Are you someone who struggles to study during exam time? We’ve all been there at some time or another.

According to Lil, a Learning Advisor for Academic Learning Support there are numerous reasons we don’t study effectively. One reason is that we try to “do too much at once,” in which we tend to procrastinate. Family and friends also tend to interrupt us and our surroundings can also be factors that make us struggle to study.

We’ve compiled some tips for you to make the most of studying in exam time.

Turn off Technology

Technology plays a huge part in our lives – from Facebook, binge-watching Netflix to surfing the web, it can be easy to get side-tracked. It is recommended you not only stop using technology but switch off your phone and temporarily deactivate your social media profile. Lil says that “Vowing not to use it” just doesn’t cut it most of the time.

Plan your day

It’s important to have a plan. Lil notes that switching between tasks makes it difficult to “retain information.” Make sure you have a detailed plan as you are more likely to get everything done. Pointer – don’t plan weeks and months, just stick to a weekly plan. This can be achieved while you are watching TV or doing something else in the night.

When planning, make sure you schedule in everything – including all your breaks. Lil recommends organising “all the notes you need to go through” the night before so you can “get straight to it” in the morning.

Find a good study spot

Lil recommends finding a dedicated and quiet place to study, such as in your backyard or in a certain room in your house. If you don’t have that extra space, dedicate a section of your bedroom as your study area. Going to this dedicated space to study will signal to your brain that it’s time to work, and will help keep you away from the usual distractions.

Take a Break

You’re bound to get fatigued from studying all the time. It happens to the best of us. It is recommended you take a break every hour for 10 minutes. It’s a good idea to use the 10 minutes to take a break “from screens and getting fresh air” given you’re most likely studying on the computer.

Eat Healthy

Whilst it might appear old-school, Lil advises to have healthy “meals prepped in advance” and ready to heat. This means when you finish work and you decide to study, you “don’t have to fuss with cooking”.  At the same time, it reduces the temptation to nibble on treats that will eventually “make you feel tired”.

Exercise!

We may not all like to exercise, but it’s good for you! Apparently, doing an outdoor activity for an hour can bring you happiness (hello endorphins!) as well as allowing you to “get more study done”.

At the end of the day, you can only study so much. That’s why winding down, whether it’s watching an episode or two on Netflix, reading a book or doing something that will help you relax can help you get that sleep you need to function in the morning.

Feature image viaJazmin Quaynor