This is something I get asked a lot, so here's a summary of what you should do to study with intense focus so you can cook your exams and not get cooked yourself.
1. Remove all distractions before you sit down to study
First of all, you need to get rid of that pest that's always in your hands: your phone. If you don't need it to study then power it off and just throw it out the window. Just kidding, don't blame me if your parents won't get you a new one then. But yes, power it off, and put it in a place far from your eyes. Put it under your bed, in your closet or ask your mum to hold on to it until you're done studying. Yes, you can ask your parents to do that.
But what if you need to use your phone to study? I got you. First turn off notifications for all the apps that make your focus linger off, such as the apps you scroll on for 2 hours straight. If this doesn't work then theres only one thing left to do. Delete every app that distracts you. Once you're done studying just download them again. It may seem like a headache to delete and then download but to achieve something, you have to sacrifice. If you can't sacrifice this, then you might as well sacrifice your grades.
One fun thing you can try if you don't need your phone during the study session is to start a time lapse and set the phone somewhere so that you can film yourself studying. Just wait till you watch the video later, it's soooooo satisfying!
Secondly, make your study space clean and neat. Have nothing out in front of you except the study materials. Only take out one subject's books at a time. Once you're done with that subject then put its books away and take out the books for the next subject.
Thirdly, there should be no distracting noises around you. If you can't study in pin drop silence, then you can use any playlist that helps you focus. For example, nature sounds, lo-fi music, meditation music, or white noise. I personally prefer the sound of rain, here's a link to try rain sound: 2-hour study with me in rain ⛈️ | pomodoro 2 x 50 mins | rain ...www.youtube.com › watch
2. Know what you have to get done
Making a to-do list is a really good strategy, but it doesn't work for everyone. It's because they don't make an effective to-do list.
Here's a scenario: you get home from school and have homework for 3 subjects; all the homework is due tomorrow. Here's your to-do list:
1. Do page 11-12 from English textbook
2. Prepare for math test of chapter 1
3. Do exercise questions from page 25 of Science textbook
Most students will just start completing the tasks from top to bottom or start with the easiest task first. Then they end up leaving one task incomplete.
To make an effective to-do list, you need to know which tasks are the most important and which will take you the longest to do. Prioritise your tasks. For the above list, it all depends on the student. If the student finds math easy, then they should leave that task for last, as it won't take them too much effort to do it. If they find it hard, then do that task first. Why first? Because it will probably take you longer to do something you find hard. If we take a student that enjoys science and math, but not English, then they should complete the above list like this: first do the English task, then math(since its a lengthier task) and lastly science since its a smaller task.
Same goes for preparing for exams. Make a list of the chapters coming in your exam. Label the chapters according to difficulty and voila, start with the hardest chapter. Even better you should use the traffic light method for your exams. You can read about that in this blog: https://mindfulmedhub.blogspot.com/2024/08/just-got-your-results.html
But it's important to note that unrealistic and overloaded task lists will not help you get anything done. Choose tasks to do on a daily basis, not a weekly to-do list. One thing you can do is write out all you have to do and then choose what to do for that day.
e.g.
pink- dumped tasks /green- prioritised tasks for that day
3. Use scientifically proven methods of studying
You must of heard of the pomodoro technique. If not then let me tell you. You study for a specific time and then take a break; you study again for the same time and take a break again.
For example, if you loose focus really quickly then try the 25/5 pomodoro. You study for 25 minutes without any distractions, then you take a 5 minute break. And then repeat. If you can study for a longer period of time them do a 50/10 pomodoro.
What's important is that when it's time for you to take a break, you have to get up from your study space, and go somewhere else. If you take the break while sitting in the same place, it won't be effective. When you get back to studying, you won't be able to get back into the focus zone. Be sure to do something relaxing in that break, like a 5 minute walk or talk with your parents. Try to avoid using your phone until you've finished all your studying for the day.
The second technique is active recall. After you finish studying one chapter, grab a sheet of paper and a pen and write the name of the chapter in the middle of the paper; then jot down everything you can think of from that chapter. When you're done, look back to your notes and using a different colour pen, write what you missed. It should look like a big mess; thats the fun part.
e.g. this example shows red as the missing parts
Afterwards you can learn and focus on the missing parts to finish learning the chapter.
Another way to study is to pretend to teach someone. Pick a topic to teach, read it and then close the book and start speaking. If you can teach it without stuttering, then you know the topic; but if you stop blank in between, then you need to relearn the topic.
4. Making notes
Making notes can be fun for some while a pain in the butt for others. If you enjoy making notes then you can learn topics way easier; while writing notes you are basically making visual memory in your brain, the ability to recall what the eye has seen, and writing things is a great way to take in new information as you're also making muscle memory.
If you can't make notes then try flashcards. Write the question on one side of the card, and the answer on the other side of the card. Take the cards with you everywhere and re-reading them will put the info in your memory. The advanced technology now a days even allows you to make digital flashcards with apps such as AnkiApp Flashcards, Quizlet, Brainscape and many more.
Another fun thing to do is make mind maps for each chapter. Here's an example of a mind map for a topic in mathematics known as fractions:
5. Getting the motivation to study
Before you start studying, always try to self-motivate yourself, to check if your self-belief is still alive. Ask yourself, why am I studying? Tell yourself why you're doing this, for yourself, to make a career for yourself, so you don't have to depend on others. If you're doing it to make your parents happy, then tell yourself to not let them down and to not waste the money they spent to give you the education you're receiving. You can also try these videos to motivate yourself:
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