If, like me, you have spent the past two or three weeks aggressively procrastinating the work you have to do and focusing only on the impending Winter Break, then you probably haven’t spent enough time studying for finals or writing those essays. But alas, finals season is upon us. If you’ve been looking for some brilliant study tips to take your academic weaponry to the next level, look no further. Forget tried-and-tossed ‘hacks’ like highlighting, chewing gum and turning off your phone. Instead, take a look at some of these innovative and truly strange study hacks that may or may not help you ace your finals and make your gradebook weep tears of joy. 

As someone who has spent a lot of time on schoolwork and even more time procrastinating it, I can personally attest that I’ve used each and every one. I’ve used these tips to finish last-minute homework assignments, spend hours in the library, and prepare for final exams. 

1. For those trying not to fall asleep, drink so much water that you have to pee every half hour. Fill up your water bottle (and if you don’t have a water bottle, what are you waiting for? Get one!) and start chugging. If you chug one bottle of water every 45 minutes to an hour, you should be hydrated enough to stay awake. I dare you to fall asleep while drinking that much water. If you’re not running to the restroom every 30 minutes, you’re not drinking enough water. Getting up that often is going to keep you awake while grinding out those study hours. 
2. For those struggling to focus on your work, download the free Forest app. The app mimics the Pomodoro method by providing a timer to keep track of study sessions and breaks. When you start the timer, the app begins growing a tree. While you’re working, you can watch the tree grow on your phone screen. After you complete each 25 minute work session, Forest adds a tree to your digital forest. By using the app, you can also help support reforestation efforts. Forest partners with Trees for the Future, so when users spend virtual coins on planting trees, Forest donates to Trees for the Future and creates planting orders. As a bonus, the Forest app will kill the tree you’re growing if you leave the app to use your phone, which keeps you focused on the task at hand. After all, you don’t want to kill trees, do you?
3. For those with wandering minds, use sticky notes to capture your thoughts. If you’re someone who constantly thinks of other things to do while trying to read a textbook or write an essay, then try keeping a sticky note next to you to write down any thoughts or impending tasks that come to mind. Instead of letting yourself get distracted in the moment, simply write it down and come back to it at the end of your study session. That way, you can keep your study momentum going and still remember everything that crossed your mind. 
4. For those trying to proofread an essay or suffering through a long reading, try changing your accent as you speak out loud. It’s all too easy to overlook grammar mistakes or poor sentence structure when we’re reading our own writing. By forcing yourself to read it out loud in another accent [I recommend British or Australian, but any accent works] you force your brain to pay attention to the individual words and the way that sentences flow. Similarly, when reading long passages, using a different accent prevents your brain from going on autopilot and zoning out. Your brain is forced to pay attention to the words. Because you’re being forced to actively pay attention, you absorb more information. 
5. For those trying to be productive but struggling to stay away from Netflix, put yourself in a public space where other people can see your computer screen. It’s a classic case of peer pressure. If, like many, you feel anxious around other people and fear they may be judging you, feel free to capitalize off that fear to maximize your study productivity. After all, do you really want to be caught watching “Bridgerton” in the library? If not, turn off the show and turn on the studying.

Each of these tips has been curated for a specific situation to ensure you can maximize the benefit you take away from this list. Good luck and happy studying, Drake bulldogs.