January and February can be hard months for school. Christmas break is over, school has restarted, and there isn’t much to look forward to until Easter. It can be hard to focus on schoolwork when the days seem repetitive, and the weather is cold and dreary. After all, how can you focus on studying for your chemistry test when there’s a cozy chair and a good book five feet from your desk? In this post, I’m going to share some tips for staying focused, studying, and keeping up with school even when it seems endless.
Managing your time
As I mentioned in this post, a planner is super useful for time management. Keeping all your assignments, extracurriculars, commitments, and activities in one place helps you decide how to best divide up your time.
I also like to use lots of colors and stickers to make my planner fun and something I look forward to using. If you’re struggling to find the motivation to use a planner, try making it something you love. If you don’t enjoy stickers or colors as much, find a layout you really like or page styles that keep you interested. No matter what your planner looks like, if you’re using it efficiently it will be a big help in staying organized.
Finally, don’t forget to mark your priorities. When you make sure you do the most important things first (in order of due dates!), you won’t be scrambling to finish assignments 5 minutes before they’re due.
Finding your learning style
The three basic learning styles are auditory, visual, and tactile. If you are an auditory learner, you learn best by listening to others, saying things out loud, and storing information by the way it sounds. Visual learners are best when they’re absorbing material with their eyes by reading, studying pictures and diagrams, and visualizing. You’re a tactile learner if you do best with hands-on activities, walking or fidgeting while studying, and anything else that requires movement.
Finding your learning style helps you understand how you can be a better student. If you know you absorb material by simply reading it, that might be the best way to study for a test. But maybe you need to read the book out loud so you can hear it or play with models so you can understand how something works.
You also need to know when you should take breaks and what will help you relax. Maybe you need to watch a short entertaining video, listen to music, or take a walk. Knowing how you absorb material and what helps you keep your mind fresh will help you study better.
And you’re not limited to one style of learning. You might find that listening to a book and reading along helps you best. Or maybe fidgeting while you read increases your focus. Or you might absorb material best if you take notes while you listen in class, even if you never study them again.
Discovering your motivation
Once you know how to manage your time and what your learning style is, you can find out what motivates you. Does a sports practice or a good walk or run motivate you to get your schoolwork done on time? Do you find your motivation from looking forward to relaxing with a good book or watching a new show? Or maybe listening to music keeps you excited and ready to learn?
Find what motivates you to keep up with school and finish your assignments on time. Implement your motivation into your day so you have something to look forward to. That way, you won’t be stuck in a repetitive loop.
These next couple of months of school can be tough. But improving your study habits by managing your time, finding your learning style, and discovering your motivation can make the days seem a little more manageable and help you achieve your goals in school.
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