Study Tips and a Playlist

It is my summer term finals week and I am cramming everything in the syllabus into my brain here at Starbucks.

Here are some tips that I do not guarantee will work on you. I am no expert in studying (proof: I focused on my skills to rap last semester instead of studying chemistry overnight. The end result was a really bad final exam result and mediocre rapping skills) but I have been forcing myself to study for over ten years already.

Here are some tips I came up with while mocking my technique:

1. Don't stay in your room. As a college dorm resident, I have a small space. My study area and bed share the same room with four other people. All my memories in this room include staying up until 2 AM watching the latest "New Girl", "Community", or "Game of Thrones" episodes. Just a mental image of my place reminds me of the distaste I have for studying. That is why I move out of my room every time I need a study binge. Plus the bed is a professional seductress.

2. Ready the notes. Nothing is as annoying as settling down in a cozy coffee shop and realizing you don't have any material to dig your head into. That is just sad. And I have this notion that studying only a part of the subject is as worse as not studying at all. Spreading papers across the table will also help you anticipate the amount of effort needed.

3. Lower the self-esteem. Some people think that studying is an admission to inferior mental abilities but you have to admit and shout to yourself that studying is a necessity. No matter how lucky your congenital characteristics are, studying will help you and wearing your IQ around your neck won't guarantee a passing score in exams. Convince yourself that you need studying, that you are insufficient and a dummy. That is inspiration.

4. Consume. The brain is an old machine. It needs more fuel per punch when it is bombarded with information. Although Sudoku won't drop the pounds, sugar will help keep the head active. Tip is eat when you want to if you're studying. All-nighters are not Nicole Richie moments.

5. Rewrite the hell out of everything. When I was younger, my key to memorizing bible verses for my   school was by singing them. This method was very effective in keeping my Christian education grades  and the neighbor up. Over time, my method grew less embarrassing into rewriting. Rewriting notes keeps them in my head. Additionally, it is a goal in life to develop very good handwriting. If you've seen my longhand, it is Victorian excessive. Practice. Practice.

6. Listen to music. As an audiophile and hipster, I'll go cray cray studying in silence (Imagine yourself talking inside your head over and over again, eek!). My current study tunes include: 

"Closer Than This" - Sta. Lucia

"Enjoy the Silence" - Depeche Mode

"Easy" and "Heartbeat" - Tahiti 80

"We Are Young" (Alvin Risk Remix) - Fun ft. Janelle Monae

"These Hands" - The Belligerents

"Jamming" - Bob Marley

"There is a Light That Never Goes Out" - The Smiths

Bjork's "Biophilia" Album

 

 If you read your notes to the beat of the song, it usually becomes more interesting (or intelligible). Music also keeps you awake.

(Notice: This playlist is also an anticipation for summer.)

7. Avoid comfortable situations. Starbucks might be cozy but my body's failure of homeostasis and their air conditioning equals a feeling of north pole. I "forgot" my jacket and it's so cold sleeping would kill me here. Some discomfort will remind you it is not time for sleep.

8. Take active breaks. These are breaks where you do something else (for example writing a blog post). Studying is like tequila, you can't down a bottle in one go. It will destroy you. So you have to take it apart and distribute it through the amount of time you have.

This list was originally written for myself. It might do you harm, haha.