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Motivation Physical Study Technique Time Management

7 Steps to unlock the power of study motivation

 

Man playing games rather than be motivated to study.

You want to study but aren’t motivated? You know that it is important. But, still you find it hard to study. Every time you sit at your study table and start studying, you cannot concentrate. Your smartphone, video games, TV, and other distractions keep distracting you despite however hard you try to focus. As a result, you cannot study properly. You are not as productive as you can be.

Do you know why?

The answer to this question is simple- you lack the motivation to study. Now, can you do something about it? Yes, you can.

You can unlock the power of study motivation and be your most productive self while studying.

Here are 7 steps to do so:

1. Start your day with affirmations

The first and foremost step is to start your day with powerful affirmations. For example, if you want to study for 2 hours, then you can try reciting affirmations like- I can study for as long as I wish, I can study with concentration and I will. As you recite these affirmations, you signal your brain that you are capable and you can achieve what you want. You can complete all your study targets and accomplish good grades. Thus, you start feeling motivated. Further, you can customize affirmations in accordance with your study targets for the day. In order to get an idea about different ways to create affirmations, you can watch affirmations videos available on YouTube.

 

2. Determine your reasons to study

This is the second step of your journey towards unlocking study motivation. It involves determining your biggest reason to study. For this, you have to sit at a peaceful place and question yourself- “Why should I study?” You can receive different answers to this question from your inner voice like to keep your family happy or to live the luxurious life you have always dreamt of. Whatever be the reasons, write them on a notepad. Now, that you have the list of reasons to study, you have to go through it every morning after reciting affirmations. As you do so, your motivation to study will start soaring high.

3. Create a study space which reflects your reason to study

This is the third important step which you have to follow. Here, you have to create a study space that reflects your reasons to study. For this, you have to create or find from the internet, some posters, images or quotes which align with your reasons to study. Once you finish creating or printing the respective materials, you have to paste them all over your study space. This makes your study space highly motivating and every time you go there to study, you will automatically get motivated.

 

4. Set small study targets

This is the fourth and very smart step to unlock study motivation. It involves setting small study targets for yourself. For example, if you have to complete a whole chapter, break into three or four parts. As you do so, you make your brain believe that the task is small and easy to achieve. Thus, you start feeling motivated to complete your small study targets. Further, as you succeed in accomplishing a study target, your motivation level rises even more. As a result, you can proceed towards your next study target with enhanced motivation to study.

 

5. Use the Pomodoro Technique

The fifth step of your journey to unlock study motivation is to use the Pomodoro technique. It keeps your motivation level maintained by helping you take study breaks around the time when your brain is about to start feeling tired. Given below is the stepwise procedure which you can follow to practice the Pomodoro technique while studying:

  • Select a study target to complete
  • Arrange everything you need to complete it. For example, your textbooks, pencil, eraser, notebook, pen and sharpener.
  • Take a timer and set it to 25 minutes.
  • Take a pledge that during these 25 minutes you’ll only study and that too with full concentration.
  • Start the Pomodoro (timer) and start working on your study target
  • Keep working at your best
  • As the timer rings, you have to stop studying and take a 5- minute break
  • After the break time gets over, reset the timer and start studying again
  • After completing four successive pomodoros, take a longer break for around 20 to 30 minutes
An ice cream treat for staying motivated.
6. Reward yourself at the end of the study day

The sixth step of the process to unlock study motivation is to reward yourself at the end of the study day. You can become eligible for the reward only if you feel that you have actually worked hard. It is not necessary that you have to complete your study targets for getting the reward. This is because some things may take longer to complete than you expected. But, it is just that you should be content with your efforts. At the end of your study time, you should be proud of yourself for having studied well. If so, you can reward yourself with some time to play your favorite game, a chit-chat session with your friends, and your favorite dish to eat.

 

7. List your achievements for the day

This is the final step of your way to keep yourself motivated to study. Here, you have to list down your achievements for the day on a notepad. As you write your achievements, your heart smiles at your success. You bask in overwhelming joy at your study progress. This happiness which you feel is addictive in nature. Thus, it motivates you to perform even better. As a result, your study motivation keeps soaring high.

 

To conclude, the above-mentioned steps can help you unlock the power of study motivation. It is with this power that you can stay away from distractions and study with concentration.

Guest Author:  Jessica Robinson is a creative woman by heart and a research writer, who is solely dedicated to the task of conceptualizing, analyzing, and drafting articles on many issues. She is a woman of words, who has been delivering quality, accompanied by efficiency from the past 10 years. Additionally, it is much owing to her professional management degree from Melbourne University, which has exposed her to such proficient skills.

Categories
law school academic success Physical Study Technique

Study Space Ideas

Are you looking for some good study space ideas? Do you know how to create a study space that will help your learning? In this article I will discuss some tips to help you create a better study space that is more conducive to learning. Primarily, you can accomplish this by eliminating distractions from your study space.

