Remain Focused: Study Tips to Stay Motivated and Focused Until Spring Break
Are you already thinking of the warm and sandy beaches you will be on in less than two weeks? Have you already checked out of the school mindset and are planning what you will be wearing on the beach? With spring break looming around the corner, it can be difficult to stay focused and keep on track in school. It is especially important during the last few weeks leading up to it because, it seems that professors always schedule projects, quizzes, and exams all around this time! It sometimes feels like we are drowning in all of the work we have to do right before we can go on vacation. I know in the past I have struggled to stay completely focused on my schoolwork with spring break coming up so soon. It seems that the thought of spring break is always in the back of your mind and you are thinking, what am I going to pack? Which clothes and bathing suits should I bring? All of these questions and thoughts pop up and then distract you from getting your work done. In this article I will touch on a few good study tips on how they are beneficial to you as a student. Some of these study techniques I have used in the past have worked well for me. I hope that this article will help you achieve your study goals and help you stay motivated and focused up until spring break!
My first study tip is one I use all the time and it is to study in groups. This can either be with your friends, or peers from your classes. I have found that studying with other people helps me a lot more than if I were to only study by myself. While sometimes you need to study alone, working with other people also proves to be a strong tool that can help you get the score you want on that exam. The reason why I like working in groups is because it allows me to discuss topics and in return, I end up learning more. Another reason why study groups are so beneficial is you get to help other people and explain certain concepts to them. I find that once I am able to explain a problem or a concept to someone without hesitation, I fully understand the material, and this is achieved through working with others! I also did some research to see if there were any studies done to support this, and I found one article that conducted a study at a university and compared students’ grades that work in groups to the other students’ grades that do not work in study groups. Through this study, it was found that participating in a study group resulted in positive achievements for those students. This particular study also found how collaborating with other classmates in turn motivated each member of the study group to be efficient when studying alone, and resulted in better outcomes when the students would study by themselves.
One interesting point that Graham Hendry made was the importance of who you are studying with. He discussed how to be selective of who you will be studying with and how that can affect your time. It is obvious that if you are friends with the people in your group and you all get along, there is more of a chance that working together will result in positive outcomes, as opposed to working with people that do not get along well. So, with these results, forming groups and collaborating with your fellow students can foster higher test scores and a deeper understanding of your class’s material. While we all know that sometimes studying with your friends or peers can be distracting, the positive consequences outweigh the distractions that can sometimes result from study groups.
The next tip I would like to discuss is the importance of taking breaks. It is sometimes hard enough motivating yourself to sit down for a long period of time and grind out all of your work, but it can be even more difficult to do this if you are sitting down for four or five straight hours with no breaks. Also, it is helpful to clear your head, de-stress, and take mental breaks in order to be efficient during your studying time. Here are some dos and don’ts for breaks:
Firstly, you want to keep your break shorter rather than longer. A suggested time length would be 10 minutes. This way there is less likely of a chance you can get distracted and it will be easier for you to get back on track, as opposed to taking, lets say, a 30 minute break. It is also important to make sure you aren’t sitting down for extended periods of time; periodically get up and stretch your legs, or when it is time for a rest, incorporate movement during it. In the end though, you know what works best for you, and also when it is time you need a break.
Like previously said, it seems that professors dump what it seems to be an endless amount of work the week before spring break, and it can feel extremely overwhelming. It is important to stay focused and positive so you can be efficient and do well on your exams and assignments. As members of CWIB we are all motivated and successful young women, but sometimes we all struggle with staying focused especially with spring break so close! I hope that these study suggestions will be useful and will in turn result in positive outcomes with your school work. We have one more week until break, so just hang in there and finish this week off strong!
By: Ashley Mattson
