#rtstudytips

side-note: i'm not formally diagnosed with ADHD/anything similar, i do have some symptoms but not as severe, i.e. what works for me might not work for you but still give it a read:

STEP 1: IDENTIFY WHAT MOTIVATES YOU AND WHAT DOESN'T

the goal is to study. what makes you study? pressure? deadlines? seeing other people study? list it down and rank each motivational factor. what makes you NOT study? what makes you procrastinate? your phone? your friends? the environment? feeling tired/burnt-out? lack of caffeine? rank each demotivator.

if you don't know what motivates you/what doesn't - time to experiment! see what works and what doesn't!

STEP 2: ADJUST ACCORDINGLY

i am motivated when i see other people studying/working hard = i surround myself with people who are studying, this means joining study groups, hopping on calls with other people studying etc.

i can't study at home/my environment makes it difficult for me to study = go to a different place, libraries, cafes, study hubs, etc. > too expensive for travel/rates? adjust within the current environment, put on noise-cancelling headphones.

OTHER TIPS

designate a "study time" or schedule to make it a habit, i.e. condition yourself into thinking "oh it's X o clock, it's study time" doing this regularly (consistently > quality for first few weeks) will make it a habit

don't eat carb-heavy meals before studying (food-coma is real, you'd want to take a nap instead of studying)

drink electrolytes! a shit ton of water! i am fucking serious, this shit works. you are not as hydrated as you think you are. your piss is supposed to clear! dehydration causes headaches, tiredness, dizziness, etc. TRUST ME WHEN I SAY "DRINKING WATER" WHILE NOT A CURE-ALL, IT DOES SOMETHING, WHICH IS BETTER THAN NOTHING

if there's a task that needs to be done, and you allocate time for that task, i.e. 1 hour to do homework - DOUBLE IT. 2 hours for homework. trust me, sometimes shit always ends up taking more time than you expect it, better to have more time than not.

do a little bit of everything first, i.e. write the outline on that essay, write the first paragraph in your notes, skim the book and mark important things, etc. so you have a starting point/foundation to jump on. it's similar how to artists find it difficult to start a piece with a blank canvas, but can find momentum when there's already a sketch

when you wake up first thing in the morning, do not scroll. do not touch your phone. do not watch TV. just eat breakfast, meditate in the boring-ness, do some exercises, so that studying doesn't seem "more boring" in comparison.

WHAT WORKED FOR ME

aka my study methods/processes(?) as someone who only recently figured out how

disclaimer: this might not work for everybody, this is just what works for me

method 1: the normal way

gather relevant materials (textbooks, old notes, handouts)

watch video lectures/rewatch recorded lectures on the topic

outline the basic overall concepts of the topic

fill in with relevant details when you write notes

summarize those notes and do a "report" on the topic, as if you're teaching it to other people

do practice tests

optional: practice answering with a timer

check answers and review mistakes

repeat 5-8 until you get a high enough score

pros of method 1: effective cons of method 1: takes too much time

method 2: the other way

gather relevant materials on several topics

answer practice tests on topic 1 with open notes

answer practice tests on topic 2 with open notes

etc.

after a significant amount of time/after finishing all the topics, go back to topic 1 and answer without any notes

cycle the same through the remaining topics

pros of method 2: faster than method 1 cons of method 2: you might not have enough practice tests

method 3: the crammer's way

rewrite a summarized version of the notes from what you remember

compare what you rewrote and what you summarized

repeat 3x the things you missed

keep rewriting until you can accurately recall all relevant information

do the same "reporting" thing as if you're teaching the topic to other people

pros of method 3: great with theoreticals cons of method 3: not great with application-heavy subjects like math

method 4: fuck it we ball

redbull

listen to video lectures on 2.5x speed

skim the notes

pray

(1) the feeling will pass

time does heal all wounds when you allow it to. i want to productive so i keep trying to be productive but that's what i want, not what i needed. what i needed was rest to get rid of the restlessness.

i've spent most of my life with the motto of "if you have a problem, you don't waste time lamenting about your problem, you go ahead and solve it" real go-getter shit. i was told that tantrums and emotions are always, always, second, and that the cause, the root, the problems—are always prioritized first.

i've always prioritized action over inaction, movement over stagnation, so scared of being a bystander, i become uneasy in silence and idle moments.

(2) relearning how to slow down

crashing is inevitable when you're going too fast. that's what generally happens when you learn to run before you walk. good part is if you know how to run then walking's easy. or it should be, at least on paper.

the crux of the matter is pacing. well, no shit sherlock, obviously. if stopping kills me, and i feel like i always have to be moving otherwise the thoughts™️ are gonna get me—then it's either i face these thoughts head on and subsequently send myself into an identity crisis and spiral, or, keep on compartamentalizing, but we unpack that shit one by one and make things easier for myself.

i'm not stopping, i'm slowing down. there is still progress, however small. the priority changes from quality to quantity, consistency over matter, lowering the bar, and moving the goal post closer instead of farther.

