Whether you're in school, university or just wanting to build extra knowledge whilst working full time, you need a study routine to help you stay organised, productive and motivated.
To celebrate National Train Your Brain Day which is on 13th October 2020 and the fact that many students have now gone back to school or university, I thought it would be fitting to discuss and take you through the study routine I follow when I am wanting to learn some knowledge effectively in the hope that it will help inspire others to build a solid study routine.
Plan the Night Before -
A effective routine is all about the planning. I tend to sit down the night before with a hot drink and work out what I want/need to study the following day. If you're in education then it is likely you will have a plan already in place for you and it will be a case of sorting through the topics you need to learn first and then working your way down.
However if you are looking to conduct self study than making yourself a plan based on the resource you are learning from can be really effective. For example, if you are learning from a self help or study book, look through the chapters and work out which one to go through first. Then analyse the sub chapters and think about how many sub chapters you can cover in your given time frame.
It is important to remember how much time you can allow for study in a day. Those working full time as well as studying may have little time in comparison to students. Therefore work out how much time you can give which will then dictate what you can cover.
Set The Scene -
The night before or first thing in the morning, lay out all your resources ready for your study. This will save you time and prevent stress as everything is already set out for you in the morning and you can just go straight into your study zone without even thinking about it.
Get Comfortable -
Make yourself your favourite drink, grab a snack, wear comfy attire - do whatever you want to do in order to make yourself feel comfortable and not like studying is a chore but something fun and insightful. Learning is power therefore go in to your study zone with a strong mindset and some home comforts to keep you feeling cosy.
Take Breaks -
It is important to take frequent breaks. By working through your lunch break and for 7 hours straight you are not benefitting yourself at all. It may be perceived as hard working at the time however in the long run you will burn out and loose motivation to keep going. A good rule of thumb is working for 45 minutes straight and then taking a 15 minute break and then start again.
Limit Distractions -
Prevent yourself from getting distracted by moving your phone to the opposite side of the room or turn it off/put it on silent. You will not need your phone in order to study. It has been proven that by getting distracted it can take up to 23 minutes to go back into full concentration mode therefore try and limit as many distractions as possible to prevent wasting half of your study time.
Keep a List -
Make sure your action plan for the day is on a to do list that you can easily mark off as complete once doing each task. By doing this, you will see your progress visually without having to keep a mental note of how much you have achieved. By seeing your progress on a to do list you are enabling yourself to encourage yourself to keep going and to complete your tasks for the day.
I hope this blog post has been useful for those who are studying. Let me know in the comments what subjects or topics you are studying at the moment.
Follow Me on Instagram:
lifeful_lifestyle - main blogging account - quotes, blog content, inspiring and motivating you in your daily life
lifeful_fitness - day in the life of a runner training of a marathon, exercise tips, mindset strategies
lifeful_books - a book club to motivate you to read more, to feel part of a community and other bookish content
Follow Me on Facebook:
Lifeful Lifestyle