#study methods

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ how to study subjects you actually hate ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

(without losing your mind) ✨

oh sweetie, this question hits so close to home! honestly, we've all been there, staring at a textbook for a subject that makes us want to crawl back into bed and pretend it doesn't exist. the good news? you're definitely not alone in this struggle, and there are actually some really effective ways to make it more manageable 💕

let's be real for a second you don't have to love every subject you study. that's just not realistic, and putting that pressure on yourself only makes things harder. instead, let's just try to focus on building a sustainable approach that ACTUALLY works.

✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧ my tried-and-true strategies for conquering the subjects we hate ✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧

⋆ start ridiculously small i know everyone says this, but hear me out, when i say small, i mean really small. can't bring yourself to study for an hour? try 15 minutes. still too much? literally just open your textbook and read one page.

the hardest part is always starting, and once you're in motion, it's so much easier to keep going. i've had study sessions that started with "i'll just organize my notes for 5 minutes" and ended up lasting two hours because the momentum carried me.

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⋆ the "sandwich method" this one changed my life! sandwich your least favorite subject between two things you actually enjoy. maybe that's starting with your favorite subject, then tackling the dreaded one, then ending with something fun like journaling or watching a study vlog.

it makes the whole experience feel more balanced and gives you something to look forward to.

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⋆ find your "why" (even if it's practical) you don't need some deep, passionate reason to study something. sometimes your "why" is just "i need this grade to graduate" or "this is required for my major" and that's completely valid!

write down your reason and put it somewhere visible. on tough days, that reminder can be the push you need to keep going.

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⋆ make it as pleasant as possible if you have to suffer through it, at least make the environment nice! this might mean:

studying in your coziest spot with good lighting

using pens and notebooks that make you happy

having your favorite drink nearby

playing soft background music that helps you focus

these little touches won't make you love the subject, but they can make the experience more bearable.

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⋆ the "teach someone else" trick this sounds counterintuitive when you hate the subject, but explaining concepts to someone else (even if it's just your pet or a plant lol) actually helps things stick in your brain. plus, it shows you what you do and don't understand yet.

you could also try making voice memos explaining concepts to yourself, sometimes hearing it in your own words makes it click. and i know this is a common study tip other usually give, but it's supperrrr helpful for subjects you don't actually like.

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⋆ break it into tiny, specific goals so, instead of "study chemistry for 2 hours" (overwhelming!), try:

"read pages 45-50"

"complete 5 practice problems"

"make flashcards for chapter 3 vocabulary"

specific, small goals feel so much more achievable and give you that satisfying sense of completion.

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⋆ reward yourself consistently and i don't just mean after big milestones! reward yourself for small wins too. finished reading that section you've been avoiding? treat yourself to your favorite snack. completed a practice quiz? watch an episode of your favorite show.

these little rewards help your brain associate studying (even the hard stuff) with positive feelings.

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⋆ study with others when possible even if you're not naturally a group study person, there's something really helpful about shared accountability. find classmates who are also struggling with the subject, you can motivate each other and share the burden.

if in-person isn't possible, online study groups or even just body doubling sessions can work wonders.

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✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧ gentle reminders for the hard days ✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧

some days are going to be harder than others, and that's okay. progress isn't always linear, especially with subjects we find challenging or uninteresting.

make sure to remember that you're not trying to become passionate about this subject, you're just trying to get through it successfully. and truly that's enough. you're allowed to dislike things and still do well at them.

the most important thing: be patient with yourself. building new study habits takes time, especially when you're working against your natural preferences. start with one or two of these strategies and see what works for you.

you've got this, love. even when it feels impossible, you're stronger than you think 💕

what's the subject you're currently battling with? i'd love to hear about your experiences in the notes!

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ xoxo, mindy ✨ ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

hiii girls! this is part of the big Guide to being the It Girl. this section will be all about school, studying and academics. i'll teach you how to tackle school, get the highest grades effortlessly, and look chic and gorgeous doing it! the rest of the ultimate it girl series is linked! 🎀

okay so. storytime.

i spent ALL of last year studying like 6-7 hours a day for boards. i'm talking full dedication. highlighters in every color. notes so aesthetic they could be on studyblr. i was COMMITTED.

and you know what i got? mid scores. like perfectly average. nothing terrible but nothing great either.

meanwhile my friend? studied maybe 3-4 hours a day MAX. didn't even make pretty notes. and she TOPPED our entire class.

i was so confused and honestly kind of salty about it lmao like what was she doing that i wasn't??? was she just naturally smarter? did she make a deal with the devil? WHAT.

so i finally asked her and she introduced me to these study techniques that basically changed my entire life and i'm actually MAD that nobody taught us this earlier because we're really out here studying the wrong way for YEARS.

