Staying motivated and studying consistently is something a lot of students struggle with. They are unmotivated because they are either overstressed and this causes them to become overwhelmed thus not wanting to work or they are already burnt out and physically can’t do it anymore. However, we are here to help! Here are 5 tips and techniques to ensure you stay motivated and don’t burn out when studying.
Pomodoro Technique
This popular technique involves breaking your work time up into 25 minute intervals with a 5 minute break period. It’s extremely flexible allowing you to change up the intervals with longer work periods. For example, you can work for 50 minutes and take a break for 10. This gives you time to work and then take a break afterwards. It is known to keep people motivated with short refreshing breaks. However, how you spend these breaks is important. Take time away from the screen during the breaks, don't pick up your phone and start scrolling because once you start you never stop. Instead get something to eat or drink, take a short walk around your house, or start preparing to switch into another task.
2. Using a rewards system
Next is a motivation strategy that will ensure you finish your work. Using a rewards system. After every task you complete, give yourself a reward. This can be something like candy, a 5 minute phone break, coffee, etc. For example, when working on an essay, for every paragraph you finish, you get a snack/drink.
3. Feynman Technique
This technique is less about motivation and more about retaining information. It’s based on the principle that “If you want to understand something well, try to explain it simply.” To do this try teaching someone about the topic you are trying to learn. It can be a sibling, parent, pet, or even an inanimate object. By teaching the concept, and explaining it out loud, you can figure out what you don’t fully understand.
4. Spaced Repetition
This memorization technique has been very popular online. In it, you break up days of review so you don’t cram right before an exam. Follow the schedule listed below.
Day 1: Learn the material in class. Day 2: Revisit and review. Day 3: Revisit and review. After one week: Revisit and review. After two weeks: Revisit and review.
5. Stoplight Technique
This technique allows for you to pinpoint exactly what you need to review in a chapter. Write the main concept of the chapter down. Read through and mark each concept with either red, yellow, or green. Red means it is completely unknown to you and you need to review it immediately. Yellow means you know some of it but you do need to review. Green means the concept is completely clear to you. After marking each concept, begin studying. Start by reviewing the red concepts until you are sure you understand it fully. Do the same with yellow and then do a light revision of the green topics (this is only if you have time). This can help prevent you going over material you know already and ignoring material you need to actually review.
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