It’s that time of year again… Now that we’re about a third of the way through the semester, we’ve all probably had that first extremely overwhelming wave of tests. In a way, this is a nice way to truly get a feel for how the class is run as a whole. Some of us were probably pleasantly surprised at our exam scores, but most of us would like to see a bit of improvement before midterms sneak up on us. Here are some tips to whip you into shape when it comes time to study:
1) Take advantage of your lounge. I think just about everyone will agree with me when I say that my room is filled with way too many distractions to actually be productive. No matter which residence hall you live in, you have access to numerous lounges. I personally prefer an environment where I can play some quiet music and ask friends questions while studying, but quiet study lounges are also a great way to make yourself crack down.
2) The cappuccino from the dining hall is delicious. Honestly, I think it is comparable to Starbucks, making this drink the perfect accessory to any study session. After dinner, I usually take some in a to-go cup and head to the lounge. The caffeine boost can’t hurt!
3) SelfControl is the best app ever invented. If you’ve never heard of SelfControl, it’s a
free app that helps you stay off of distracting websites such as Facebook or Twitter. The app allows you to select which websites you’d like to block yourself from and then sets a time for when you are allowed to access them again. I highly recommend this app for those of you who are lacking in the willpower department, like me.
4) Set a bedtime. My roommate and I are notorious for staying up until the crack of dawn because we procrastinate so much. In order to fix this before our next wave of tests, we decided to set a time limit for homework. We try to tell ourselves that our deadline for going to bed is midnight, and usually it works. After all, a good night’s sleep is necessity the night before an exam.
Even though I’m sure many of you readers stumbled upon this post while procrastinating studying, I hope this list of tips helps bump up those midterm scores. If anyone has anything to add to the list, please comment below!
October 10, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Great post Ashley Dayne!