technique 1: the feynman technique (aka the "explain it to a kid" method)

this one BLEW MY MIND. here's how it works:

pick any topic. let's say photosynthesis or the french revolution or whatever. now imagine you have to explain it to a 10 year old using only simple words. no fancy jargon. no complex terms.

try it right now with something you studied recently.

notice how you keep getting stuck? yeah. those are the parts you don't actually understand. you just memorized them.

i tried this with organic chemistry and realized i'd been fooling myself for MONTHS. i could recite definitions but i couldn't actually explain WHY reactions happened.

so now whenever i get stuck explaining something simply, i go back and relearn that specific part. and suddenly everything makes sense??? like ACTUAL sense not just "i memorized this sentence" sense.

this technique is literally perfect for boards because cbse LOVES asking application questions where you need to actually understand concepts, not just vomit memorized facts.

technique 2: active recall (or as i call it, the "close the damn book" method)

here's what i used to do: read chapter. highlight important parts. read again. maybe make notes. done.

here's what actually works: read chapter. close book. write down EVERYTHING you remember without looking.

the difference is WILD.

when you force your brain to retrieve information instead of just passively reading it, you create stronger memory pathways. it's literally science. your brain has to work harder so it remembers better.

i started making flashcards for everything. formulas. dates. definitions. concepts. and i test myself constantly. even the stuff i think i know.

especially the stuff i think i know tbh because that's usually where i'm overconfident and wrong lmao

technique 3: spaced repetition (the "review before you forget" method)

okay this one sounds boring but it's MAGIC.

instead of cramming everything the night before (we've all been there), you review material at specific intervals. study something today. review tomorrow. then after 3 days. then after a week. then after two weeks.

each time you review it gets easier because you're reinforcing the memory right before it fades.

i use a simple calendar for this. nothing fancy. just reminders for when to review each chapter.

the result? when board exams came around, i remembered stuff i studied in JUNE. effortlessly. no last minute panic cramming needed.

technique 4: pomodoro (aka "25 minutes of actual focus is better than 3 hours of distraction")

i cannot stress this enough: those 6-7 hour study sessions i was doing? maybe 2 hours were actual focused studying. the rest was me on instagram, checking messages, getting distracted, daydreaming, etc.

pomodoro technique is stupidly simple:

set timer for 25 minutes

study with COMPLETE focus (phone in another room level focus)

when timer rings, take 5 min break

repeat 4 times then take longer break

i get more done in 6 pomodoros (3 hours) now than i used to in entire days of "studying"

technique 5: mind mapping (the "visual brain dump" method)

linear notes never worked for me. i'd write pages and pages and remember nothing.

mind maps changed everything. you put the main topic in the center and branch out with related ideas, using colors and little drawings and connecting related stuff.

one good mind map can fit an entire chapter on one page AND you'll actually remember it because visual memory is powerful.

before exams i just review my mind maps and everything comes flooding back.

the real tea:

i wish someone had taught me this in like class 6 instead of letting me waste YEARS doing ineffective studying. but better late than never i guess?

since learning these techniques my scores have literally jumped 20+ percentage points. but more importantly? studying doesn't feel like torture anymore. it actually feels... productive? satisfying even?

wild concept i know.

oh and i found this platform called Cubegon that actually builds some of these techniques into their study modules which is pretty cool. like they structure content in a way that forces active recall and spaced repetition, so you're using effective methods even if you don't realize it. wish more educational apps did that tbh.

anyway if you're still studying the way we were taught in school (read, highlight, repeat, cry), maybe try these techniques for like two weeks?

your future self will thank you.

-🍎

hihi !! thank you soso much for your request, i had a lot of fun writing these. i also included some study techniques + descriptions you can use if you'd like !! ₊ ⊹ 🦌 ⋮

also note that my account does not normally take requests like this because they can be time consuming and i'm balancing academics at the moment — but this is an exception because i have been meaning to post about this for a while. i hope you all understand xx

𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡

𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡

𝓷eil : listens to billy joel, the smiths, or whatever his current musical theater hyperfixation is, takes brisk strolls / bike rides around campus or talks to the other dead poets during breaks, uses the most atrocious mnemonics to retain information

𝓽odd : listens to sufjan stevens or adrianne lenker, uses handwritten flashcards for active recall, atmospheric studier that lights scented candles and slips on a knitted sweater when he knows the study session will stretch on for longer than anticipated

𝓬harlie : listens to david bowie or arctic monkeys, repetition warrior, attempts to recite the material out loud to his roommate (who is very pissed at having to get involved with his studying) until he's nailed it word-for-word, chews gum while he studies because he claims it helps with memory

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