THAT USUAL ROUTINE | ESGV
I really got no ideal study method and/or routine that I've adopted. And whatever I look up to in the internet, I ended up not doing it and sometimes, I do the entire opposite of it.
However, it seems like I've developed my own as I was exploring vast variations of an effective study routine. First things first, I relax my mind. I do play games before studying. Thinking of the act of study right before doing it will already exhaust you. It is because we humans are motivated to be lazy. We like the result of studying but we do not like the process of it. It is important to be mind-ready. You can do anything you preferred to relax your mind: play games, meditate, watch T.V, etc.
Second, I prepare a cup of cocoa or a coffee to energize my mind, and together with that is a snack bar or bread. That statement "The brain works better in an empty stomach" is nothing but a lie. Our brain consumes a lot of calories to function. They consume 320 calories just by thinking. So better feed yourselves especially when you are going to memorize something.
Third, better turn those social media notifications off. They will only cause you DISTRACTION. This may sound cliche but it is indeed true. It's better if you put your phone away out of sight. Social media notifications, based on my observations, give us a sense of false urgency. We thought that whenever somebody emails us, we need to respond to them right away. And then we're going to wait almost half an hour to get a response which wastes our time.
Fourth, set your environment. Our environment affects our mood towards studying. Clean your workspace. If you don't have a huge space, study on the floor. (We're going the tough way.) Do not study ON the bed. It will make you drowsy. Fill your line of sight with items that involve studying such as pens, books, papers, and sticky notes.
Fifth, when studying, be sure to do one task at a time. COMPLETE THE TASK THAT IS NEAR DUE. You need to learn how to prioritize things. Write down all the things that you need to do and pick out that ONE BIG TASK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. After deciding what to do, prepare for the materials needed such as what textbook to use.
Sixth, do the big task in a certain allotted time. Learn to manage your time well, and give focus on it. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT OTHER THINGS. Worrying will only affect your progress. DO NOT BE A PERFECTIONIST when it comes to your work. No matter how good your work is, you will not be able to receive perfect marks for there is no such a thing. (Or maybe there is. But you're getting the point.)
Lastly, go for a walk and take a break. Do not rush that certain big task in straight 3 hours of work. Take a break every 30 minutes of your work for 5 minutes. Drink water, chew snacks or do jumping jacks. This will reset you and energize you. It is important to take care of our minds and body.
Hope you got some ideas to build your own studying routine. Thank you for giving your time to read this. Happy learning!
Images from: The Garden of Words and The Wind Rises (both anime movies)