(3) changing environments is good

idk but no one told me the type of environment is also important. i spent most of my week in the province, away from the bustling loud sound-polluted city, and the clean air and sunlight healed me, actually. good food. sunsets. tree-lined streets. a supportive and loving community.

i realize now that the concert was probably a bad idea. i thought it'd be fun, and it was, but i needed rest and time alone. crowds and flashing lights may have been cathartic, but i needed slow mornings and sunsets.

(4) there is comfort in familiarity

for the first time in forever, i started drawing again. just little sketches on scratch paper. it wasn't good, it wasn't pretty, and it was nice knowing they didn't have to be. the act of observing something beautiful and letting my hand move to mimic that, instead of frantic writing trying to remember formulas and concepts and problem solving. that. that was nice.

for the first time in months, i wrote poetry again. the theme was something light, not dark. i didn't write to vent, i wrote to capture that homesick, heartaching feeling, that heavy human-ness reminding me why i'm alive.

for the first time in a while, i went biking. i wasn't pedaling fast to beat a record or time, i wasn't rushing to go somewhere. i let childhood memories guide me to places that fill me with nostalgia, longing, and motivation.

(5) getting back up

going back to a messy desk doesn't really spark motivation for me. so we clean up, dust off the shelves, rearrange books, putting away piles and piles of papers, we reorganize, shift things a little to the left, a little to the right, give more space so we set up an easier path for ourselves.

there's a destination, while the goal is to the get there eventually, the goal, for now, is to make it halfway first.

we tie our hair up, do our warm-ups, jump back in the game, and we keep winning.

whoever prayed on my downfall—pray harder, bitch!

a good night's sleep, cause it's important to wake up well-rested

a full body exercise routine to get pre-exam jitters out of the way

good fucking food/heavy breakfast. with rice and meat (carbs and protein) + dark chocolate for dessert (boosts... something idk it just helps)

a can of redbull, or any caffeine you prefer. to stay awake and get the "good" jitters back, i.e. getting pumped up, excitement instead of anxiety.

flashcards and notes, not to look though. it's just nice to know they're there if you need them.

an everything shower the night before + makeup before going to school. i can't both be ugly AND stupid. so i'm going to be smart AND pretty :)

the same playlist i listened to while studying, listening to it again on the commute to school.

the same snacks i ate while studying. bonus, you can offer them to your classmates as a conversation starter for those who have difficulty being in social situations.

the basic school stuff, ID, exam permit, calculator, & stationary, i.e. ballpen, no. 2 pencil, eraser, blank scratch paper.

A JACKET IF THE EXAM ROOM IS COLD. HOLY SHIT. DO NOT FORGET A JACKET cause sometimes you get unlucky and get assigned a seat right next to the air conditioner, happened to me wayy too many times and i remember my hands shaking from how cold it was.

cash, and a plan to eat out. whether it be street foods, mcdonald's, jollibee,, or whatever. a tiny "treat yourself" for doing your best, maybe plan it out w/ friends or classmates so you can discuss the exam over food if that's your thing.

similarly, something to do after the exam. something fun. something to look forward to. reading, writing, drawing, going out, drinking (responsibly!), playing games, whatever i didn't have time to do before, but now can because the exams are over.

disclaimer: this is what worked for me, i.e. this might not work for you

play chess or any game - "it's just a quick 5 min blitz!" you say, "i'll stop when i win" then it's loss after loss and when you do win it's an instant dopamine hit and you play one more round just so you can break-even all the losses and wow would you look at that it's been 30 min. am guilty of this.

scroll on social media or OPEN any social media - do not go to the dopamine dispenser when you're on break. it is very easy to get lost in scrolling and ignoring the break timer when it ends.

smoke/vape - health reasons aside, same idea of "no quick dopamine hits" while on break because you're conditioning your mind to preferring breaks instead of preferring to work. this does not mean to smoke while you study. also causes brain fog.

read "just one chapter" - again, same reasoning as above. it's never one chapter. who are you fooling.

ignoring the break timer/reminder and continuing to work/study - it sounds good in hindsight, you're being more productive, right? WRONG. insert loud incorrect buzzer sound. you need breaks, otherwise, it's one skip away from burnout and trust me it is not fun.

eating full meals - you will feel sleepy afterwards. you will want to take a nap. opt for light snacks. after eating, it's much harder to get back into "zone"

sleeping on the bed - you're not getting up let's be real. learn how to idlip in a chair or suffer, idk any other word but idlip is a tagalog word for what you should do instead, its closest meaning is "nap" but i'd define it as much lighter than a nap, maybe the thing in between a nap and spacing out.

