With Drake Relays week slowly fading in our rearview mirrors, finals are quickly approaching. If you, like me, have been procrastinating on your essays, projects and studying, then this list of insane but thoroughly novel study hacks is going to help you power through these last few weeks of school.
- For those who think they can study with friends, I seriously doubt it. My attempts to study with friends tend to end in long yap sessions with little productive work done. But if you’re going to make an effort, don’t half-commit. Swap phones with your friends and make sure you’re both in a quiet place (I recommend the library) so that you’re not tempted to talk. Share goals with your friends. For example, hand over your phone and tell your friend to keep it from you until you can demonstrate that you’ve written five pages of your essay or have finished the math problem set.
- For those struggling with presentations or papers, outline everything first. This is the single biggest tip I have that has resulted in my (relative) academic success. Outlining provides a structure that still allows you to fill in key details on your own. Outlines make it infinitely easier to write the actual paper because you’ve already compiled all of the information that you need, and all that’s left is to turn it into cohesive sentences. Bonus points if your outline is on physical paper; then you can memorize while you walk to class or review while you’re in line for Starbucks.
- For those who thrive on competition, head to Starbucks, the library or a study lounge and look for another person who looks reasonably focused on studying. That person is now your competition. You and your target are in a battle to be the most locked in. Don’t let that person out-study you.
- For those who thrive on aversive motivation, employ positive punishment. Give yourself a specific time frame and set a goal to complete within that timeframe. Then, brainstorm a list of possible punishments for failing to complete the task. I like to use pushups. As I’m writing this, I have three minutes until I have to do 15 pushups for failing to write this article on time. Obviously, choose your “punishments” using common sense and care. This tip is not advising you to do anything damaging or dangerous.
- For those who are serious, fully charge your laptop. Then pack your schoolbag and find a room with no distractions. I recommend somewhere in the main library or Midnight Hall. Then turn off your phone and open that laptop —– you’re working until that laptop is dead, or at least until the battery saver kicks in. Personally, I also recommend blocking out all distractions —– no non-academic websites, no music, and no breaks except for the bathroom and water. Remember, this is a serious, desperate act best used for those days when everything is due at the same time. This is not how you should routinely approach your homework.
Come on, Bulldogs. With only a few weeks left to prove ourselves to be academic weapons, it’s time to lock in.
