Study tips to guide you through reading week

Reading week couldn’t have come at a better time! Finally a chance to take a break and catch up on all those readings… and sleep in. However, this only means midterm season is upon us!
Feeling a little overwhelmed? Need a little guidance?

Why not check out these helpful tips to ease some of that stress:

1. Get some sleep.

This is so important because there is no way you will be fully productive running on 3-4 hours of sleep.  So do your body a favour and get some rest!

2. Eat and stay hydrated.

To prevent yourself from being distracted and getting up every hour, keep snacks and beverages beside you.  Also, ensure that you eat nutritious meals to fuel that hardworking brain. This is super important!

3. Create a schedule.

Be realistic. Include things like breaks, sleep, meals, study time, take notes, read, meet with study groups, etc. Make sure your schedule is accurate and realistic to ensure you follow it!

4. Don’t read the WHOLE textbook.

Focusing on chapters and sections your prof emphasized the most will save so much time and your studying will be much more effective. There’s no chance your prof will include everything from the textbook on your exam, so only focus on the important parts.

5. Don’t read and take notes.

This is the most common mistake. Students read and take notes at the same time, but all you’re doing is copying word for word. To be much more efficient, read the section first, then summarize it in bullet format. Doing this is much more useful because you are reciting it over again so you are more likely to retain the information.

6. Find a good study buddy.

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on track, but studying with a productive person or group is helpful.  Try rehearsing the information back and forth to each other, creating study questions and reviewing important content together in a quiet space.

7. Turn off your phone.

Or leave it in another room. Social media is a HUGE distraction.  By removing yourself from your phone you will be much more productive and focused.  Also, a good tip is to set a timer for yourself to stop and take a break, that way you’ll be productive until the timer goes off.

8. Create a productive study playlist.

If you have Songza they have a great study playlist with no lyrics.  Put on a pair of headphones and create a playlist that will keep you focused, preferably songs with no lyrics. This will definitely increase your productivity.
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All in all, reading week is a time to take a break from the rush and allows you the opportunity to catch up on sleep.  These steps will guide you to use your time effectively and maximize your productivity.

Don’t stress too much!
You got this!

Goodluck Rams!