Power Studying
Let's face it, no-one really loves studying (unless you enjoy school and good on you if you do!) We just want to get the work done pronto right? That's where this article can help you. Studying + Power = Power Studying = Less time studying = Good times for all.
Well we want to get you excited about studying. We want you to look forward to studying. We want you to maximize every minute spent studying and as a result maximize every minute you don't have to study! That's right; we actually want you to study less. What the? Study less? We want you to study less by learning how to power study - to study with maximum efficiency and effectiveness thereby drastically cutting the amount of time spent studying. You have to study anyway, so why not learn how to learn more in less time with twice the results? Sound like a plan Jan? You bet it does!
So what are we waiting for? Let's get cracking on the new habits you are going to introduce and start putting into practise from today. Here they come - are you ready for them?
Successful students do the following:
Never Over-Study
As soon as you spend too much time studying you will quickly lose focus and the time spent studying will become 'junk time'. Junk time is when you think you're studying but you're just sitting there re-reading the same sentence about 100 times. You're studying, but you're not getting anywhere. You're the mouse on the wheel. Round and round you go. Instead, take regular breaks. We'd recommend a 15 minute break for every 30 minutes of work completed. So it's a 2 to 1 ratio. For every 2 hours you spend studying over a 3 hour period, at least 1 hour of that should be break time. Taking breaks will restore your energy and refresh your mind - plus it will give your mind some time to take in what you have been doing (this is very useful when you are doing memory activities). That doesn't mean you should spend the break thinking about what you've been doing. To the contrary, allow your mind to rest by doing something completely different. Finally, don't study for more than 45 minutes in any one sitting if you can avoid it. The brain tends to switch off at the 45 minute mark. Huh? Switch off? I was wondering if mine would ever switch on!
Plan Their Study
Successful students actually plan what they are going to do during their study time. As in, they actually plan the time they will be studying and they set goals for what they will achieve during their study. For example, your new habit could be saying 'I will study from 5 o'clock to 6.30 pm with a 15 minute break at 5.45 pm. At 6.30 pm I will have done all my maths worksheets and my history homework. I will then go online and get some solid Facebook time under my belt. Planning is no joke. If you want to be successful, do what successful students do. Create a plan, establish a goal and then stick to it like super glue. By having set times for doing work each day it will create a routine for you and as every good teacher will tell you, a routine is the first step towards developing a habit. And this habit is good. When you know that you have committed to work at a specific time each day you will be mentally prepared for it. You will know that 5 o'clock is study time. Just like you know 7 o'clock is dinner time (for some people!). Goal setting is also important. If you sit down with no clear thoughts about what you're trying to achieve during your study time you will just pointlessly drift along without knowing if you've done what you're supposed to do. So, create a target to achieve and focus your energy towards it. You won't regret it!
Front Up To The Toughest Work First
Many of us like to do the easy things first to build our confidence. That's fair enough. Gets the blood pumping when you're ticking items off your to-do list. BANG! 1st item ticked off. BANG! Double tick that item - now I'm rolling. DOUBLE BANG! Triple tick that item - list completed and life is good. The only challenge with this approach is that you use up your prime energy at the start of any study session and so if you are tackling the easy parts with your prime energy your batteries will be low when it comes time to tackle the hard part. So what happens then? You get tired, impatient, flustered and just give up. We all do it. We really shouldn't though. So get in the habit of giving your prime energy to the hard tasks and completing the easy stuff last.
Get Off Social Networking Sites, Your Phone, The Latest Game You Like and Turn Off Your TV
We live in a mobile device online world. But, hey, just turn them off for an hour or so and we promise the world will still be there when you log back in to Facebook! Don't text your friends, don't 'like' stuff, don't make phone calls, don't send texts, just focus on what you're doing! Even if you focus on work for 15 minutes followed by 5 mins of power texting to make up for the 15 minutes of texting you lost, it's better than 30 minutes of work whilst also texting at the same time. It's a good idea to reward yourself for any study completed, but you really should do some work to earn that reward. You agree right?
P.S. Music can be OK as a nice soothing background noise when studying - and even helpful in some instances, but having death metal blaring so loud your neighbor's dog is about to howl bloody murder isn't the way to go here. There is no way you can focus when you do that - and don't try to convince us otherwise!
Actually Ask For Help
If you don't know what on earth is happening in class or what on earth you are reading in your text book please ask someone for help - a teacher, parent, friend, sibling, tennis coach, someone else's parents. Seriously, just ask for help. Don't feel embarrassed or stupid - the most important thing is getting the task completed isn't it? What difference does it make if you have to ask for help? Wouldn't you rather do a good job? If you don't ask, you won't know. Frustration can be easily avoided, but sometimes we have to suck up the ego and ask for help. Either that or just scream and cry. Someone will probably twig that you need some help if you do that.
Clean Up Their Act
Seriously - do your work in a neat and tidy place. Don't study in a cesspool of your own muck. Work on a table or a desk. Have a place for all of your books and materials. Have a system of filing and order that you actually understand! You should always know where everything you need is and you should not have to wade through dirty underwear or 1991 Michael Jordan rookie cards to find it. I know, crazy concept huh? It's not cool to not be able to see your bed because there are mountains of junk all over your room (although if you live in that situation we know you think it's cool). A clean environment makes a happy human. You want to be a happy human don't you?
Let's face it, no-one really loves studying (unless you enjoy school and good on you if you do!) We just want to get the work done pronto right? That's where this article can help you. Studying + Power = Power Studying = Less time studying = Good times for all.
Well we want to get you excited about studying. We want you to look forward to studying. We want you to maximize every minute spent studying and as a result maximize every minute you don't have to study! That's right; we actually want you to study less. What the? Study less? We want you to study less by learning how to power study - to study with maximum efficiency and effectiveness thereby drastically cutting the amount of time spent studying. You have to study anyway, so why not learn how to learn more in less time with twice the results? Sound like a plan Jan? You bet it does!
So what are we waiting for? Let's get cracking on the new habits you are going to introduce and start putting into practise from today. Here they come - are you ready for them?
Successful students do the following:
Never Over-Study
As soon as you spend too much time studying you will quickly lose focus and the time spent studying will become 'junk time'. Junk time is when you think you're studying but you're just sitting there re-reading the same sentence about 100 times. You're studying, but you're not getting anywhere. You're the mouse on the wheel. Round and round you go. Instead, take regular breaks. We'd recommend a 15 minute break for every 30 minutes of work completed. So it's a 2 to 1 ratio. For every 2 hours you spend studying over a 3 hour period, at least 1 hour of that should be break time. Taking breaks will restore your energy and refresh your mind - plus it will give your mind some time to take in what you have been doing (this is very useful when you are doing memory activities). That doesn't mean you should spend the break thinking about what you've been doing. To the contrary, allow your mind to rest by doing something completely different. Finally, don't study for more than 45 minutes in any one sitting if you can avoid it. The brain tends to switch off at the 45 minute mark. Huh? Switch off? I was wondering if mine would ever switch on!
Plan Their Study
Successful students actually plan what they are going to do during their study time. As in, they actually plan the time they will be studying and they set goals for what they will achieve during their study. For example, your new habit could be saying 'I will study from 5 o'clock to 6.30 pm with a 15 minute break at 5.45 pm. At 6.30 pm I will have done all my maths worksheets and my history homework. I will then go online and get some solid Facebook time under my belt. Planning is no joke. If you want to be successful, do what successful students do. Create a plan, establish a goal and then stick to it like super glue. By having set times for doing work each day it will create a routine for you and as every good teacher will tell you, a routine is the first step towards developing a habit. And this habit is good. When you know that you have committed to work at a specific time each day you will be mentally prepared for it. You will know that 5 o'clock is study time. Just like you know 7 o'clock is dinner time (for some people!). Goal setting is also important. If you sit down with no clear thoughts about what you're trying to achieve during your study time you will just pointlessly drift along without knowing if you've done what you're supposed to do. So, create a target to achieve and focus your energy towards it. You won't regret it!
Front Up To The Toughest Work First
Many of us like to do the easy things first to build our confidence. That's fair enough. Gets the blood pumping when you're ticking items off your to-do list. BANG! 1st item ticked off. BANG! Double tick that item - now I'm rolling. DOUBLE BANG! Triple tick that item - list completed and life is good. The only challenge with this approach is that you use up your prime energy at the start of any study session and so if you are tackling the easy parts with your prime energy your batteries will be low when it comes time to tackle the hard part. So what happens then? You get tired, impatient, flustered and just give up. We all do it. We really shouldn't though. So get in the habit of giving your prime energy to the hard tasks and completing the easy stuff last.
Get Off Social Networking Sites, Your Phone, The Latest Game You Like and Turn Off Your TV
We live in a mobile device online world. But, hey, just turn them off for an hour or so and we promise the world will still be there when you log back in to Facebook! Don't text your friends, don't 'like' stuff, don't make phone calls, don't send texts, just focus on what you're doing! Even if you focus on work for 15 minutes followed by 5 mins of power texting to make up for the 15 minutes of texting you lost, it's better than 30 minutes of work whilst also texting at the same time. It's a good idea to reward yourself for any study completed, but you really should do some work to earn that reward. You agree right?
P.S. Music can be OK as a nice soothing background noise when studying - and even helpful in some instances, but having death metal blaring so loud your neighbor's dog is about to howl bloody murder isn't the way to go here. There is no way you can focus when you do that - and don't try to convince us otherwise!
Actually Ask For Help
If you don't know what on earth is happening in class or what on earth you are reading in your text book please ask someone for help - a teacher, parent, friend, sibling, tennis coach, someone else's parents. Seriously, just ask for help. Don't feel embarrassed or stupid - the most important thing is getting the task completed isn't it? What difference does it make if you have to ask for help? Wouldn't you rather do a good job? If you don't ask, you won't know. Frustration can be easily avoided, but sometimes we have to suck up the ego and ask for help. Either that or just scream and cry. Someone will probably twig that you need some help if you do that.
Clean Up Their Act
Seriously - do your work in a neat and tidy place. Don't study in a cesspool of your own muck. Work on a table or a desk. Have a place for all of your books and materials. Have a system of filing and order that you actually understand! You should always know where everything you need is and you should not have to wade through dirty underwear or 1991 Michael Jordan rookie cards to find it. I know, crazy concept huh? It's not cool to not be able to see your bed because there are mountains of junk all over your room (although if you live in that situation we know you think it's cool). A clean environment makes a happy human. You want to be a happy human don't you?
About the Author:
HelpMeToStudy.org is the number one online resource for learning new study skills, changing your study habits and finding the best study tips available. We will help change the way you think about study - and even better - we will show you how to study effectively: How To Study Effectively | Good Study Habits
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment