1. Build a Study Nook First thing first, you must develop some sort of study nook; a place dedicated purely to studying...and watching the occasional Youtube video in-between study sessions. This study nook can be as simple or as decorative as you want. Make sure that you have easy access to pens, notebooks, your laptop, paperclips, highlighters and every other piece of stationery you own. It is important that you limit the amount of time you are looking for things so that the time is spend productively. Make sure that your study nook is a place you like to be because you want to make sure that you develop a positive attitude towards studying...no matter how boring it may seen. Plaster your space with motivational quotes, cute pictures of hedgehogs or tickets to concerts you've been to! Think of all the opportunities! Make sure that you also have a comfy chair at your desk. You will be spending a lot of time in it so you may as well be comfortable. I have a grey Ikea bucket chair at mine and it is oh so wholesome. Study nooks can be so much fun to decorate which makes for a more enjoyable time when in them. 2. Be Organised I would say...in fact nearly everyone who knows me would say that I am a rather organised person. I remember during my HSC I thought of myself as a mini Blair Waldorf, social events recording in different colours in my diary and perfectly constructed flashcards carried around with me at all times. Yes I was a nerd but I was going to do it in style...and why shouldn't organisation by stylish. Go out and buy yourself some pastel flash cards, use your favourite highlighters and buy some cute binders! Kikki K and Typo were my go-to stores! Organise your content into different coloured sections of your binder with your readings or notes to study in the front parts and then an overview and flashcards towards the back. This way all your study stuff is easy to access and as simple as it sounds, having stationary that you like the look of makes studying that little bit more enjoyable...especially when your sticky notes are in the shape of cute little foxes!!! (thanks to Kikki K!) 3. Have a Study Playlist on your iTunes Account If there is one thing I couldn't live without during times of assignments, it would be my 'Study playlist' on my iTunes account. Now, this blog post would go on for a hefty couple of pages if I were to include my entire playlist however I thought I would let you in on a couple of my study music essentials. Some may go for a "pumping" style of music whilst studying...however that makes me want to either a) dance in my bedroom and procrastinate from writing my 2000 word paper or b) go for a run. So instead I go for the folky, acoustic route which helps me to settle and focus. Great background music! 'Study Playlist' Sneak Peek: • Because I Do - Pearl & the Puppets • Clean White Love - Lisa Mitchell • Coming Up Easy - Paolo Nutini • Leopold Street - The Paper Kites • Lily - Ben Gibbard • Best That I Can - Vance Joy • Someone New - Hozier • Lost In My Mind - The Head and the Heart • Don't Watch Me Dancing - Little Joy • Better Together - Jack Johnson • If You Ever Want To Be In Love - James Bay • Barcelona - George Ezra • San Francisco - Stu Larsen 4. Drink Tea and Prepare Snacks
I can pretty much guarantee you that there will be plenty of hours of assignments and study ahead of you...so why not enjoy some cups of tea/coffee/hot chocolate and some delicious snacks whilst you do so. My personal favourites are Early Grey tea and frozen mango. Although I also make sure I have chocolate in the house whilst doing an assignment, I love having some fresh fruit whilst studying. Buy a tub of blackberries, some frozen mango or cut up some strawberries and have them next to you whilst you write away. That way you are getting a little burst of something sweet whilst working towards your 3 & 5 for the day (green beans are also wholesome!). 5. Put It Into Perspective It is important, no matter how stressed you may be, to make sure that you put things into perspective. This assignment or test isn't going to be the determining factor for your entire future. Trust me when I say that I have had my fair share of stressful 'oh my goodness if I don't get an A on this paper my life is over' moments, but now that I look back it's clear that I just needed to step back and realise that it is not the be-all and end-all. Life goes on and there will be more tests, more assignments, more paperwork...and you need to know how to deal with them. Go for a walk or a swim, do some yoga or watch an episode of your favourite TV show on Netflix and then return to your studies refreshed with everything in perspective. Remember - you have got this! xxx
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September 2015
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