Most college students can argue that the second semester is far worse than the first. It seems longer and the only break to look forward to is a short spring break. Dozens of midterms and finals right as it starts to get warm and you begin to lose all motivation to stay focused on school, not the upcoming summer. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do except power through and end this semester with a bang, here are a few tips that might help out!
POMODORO TECHNIQUE
The Pomodoro technique is a well-known and widely used technique that has helped all students effectively learn. Essentially, it’s just splitting your study time into multiple segments, with the study segments being longer than the break segments. For example, you can study for 45-minutes, then take a 15-minute break, and then repeat the process maybe 2-3 more times. With this segmenting, you were able to accomplish a whole 3 hours of studying with plenty of brain breaks in between!
TEACH IT TO YOURSELF!
Another great study tip is to learn how to be your own teacher. This is a great tip that works no matter what it is you’re trying to learn or memorize. Once you look over your notes and get a gist of what you need to know, begin teaching it as if you’re in front of a class. Whenever you get stuck on a topic or definition, write it down, go over the meaning of it a few times, and start from the top. Going over something multiple times, while also speaking it out loud is a great way to get something in your head and memorize it.
STUDY GROUPS
Study groups are one of my favorite ways to study. All you have to do is find a few friends or classmates in your class who are learning the same topic/studying for the same test. You guys can make it a plan to meet up a few times a week for the upcoming weeks leading up to the exam or assignment. You can then spend your time quizzing each other on terms and explaining to each other topics that you might not completely understand. You can also use the “teach it to yourself” technique mentioned above in your study groups. Each of you can take turns selecting a topic and teaching it to the group. This will help drill the topic to memory for you and the rest of the group!
WATER, FOOD, AND NAPS
Now when most people get into the studying mindset, they often forget about one of the most important parts of studying – proper nourishment for their brain and body! This means properly sleeping and not staying up too late studying, and also taking naps during the day if you feel sleepy. There is no point studying while you’re sleepy because you’ll retain no information. It’s also important to stay properly hydrated and fueled with healthy snacks and meals during your studying days. Drink plenty of water every day to keep yourself awake and stay away from too much coffee or sugary drinks since that will make you crash later on. Eat healthy snacks and meals that will fill you up and won’t keep you hungry while you work hard studying!
