5 Life-Saving Study Hacks For Students

Most students will tell you studying sucks. We can agree on that.

However, there is an upside to studying that I believe everyone can get a taste of. It's not all that bad when you have a master action plan to help you get into school mode.

Hack 1:

Do it early. Early is best, because the easiest time to finish studying and follow up on classwork is when the topic is fresh in your mind. I advise you get started either the night you receive the homework or the evening after. If you wait to do last week's homework the night before its due, the info will be fuzzy in your mind and you’ll just wind up stressed and panicked. So, if you put in the hard work earlier, you’ll be able to get an early night’s rest before the big test or the homework's due date.

Hack 2:

Make yourself a treat for after studying. Open a packet of Tim Tams or bake a cake. However, make a rule that you can't eat them until all of your studying is finished. (Note: it doesn't have to be food but some kind of reward you love that you are excited to get to, only after studying is finished. Maybe it’s even a few episodes of The Walking Dead before bedtime!)

Hack 3:

Put away and turn off all distracting devices or objects. When your phone goes off, it's very hard to get back to work after unlocking it and scrolling through messages (and then maybe browsing through Instagram and so forth). Just get rid of any fidgety objects scattered around your workspace. Otherwise, you’ll stop focusing on studying and lose your train of thought.

Hack 4:

Have a music playlist of songs and/or podcasts you love to get you in a happy/inspiring mood. I find Queen gets me motivated to work. Added bonus: you can have a little fun while doing homework by dancing around in your seat.

Hack 5:

Do exercise or physical movement beforehand and throughout. I find I sometimes get “antsy” when I'm studying. Stretching/yoga before and throughout is a good way to get blood flowing throughout the body and to the brain. It also avoids cramps as well as pins and needles from sitting too long. Everyone hates getting a numb limb from sitting on it for too long!

Finally, remember the following: Get into the mindset. View your goals, your future job and education. Where will you end up if you chose not to do your homework and where will you end up if you choose to do your homework? Picture in your mind what you want to achieve by doing the homework. Envision that great feeling of knowing what to do in a SAC or test and having the enormous weight of homework off your shoulders. Then you will have time to relax and do whatever you want without that terrible stress in the back of your mind that keeps saying, “You shouldn’t be here, you should be studying!” So shoot for the stars, stop reading this and go study!

Congratulations to Ruby for winning this writing challenge, answering the question: What Are Your Top Five Study Hacks? Ruby wins a $50 Westfield gift card. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!