what you could be doing instead:

resting your eyes from screens - not sleeping! not napping! the thing you do before napping

doing breathing exercises - i personally like the "box-breathing" method, i.e. inhale through the nose, hold, exhale through the mouth, pause, all for four second each. honestly it doesn't do that much but the counting is meditative.

meditation, or a "reset routine" - do something that you know how to do, is repetitive, requires your full attention, but has a clear end goal. for me, this is solving a rubix cube, playing solitaire, folding origami, etc. i used to play a quick game of chess before i realized i was essentially doomscrolling in another form

side note: i'm from the philippines, so things listed here may not be as accessible compared to people outside of asia

(1) notebooks: anything from muji (or kokuyo if you wanna splurge)

affordable, nice texture, doesn't bleed (for their non-recycled papers at least + depends on the pen). i particularly like their craft notebooks, you can get a pack of 5 for 290 pesos (more or less 5 USD). it's nice to write on, i.e. it lays flat on the table when opened!! and my favorite aspect is that the lines in between are SMALL so i don't have to write like a goddamned kindergartener.

(2) pens: zebra sarasa, sharpie s gel

so far these are the only pens that i like and i'm generally kinda "whatever" with pens so long as: they are retractable, they don't bleed (but that lowkey depends on the paper), they're fairly cheap (i am not spending over 50 pesos or 1 USD for a single pen tf), they're refillable, and THEY DON'T SMUDGE AFTER IMMEDIATELY WRITING!!

(3) mechanical pencils: anything from M&G

my only criteria for mechanical pencils are: IF I DROP IT, THE LEAD INSIDE DOESN'T BREAK. and so far, this is the only brand that does that. only downside is there's no eraser on top :( i would try some other brand but everyone's recommendations are pricey af T-T. i'd ask my friends in architecture but drawing/sketching isn't the same as writing.

(4) highlighters: anything from kokuyo.

a bit more expensive for my taste but it's worth it considering the wide range of colors, doesn't bleed (again, depends on the paper), ink doesn't pool, doesn't smudge ink from pens or printers. but then again i don't use highlighters that much so if anyone has any other recommendations let me know

(5) correction tape: the tombow mono air correction tape

buttery fucking smooth. doesn't do that weird thing when it tears off diagonally/half pops out. you can write stuff on top. already comes in a "cap" i.e. a hinge protecting the tape part. it stacks but doesn't feel thicker when you write on top. fairly cheap for its length/lasts longer than expected and i use correction tapes A LOT.

main features:

(1) overview sheet - tracks the progress of all subjects via a bar graph + overall progress. you could probably mod this for a pie chart graph instead of a bar graph. formatting is up to you. hex code friendly

what is active recall? it's a study method you've probably heard a bazillion times. basically, you force your brain to actually remember the stuff you're reading. there are three easy ways to do it, depending on the topic.

the info-dump: after reviewing your notes, take any writing medium (more notes, scratch paper, whiteboard, etc.) and just write everything you know about that topic. doesn't haven't to be clean or pretty, point is to info-dump. as long as it's legible to you, and you understand what you're writing.

pros: if timed, you can test how fast your brain uploads/outputs information, which is important for timed exams. makes your mind less prone to brain fog. mind-mapping helps you visualize connections more easily. cons: carpal tunnel, wrist cramps, etc. etc.

tips: i don't recommend typing it out, unless the exam is also online and you have to type it out. i just prefer writing because my brain pays more attention when i'm writing as opposed to typing. and that enforces muscle memory or something idk

the lecturer cosplay: no notes, walk in, pretend you're teaching the topic to someone. this genuinely helps because a third person pov can point out/ask questions about the topic you may not have noticed before. bonus if the third person can quiz you on the basics/fundamentals if they're not familiar with the topic at all.

pros: doubles as public speaking practice. you already know what to say or do in the pre-test and post-test debrief with the class if you do that shit. speaking out loud helps retain memory(?) the same way it would when writing cons: you look insane if you're alone and doing this in a public place. pretend you're in a call (or be in an actual call) + you need friends that won't distract you. or: a quiet environment/study area where you're allowed to do this.

fill-in-the-blanks: i.e. actual practice. this method is ideal for more STEM-adjacent & exam-heavy topics, where the learning process is theory > application. get a bunch of practice questions/test banks (with correct answers) and brute-force your way into answering them. as in, rawdog without your notes. best if timed/recorded so you can see the parts where you struggled. you can find practice questions/test banks just about anywhere on the internet, i promise you, it's there. if you can't find any, you can use the info-dump method by converting your notes into flashcards, or just get the general outline, and then info-dump based on the outline.