End of the Session
You’ll endure through many troubles if you know there’s a reward waiting for you at the end of it. It works for visits to a dentist, family dinners, and yes, studying sessions. When preparing for a particularly difficult session, set a reward you will give yourself after you’ve finished the session.
It can be as simple as watching an episode of your favorite show after you’ve finished studying. You can also treat yourself to a tasty meal, your favorite podcast, a session of reading a book or listening to an audiobook, a walk in the park, even a night of partying. If it helps you get through the session successfully, it’s good enough to serve as a reward.
