How to study for long hours...

When it comes to studying what actually matters is the quality of studying rather than the number of hours we spend cramming. However some of us have trouble concentrating for long durations. Todays post is about having a high quality study session with maximum concentration.

Studying for long hours actually means being able to study without losing concentration. As I always say you have to have a proper goal or a reason to study. We humans are very lazy to focus on something if it doesn't benefit us. Always when you feel like you are zoning out, you have to remind yourself why you are doing this and can't stop now. If it helps, write down the goal and put it somewhere you will see. And think, why are you not able to concentrate for a long time. What distracts you? It could be your phone or when studying you remember about this pile of laundry you have to do, or watering plants, washing the dishes... We suddenly turn into Cinderella when we are studying right? We suddenly have this urge to do things we normally won't do..

The first important thing when it comes to studying for a long period of time is getting into the study bubble.. Now what do I mean by that.. It's this your very own space where you will be studying with no distractions for hours...like a meditation. You will not even feel the time passes and you will be entirely focusing about the notes. Eventually you will have finished lessons after lessons without even knowing.... So how to create this bubble? First finish those dirty laundry or water those plants you badly feel like you need to. And then choose your study spot and have everything you will need. A bottle of water, some snacks etc. So you will not go to kitchen to have a sip of water and spend 2 hours there gossiping with mom before returning to study..Have literally everything you need in your spot. And then have some mini goals to finish in a day.. For an example complete past paper MCQs in physics lesson one, do the tute on lesson 02 in mathematics etc. Write them down in a piece of paper and cross each one once you are done. Trust me it helps. You feel like you have acutally done something when you cross each one out. 

So once you are sitting there finally ready to emerge into your very own study bubble now what... Just staring at the book will not be helpful. So I will teach you some methods I use. 

My anatomy notes. You can see that I use sidelines to write extra information

 I always colourcode topics and subtopics in different colours

I always read extra information about a given topic and use sidelines to make notes. I always use colourcodes for topics and subtopics so that it is easy for me to find something when necessary. And other than the lecture notes, I use a separate book to write down everything in a more descriptive manner. That method will help in subjects with a lot of information to memorize like biology. But for mathematical subjects, you have to understand the theory behind first. Memorizing equations will not take you a long way.. First read about the theory and try to grasp concepts. Use youtube or any other tutorials in the internet to understand the concept. And then try to answer questions about that concepts or do some calculations related to that particular calculation to see if you have understood it well. Start from an easy one and proceed to much difficult questions.

Studying continuously for very long periods will also not be efficient. You will be tired both mentally and physically. That's why regular breaks are a must. I usually get about a break of 10 minute per hour. Trust me it's worth it. Do some stretches or go out for a little walk, but make sure you don't extend your 10 minute break to a 2 hour break. 

A general tip for any student who is looking for a productive study session is exercise. Yes you heard me right.. Exercising helps stimulate brain and it's good for your health as well. Stay well hydrated and have enough sleep. Your diet is also very important. Make sure you avoid overly sugary stuff. So happy studying kids ! If you have questions email me or drop me a message on facebook.. 😊