Soon

Reviewing for exams or doing homeworks are really boring for some. Because of this, they tend to se music of any genres to keep them hyped at what they are doing. Now, the question is, is it really effective for a student to study while listening to music? If so, what genre is a must? What are the drawbacks? We will be tackling the effectivity of studying with music at this post.

The Benefits:

➡ The Mozart Effect:
a term coined from a study that suggested listening to music could actually enhance intelligence.

➡ Beat that Stress:

Music is soothing and relaxing which can help beat anxieties.

➡ Endurance:

Music can aid endurance during long study lessons. It helps students focus on a task by improving the mood.

➡ Improve Memorization:

Music creates boosts memory formation by creating a positive mood.

The Drawbacks:

➡ Music with Lyrics:

Music with lyrics while completing reading or writing tasks tend to be less efficient. Some students may absorb less information.

➡ Loud Music:

These type of songs can make focusing more difficult. It can affect reading comprehension and on mood.

➡ Not Environment – Friendly

Using music for memorization may not be the best tip for most of you. It’s because they sometimes need to listen to music while taking the test in order to benefit from this method. However, an exam room is a silent test-taking emvironment which can make the students find this method difficult to recall what they reviewed.

DISCLAIMER:

These may work on you but some aren’t. We all have our own study habits depending on ourselves.

Slumber: the deadliest foe of every student

There were times in which we tend to dose off during discussions. The professor’s voice seemed to serve as the lullaby cradling us to slowly close our eyes and sleep. I’m certain we all had those episodes.

That was what I constantly experienced as a high school student. However, a month ago, I finally motivated myself to lend my ears and avoid being lost during discussions. It worked so far and is helping me a lot. Here are my five simple tips on how to stay awake during class.

1. Stay Hydrated!

If you feel like your eyes are slowly closing, grab that water bottle next to you. Drink and drink and drink. This method is proven and will really help you a lot in focusing on the discussion.

2. Chew Gum

Chewing gum is another way to prevent sleeping in class. This is due to the repetitive act which keeps the blood flowing and takes your mind off the tiredness. Chew gums that are preferably mints. This can add up to the factors that will help you awake.

3. Interact with your Professors

This may sound boring and quite challenging but it really works! You can answer questions, recite. This will let you think and distract your brain from dosing off. You can also just nod to the professors which will let you listen to the discussion attentively.

4. Front (or Middle) Row

Are you scared of being caught? Do you really want to learn? Do you want to defeat the deadliest foe?

Well, here is the answer: seat in the front or at least in the middle!

This may seem generic but this is because it’s really proven. The front row will discourage you from falling into a deep slumber!

5. Posture. Posture. Posture.

Sit up! Don’t roll your shoulders back and avoid slouching. This will help you maintain your focus.

Slouching can cause unnecessary stress on your muscles and lead to fatigue. This means that it will help you feel the tiredness and eventually dose off.

So, here are my five tips on how to stay awake in class. I really hope this works for you as much as it worked for me. Let’s get that straight A’s, darling!

What do we have to do to not procrastinate? Eh. I will just answer that later.

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Just kidding!

Well, most of us tend to schedule tasks but when the time comes, postpone it. Students do this most of the time. Well, even professionals have episodes in which they say the I-will-do-it-later mantra. So, what can we do to avoid these episodes?

Without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Assess Yourself

Why do you procrastinate? What causes it? Social media sites? Movies? Anime? Korean dramas?

To avoid procrastinating, try questioning yourself first what is the reason behind it. After that, you can plan out ways on how to avoid it. You can turn off you Wi-Fi if social media sites influence you. You can fix yoir bed if it has too much gravity drawing you closer onto it. You can start stretching if the weather is too cold and you just want to cuddle.

2. Plan out what will happen in the next hours

Grab your planner and do a breakdown of the tasks you have to complete. To avoid being overwhelmed, further break a specific task into smaller ones and distribute it for the next days. This can help a lot!

3. Choose your surrounding

As always, it is recommended to study or do work on a quiet surrounding. As much as possible, work at places far from your bed because we all know what will happen if not. You can work on coffee shops to maximize your productivity.

4. Find a Study Buddy

This technique may not work for the majority though. Choose carefully who you can work with. Make sure that both of you are oriented with your goals to avoid distractions. Through this, you can work in accordance to the schedule you both agreed upon.

5. Motivate Yourself

Well, who can motivate yourself more than you?

Before you start working, remember the life goals you want to achieve. For whom are you working for? Why are you doing this? For whom do you dedicate the sleepless nights?

This can help a lot. Before you know, you are out of bed doing the things you have to do!

Disclaimer: This blog doesn’t intend to romanticize cramming. If ever you have a project due tomorrow and haven’t started anything yet, maybe this is your calling.

It takes a whole lot of experience to master the art of cramming. Based from my experience, these are the tips you have to keep in mind.

First, learn to prioritize. Weigh the importance of each requirement. Those who don’t value that much can make it to the bottom of the list. Also, check your schedule. Those classes who start later than the others can also be included to your least priorities.

Second, learn to sacrifice. One of the downsides of people who cram is that we don’t get that magnificent 8-hour sleep. Wake up at 3-5 am because that’s when your brain is at its utmost concentration. Breaks can also be sacrificed if the need requires it. Instead of munching at that lasagna, just get a to-go food that’s easy to grab and to eat while doing requirements. Breaks and free times are the ultimate presents for people who cram.

Third, learn to focus. The problem with most people is that they tend to get distracted easily. While cramming, that must be a big no. Focus in what you are doing. Always give that substantial output as if it’s done weeks before submission. You can jam into music, go to a quiet place, or anything of your preference.

Lastly, the golden rule, do not panic. If you failed at this step, say goodbye to that passing grade. Panicking brings out the worst of people who cram. Outputs tend to be meaningless. If worse comes to worst, the output will not be finished and most probably, a zero will be given to you.

I hope these tips will help you through a lot of misadventures in your academe life. These are all from my point of view and experiences. The art of cramming must not be done as much as possible, keep that in mind. Always manage your time wisely to avoid reading this blog.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton