Most of us hate studying, or at least dislike it immensely when we’re learning about subjects that don’t interest us. So how can we make studying more fun? Depending on your class, you can do a number of activities to make studying more fun or at least enhance the experience. Here are a few things that have helped me to study, which I greatly appreciate because I tend to have a hard time making things stick in my memory.
- Surf the web, watch videos
This can prove to be quite interesting. You have to be careful not to get distracted or side-tracked by something else you stumble upon, but if you can find relevant information online about your subject matter, you can probably find some pretty interesting information that you may not have known you wanted to know before.
For those of us who have a hard time focusing on written materials on screen for whatever reason, it often helps to find videos on YouTube about what you need to know. There are a great deal of video resources out there that can help you to learn more about almost any topic in the world, and watching and listening can be more effective than reading sometimes.
- Take breaks, get rewards
After you’ve been studying for a certain amount of time or finish studying a set of notes or a chapter, give yourself a break! Reward yourself with something you love for 5-15 minutes. This could be anything from reading a chapter of a book you enjoy to taking a quick dip in the pool or even having a chocolate bar or some ice cream. Go outside and treat yourself to a little sunshine, go for a walk, or have a quick tickle fight with your kids. It doesn’t matter what you do; you should give yourself breaks every hour or two and reward yourself for your hard work.
- Feed your brain
You’d be surprised how difficult studying (or any other kind of mind-related work) can be when you’re lacking nutrition. If you haven’t eaten or had at least a couple of glasses of water in a day, your mind will hate you for attempting to make it understand something, and you’ll get frustrated, stuck, and annoyed.
Making sure you have a healthy snack or meal when you begin to feel hungry can work wonders on your mind’s functionality. I notice this on a regular basis with myself. If I forget to eat, I soon remember by noticing how I’m feeling and how slow the process of working or studying is going.
Some good, healthy snacks are: yogurt, sunflower nuts, granola bars, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and cereal (but not the over-sugared sweet kids’ stuff).
- Get creative
If you still have a hard time studying and making it work for you, maybe it’s time to grab a study partner or three and make a game of it. Between making your own Memory game to playing “Game Show,” you can find innovative and interesting ways to make your study sessions much more entertaining. Either that or just play a whole lot of Trivial Pursuit to learn a whole lot of everything… but why not apply that concept to studying?
- Stick to the classics
Flash cards! Flash cards are a tried and true way to study, providing people with study solutions for years… try over 1000 years. Flash cards are an intuitive and simple way to learn, making them ideal for studying. The best part is that they can be applied to any subject, any level, and any lifestyle. I bet you that even students learning about FBI requirements use flash cards!
- Last but not least
I don’t know what it is, but music always seems to help me think. Not just any kind of music, though… it has to be somewhat mellow, not too loud, and have no lyrical content (otherwise I end up thinking or even writing what I hear in the song – not good!). There are plenty of genres that offer sufficient background pleasantries while you do your studying, reading, writing, or other work in the foreground.
Classical music is known for stimulating the brain and helping to improve brain function… why not take advantage of that concept and get some entertainment while studying?
I hope this blog post helps you to find your ideal way of studying. These are just a few ideas that have worked for me – maybe they will work for you, too!
