the Studious Unicorn

Having the right study space can be the difference between putting your work off until the last minute and actually wanting to work. Here are some tips on how to create your perfect study space, no desk required. 

pick a spot

 If you already have a desk, then this may already be done for you. If not, look around for somewhere that has good lighting (natural is a bonus!) and is in an area that’s not too busy or loud. It doesn’t have to be big – it could be a corner, or even your bed. 

pick a desk 

Now that you’ve found a spot, you need either a desk or some sort of other surface to work on. My favorites: (ordered from most expensive to least)

Desks: Lots of storage (Ikea) ⋙ Bamboo (ikea) ⋙ Glass (walmart)

Lap Desks: Comfortable  ⋙ Compact

find some storage

Color-coordinated organizers (pencil cups, paper trays, etc)

Drawer organizers

Pencil cup (set of three) - design one and two

Hanging folders

Storage box

Basket

Cork boxes (set of four)

decorate your space

Cork board

Chalkboard decal

Calendar printables (free)

Quote printables & more (free)

Even more quote printables (make your own too!)

Floral prints

City prints

Tons more prints

Hang pictures, notes, and your own artwork!

Plants (real or fake)

Your favorite books

String lights

Banners/pendents

Postcards or letters from friends

inspo - my favorite spaces

chalkboard by @katherinehenson

calendars and cactus by @mymidnightlatte

pink prints by @limestyle

fresh flowers by @eviepeeveylemonsqueezy

prints and pictures by @studyyoustud

storage goals by @secretdiaryofamedstudent

plants plants plants by @hanniestudies

This is one of the lesser known resources for oranizing your planner, but one that I highly recommend! The website is called “lanes” and it greets you by your name when you log in. They also have an option to do your tasks via Pomodoro sessions. Additonally, the default background changes everyday, but there is also an option to select your own background.

To the anon who asked for my top tips for top grades:

Turn off your phone when you are revising/studying or at least the internet if you REALLY need it.

Make notes and revise your topics as you go along - this will save you making notes all at the end during precious revision time.

Use a number of sources when making notes or revising  - e.g. a couple of textbooks and the internet.

Actually be interested in what you are learning (it helps a lot).

Listen and focus in class. Don’t be afraid to answer and ask questions. 

Get ahead of your lessons by reading the section you are currently doing BEFORE the lesson so you have some good background knowledge

Try the pomodoro study technique. You can get pomodoro apps on smartphones which help you follow the technique. It is usually 25 minutes of studying followed by a five minute break and you repeat this cycle a number of times (I repeat the cycle 3 times) and then you get a larger, well deserved 30 minute break. Don’t sit for hours doing work because most of the time it won’t go in and you lose focus quickly!

If you have free periods or study periods, make use of this time and do not always sit and chat with your friends. It is okay to do this one every now and then but spend the majority of time using this time to be productive. 

Plan.  I personally find that planning my day helps me to be more productive. Recently I have been using my bullet journal and I seem to complete more tasks than I usually would. Making to-do lists really helps me realise all the work I have to do and makes me actually get down and start working as oppose to lounging about on weekends and forgetting the tonne of work I have to do.

Make sure that you are in a positive mindset and attitude when you are revising/studying/doing an exam. This really makes a big difference. The more positive you are when you are learning or revising, the more likely it is that you will remember things. Even if you aren’t in a positive mindset for whatever reason, tell yourself you are. Simply smiling before an exam can trick your body into thinking that you are happy and get you in a positive mindset. A friend of mine suggested this method and it got me through my exams last year (where I was going through a difficult time) with high grades as a result. There are copious posts on tumblr related to getting into and maintaining a positive mindset. 

Exercise

Eat healthy balanced meals & drink enough water!

Sleep well (I try to get at least 8 hours) - Sleeping is really important y’all

Don’t overwork yourself. Remember to RELAX and treat yourself

I hope that this is of help to at least someone out there. If you have requests for me to post about anything else, please let me know - I will be happy to help !

(If I think of anything else then I will update this :) ) 

Have a nice day and remember to smile :D 

Reading a textbook chapter front to back ensures that you will waste time.