We’ve all been there – sometimes you REALLY need to study, but the idea of sitting at a desk for hours is just… ugh. Well, there is no need to procrastinate any longer – Lucy our resident GIE Club blogger is here to help!
When exams are approaching and you need to study, it can be really hard to make yourself sit down at a desk for hours to prepare as much as you can. Sometimes you just need to get away from the desk – but why should that mean that you can’t keep getting through your work? Here are my 5 top tips for studying away from your desk!
1. Record yourself
Do you have formulas or quotes to remember, but are tired with sitting and writing them out over and over again? Try recording yourself saying them instead, and then listen to them whilst doing other activities like going for a walk or run!
2. Incidental learning (yep, it’s a thing!)
When you have diagrams or anything visual to learn, try sticking them to the outside of your shower! It may sound weird but even just glancing at them for two minutes everyday in the lead up to your exams can help get a picture stuck in your brain.
3. Pretend you’re the teacher
Explain the things you’re studying to members of your family or some friends. Teaching others is a great way to reinforce to yourself the things you’ve learnt, particularly if they are asking questions to clarify concepts (note: pets or stuffed animals don’t tend to do this). Also, if you’ve followed suggestion #2 and share a bathroom – they may already be curious!
4. Change it up
Why not go and study in a local café or library for an hour or two? Although there may be more people/distractions around, at the end of your sesh it can be nice to reward yourself with a hot chocolate or getting a book to read for fun in your study breaks. Simply have a change of scenery can help you refocus when you return to the ‘traditional’ study.
5. Get visual!
Try using a whiteboard to mix things up - you can use it to draw out diagrams, make mind maps or practise maths questions. Whiteboards are also great for studying in groups, since everyone can see and add to the board. You can usually find big whiteboards in libraries or they can be purchased from places like Officeworks or Kmart.
Happy studying!
By LucyÂ