We offer you 11 tips to improve your study habits and stop procrastinating. This way you will find motivation in what you are doing and you will not delay the work you have to carry out.
Procrastination, that is, to prolong tasks, to leave everything for the last days. The lack of concentration that the COVID-19 crisis has brought us is one of the most talked about topics among students. The radical change in study routines, or the disappearance of these, makes us more unfocused, that we need some positive discipline and to get our path back on track. To do this, here are a few tips you can follow to improve your study habits:
1. Daily goals.
The best way to stay focused is to set a daily goal. Memorize the concepts of a lesson, correctly finish a series of exercises or study. Sometimes it doesn’t even matter that the goal we set ourselves doesn’t seem very ambitious, such as, for example, managing to read a series of certain pages, finishing an e-learning unit without interruption. Anything that allows us to understand that we are not wasting our time and that our effort is not in vain allows us to stay alert, allows us to move towards other more ambitious goals.
2. The art of synthesis.
It is important to take your own notes, summarize and, above all, put on paper everything you have done during the class. Understand what is important and reduce it to a minimum so that you can then memorize it without so much effort during study. As we reread notes and do this exercise, we are studying and learning. It also helps us to review.
3. End pending tasks.
When we face a class we have to give it the necessary time, isolate ourselves in a certain way from everything that surrounds us. One of the biggest complaints of students, of all educational levels, during this confinement has been that they have many distractions at home. And it’s true. Therefore, it is important to know how to isolate yourself from them
4. Keep up with the pace of study.
Classes that maintain a steady pace are best. Each teacher has a kind of pre-written script for each unit, which is determined by the content, and will also result in the concepts that they think are more difficult and therefore deserve your attention the most. It is best not to break that rhythm by asking questions at the wrong time or asking questions outside of the class itself. Let’s go back to point 3. If there is something you don’t like as a student, for example, it is better to raise it in a tutorial or a little before class. No teacher has any problem addressing these types of questions, but raising them during class slows down the pace, shortens learning time, and may not be able to develop some parts of the lesson. If, during the class, doubts arise, write them down and wait until the end of the class for them to be resolved.
5. Balance.
Keeping a schedule is arguably the most important thing. It sounds boring, but, in terms of study, improvisations usually give bad results. It is important to sleep well, eat properly and do everything at workable times from Monday to Friday. You have to think in the same terms as a professional athlete. You don’t have to be a robot, of course. Adjust your hours to what your body asks of you, understanding that it has to be compatible with the schedules of the rest of the class, of your classmates. Think about the fact that weekends are long and that the balance you maintain will depend on whether you can enjoy quiet Saturdays and Sundays, as well as days off in which to dedicate yourself to what you like the most.
6. TALK!
Sometimes, when a problem arises, it’s best to talk about it. With your environment, with your friends, with your family. Even if they are not related to the subject you are studying, you can consult about your problems with them. Sometimes, by verbalizing the problems, we find a solution. Review the day you have completed with them, what you have done and, perhaps, you will find the root of the problems you have encountered and the way to solve them. Use social networks in a positive way and ask your questions to them, maybe there is someone who can solve your doubts among your followers. There may be a remote chance of finding answers, but what you’re sure to find is positive reinforcement to keep you going. If you get trolled, don’t worry: there’s that block button that always gives such good results. Remember: don’t waste time and, of course, DON ́T FEED THE TROLL.
7. Incorporate.
Incorporate your learning into your daily life. If you incorporate it in a natural way, it will be easier for you to understand it as something that goes with you rather than as something that drags you along. For example: think about the advantages that what you are doing will bring you in the short term. A well-assimilated lesson gives you the possibility of having more free time, of having a greater margin of freedom, of enjoying the day more. Make your learning your own, that benefits you and will improve your life immediately and in the future.
8. Revalue yourself because everything can be learned.
A great song by Ringo Starr said it: “It don’t come easy”. Or, if you prefer, choose “It’s a long way to the top (if you want to rock and roll)” (The road to the top is long (if you want to rock and roll) by Australia’s AC/DC. None of the geniuses you know had it easy or fulfilled their goals without difficulty. Just like you, they had moments of doubt, they thought they wouldn’t make it. Forget about everything. Procrastination, sometimes, is a matter of accumulating negative feelings about oneself, thinking that we are not fit or that we will not succeed. Everything, absolutely everything, can be learned. Obviously there is a minimum percentage of genius, a small percentage of genetic or spiritual predisposition that is what differentiates geniuses like Picasso or Stephen King from great painters and great writers, but, seriously, with effort you can learn to do anything. No one is born knowing anything. Dedicate quality time to it and nothing more.
9. Work environment for study.
If you are going to study from home, try to find a suitable place: good light, good temperature, a comfortable chair and table, a working computer… You know, all those things that allow you to spend time in a pleasant and calm way, improve your study habits. Use an anti-stress tool, such as a ball, that you can squeeze to get rid of anxiety, have anything on hand that will improve the moment. If you can’t find it at home, find a quiet bookcase that usually works a lot or a park bench or sit leaning against a tree.
10. You can’t do it alone, with friends, yes.
Only the viewers of the legendary TVE morning show La bola de cristal remember this phrase, which was one of the most famous of the program. With it, his very young spectators were urged to surround themselves with others like them to solve any issue.
Beyond finding your personal space, lean on a group of people, build good relationships with people in your class, analyze your affinity with them, and think about the fact that you may have to work as a team with some of them in the future. Study groups give good results. Meet with people from class to study, to feel comfortable, to do fronton, that is, to be able to ask them questions and get answers back. Be generous and reciprocate as much as possible. Generating an awareness of the group, of the crew, of people embarked on the same mission and who share common goals is the best way to understand the ultimate goal of what we are doing.
11. Is this good for anything? Improve your study
Think carefully about all the planning. Always focus on what’s important. We have to calculate the balance between study time and the time we dedicate to practical experience in which we have to put what we have learned into it. Studying is just as important as completing exercises and assignments on the topic we have learned. Try to have a hands-on experience coupled with what you’ve learned to test yourself. Eliminate any tasks that are incidental, you will recognize them because they will not help you solve a practical problem. For example: if you are studying engineering you will learn about structures but, perhaps, studying a list of engineers who studied structures before you will not give you anything. Be careful, it is important that you know these facts and you should take time out of your free time (when you are less overwhelmed) to learn about Engineering History, but, for now, try not to make that accessory knowledge make you procrastinate.
Follow these 11 steps and you will be able to better focus your day-to-day, improving your study habits. As we mentioned on another occasion, time management is very important. We may, however, think that we are managing our time well and, nevertheless, be dedicating it to tasks that are useless. With these little tips we want students to combine quality time and a viable method to carry out their goals and not get lost along the way.