Distraction #1: Internet

student surfing internet. Study space ideas post

When you get bored or the work gets hard, do you start checking your favorite social media site? Do you prefer Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit over boring tasks? Who doesn’t. When I grade exams, which I hate to do, I go and find a quiet spot in the library.  One great study space idea is to find a space without the Internet or your smartphone. Maybe you can leave your phone in another room, so you aren’t tempted. If you need your phone, there are apps that you can use to shut off Internet access for a set amount of time. Shut is off for 15 minutes to begin with, and then turn it off for longer periods of time. You might also find the Pomodoro technique useful in fighting an Internet addiction.

Distraction #2: Environment

For most people, the best temperature to study at is 77 degrees Fahrenheit, 25 degrees Celsius. A few degrees colder or warmer, and you won’t study as well.  In addition to temperature you need to think about the lighting in your study space.  Ideally, natural light is best, but if you are studying at night or in a room without a window, get bulbs that mimic natural night. This means avoiding yellow lights, which mimic candle light.  You want a bulb in the 5,000 to 6,500 kelvin range, which may look blue to you initially if you’re not used to them.  But in reality, bulbs in that range mimic natural sunlight, especially if you purchase a decent LED light bulb.  Compact fluorescents, by the way, are generally not very good at keeping their color, and might create a strange light.  I recommend that, in addition to getting a light in the 5,000 to 6,500 kelvin range, that you also look for an LED bulb that has a CRI above 90. CRI stands for color rendering index, so anything above a 90 will look natural, and not strange. I personally use the Hyperikon wide flood and Hyperikon standard base bulbs. Finally, make sure that your seating is comfortable.  Find something that is comfortable for you, whether that is a chair or a standing desk.

Cluttered desk. Study space ideas post.

Distraction #3: Organization

Your study space should be uncluttered, and it should be clean before starting the next day.  This will help you focus on studying, and not the mess around you. Also, make sure your study materials are all nearby.  You don’t want to keep getting up and down to go get something you need. Also, get rid of anything in the study space that might distract you, like novels, magazines, and pictures that cause your mind to wander.

What to Bring

Bring a large drink so you don’t have to keep getting up.  If you are going to snack, bring your snacks with you. Keep a small notepad on your desk to write down distractions.  For example, if during your study time you realize that you forgot to pay a bill, write it down and deal with it after your study time.

Location

Finally, think about moving your study space from time to time.  Scientific studies have shown that our brains work better when we are in new environments and do things differently.  To help my brain, I avoid driving the same way all the time, instead varying my path to keep the neural connectors working better.  For you that might mean studying at different coffee shops, or at least at different tables in the coffee shop.  In the library, move around—don’t always go to the same table.

Breaks

Make sure to take regular breaks. The brain is not designed to work without some rest, so build that into the routine. At some point, you may hit a mental roadblock and need to do something to break the mental roadblock.

 

 

Categories
Essay Exam Exam Preparation Physical

10 Exam Day Tips

Looking for exam day tips? It’s the end of the semester and most of you are preparing for final exams. DON’T PANIC! By following these 10 exam day tips you can improve your grades. The principle behind these exam day tips is simple: calm students outperform nervous and tired students every single time.

Let me tell you about John (name has been changed), one of my friends at the elite law school we attended. John is very intelligent but he had one problem: he got overly nervous before exams. On the first morning of the bar exam I noticed that he was frantically reviewing his materials. During the lunch break he rushed to his car so he could study more. And I am sure that he spent every free moment that evening and the next morning reviewing his notes. He flunked the bar that time and also the next two times he took it. I can assure you that John was prepared and would have passed the bar exam the first time if he had remained calm.

Here are your exam day tips:

Tip #1

Remain calm and trust yourself. Did you go to class? Have you prepared the right type of outline? Did you make flash cards? Have you done the hard work before the exam? Did you watch the videos on my YouTube channel?? If you did all of that, then trust that you will perform to the best of your ability.

Tip #2

Get a good night’s rest so that you can perform at your highest level. In fact, watch a TV show or do something else to relax, and get your mind off the exam. If you go into the exam tired and stressed, you will get a lower grade.

Tip #3

Last minute cramming will confuse you rather than help you. I get the strangest questions from students within the last 24 hours before an exam, questions that make no sense and aren’t usually tested on the exam anyway. Last minute cramming will actually result in lower grades, not higher ones.

Breakfast plate. Exam day tips.Tip #4

Eat a well-balanced breakfast as studies show that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This doesn’t mean to have a huge, protein- and carb-loaded, sugary feast for breakfast, but you want to have something in your system so that your brain operates at its optimal level. Check out this article for more detailed info on why breakfast helps your brain
perform better.

Tip#5

Before you leave home make sure you have everything you need for the exam, such as your laptop, pen, paper, or books. In fact, if you can, pack all that stuff up the night before so you don’t have to worry about it in the morning.

Tip#6

Plan to arrive early. I recommend getting to school at least one hour early as you never know what might happen, whether that is bad traffic, a flat tire, or a speeding ticket.

Tip #7

Stay comfortable. One way to stay comfortable is to dress in layers, as the exam room may be too hot or too cold for you. Also, if you need to go to the bathroom during the exam, then go to the bathroom. Don’t worry about losing five minutes of exam time for a bathroom break; otherwise you will be distracted as you think about how desperately you need to go to the bathroom.

By the way, I have one story related to bathroom breaks. A law students was afraid of losing anytime on the exam because of bathroom breaks, so he purchased adult diapers to avoid having to get up during the exam. Please, DON’T do this! It’s actually good for you to get up for five minutes, go to the bathroom, and get your blood circulation moving again.

Tip #8

Yawn before and during the exam as it is a calming technique—and it works!

Tip #9

If you are extremely sick on exam day then get permission to take the exam on another day. I’ve had dozens of students get a low grade because they didn’t know they could request an accommodation. Sure, there are those that abuse the system, but when somebody is obviously sick then they are entitled to take the exam on another day. Just make sure to contact the Registrar, or other authorized person, who can give you permission to take the exam on a different day.

Tip #10

If you are excessively nervous and can’t calm down, consider seeing a mental health counselor, a pastor, or medical professional. Another friend of mine, who also went to an elite law school, failed the bar three times before she went to her doctor. With medicine to calm her down she passed the exam the next time she took it. There is no shame in seeking help from a professional when it is necessary.

Conclusion

These exam day tips can help, but don’t forget to use the IRAC method for your essays. Also, make sure you understand how professors grade so that you can prepare for the exam. Now, use these exam day tips and good luck on your exam!

 

Categories
law school academic success Physical

How the Brain Benefits from Exercise

Recent studies indicate that the brain benefits from exercise. We all know we need to exercise!  And we all know that there are physical health benefits from exercising. But did you know that exercise will help you in the classroom and while studying, as well? While reading Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, written by Harvard professor John Ratey, M.D., I discovered that modern science is confirming what the ancients understood thousands of years ago. Dr. Ratey begins by quoting from Plato’s Republic:

Plato in bronzeIn order for man to succeed in life, God provided him with two means, education and physical activity. Not separately, one for the soul and the other for the body, but for the two together. With these two means, man can attain perfection.

-Plato, Republic, Book 3, 411e

Dr. Ratey makes the startling claim that exercise has the primary effect of improving brain function, and secondarily, cardio vascular and muscle improvement. In one long-running experiment at an Illinois high school, physical fitness was incorporated into the curriculum. The result was a 17% increase in reading and comprehension. Do you know how many teachers would kill to see that kind of improvement?! At the same high school, students took an international math and science test, in which the Asian countries typically outperform the rest of the world. The students at this American high school came in first place for science and sixth place for math, in the entire world. Not bad for a world-wide competition! This and many other studies demonstrate a strong connection between physical fitness and academic achievement.

Additional Benefits

In addition to academic achievement, studies have found other beneficial results. People who exercise can lower depression, reduce violence, and help increase focus for those with attention disorders. (Researchers in this article state, “Health experts often remark that if exercise came in pill form it would be the most sought-after drug on the market.”) For example, one inner city school that added a physical fitness component to their curriculum saw a significant decrease in fighting. By the way, these studies have been replicated at schools in more financially stable neighborhoods as well as disadvantaged neighborhoods. In other words, regardless of your socio-economic condition or current class standing, you should see an improvement in your academic results by incorporating exercise into your routine.

What You Can Do

Brain and heart on a board, showing how exercise benefits the brainSo what can you do to achieve some of these results? First, you need to get your heart rate up to 80-90% of its potential based on your age group. You can check this heart rate calculator to help you determine what is right for you, keeping in mind that you should discuss this with your doctor before embarking on a new physical exercise routine.

Second, doing exercise in the morning has a positive effect on your learning all day long.

Third, for maximum effect, work on your most difficult material right after you exercise. Time is of the essence here, so bring something with you and read it before you shower. The longer you wait after exercising to study, the less effective it will be.

Fourth, more complex exercise provides even more benefits than something like running. I suppose if you can find someone to do ballroom dancing with in the morning, that would be the most effective. Though, I’m not sure how many of us want to get up at 6 am to do the salsa or tango!

Finding Time

Now, some of you are thinking, sounds great, but I just don’t have time to exercise. So here’s my question to you: with a potential 20% increase in your scores, do you really have the time to NOT exercise? You will also find that exercise can help break mental roadblocks.

My recommendation is to start easy and at times that work with your schedule. Early morning may not work for you so try afternoon or evening. Going to the gym every day may be ambitious at the beginning, so start with exercising two days a week. The key is just to start and then gradually make it a habit. Also, make sure to study your most challenging material right after your workout for maximum learning. Also, check out this video on how to get through challenging material for even more ideas.

 

Categories
law school academic success Physical Study Technique

Overcome Mental Roadblocks When You Can’t Study Any Longer

Have you ever encountered mental roadblocks?  We’ve all reached the point where we just can’t study any longer because we have been studying too long.  Some people just keep reading, even though their brain stopped working hours before. Our brains were not designed to run marathons, so they need regular breaks. Also, regular sleep is important to keep your brain operating at peak efficiency.

Mental Reboot

When you hit mental roadblocks, you need a mental reboot. So just stop what you are doing and go do something else for a couple of hours.  Make sure that whatever you do is completely unrelated to what you’ve been studying.  For many that might be going to the movies or out for some exercise. If you go out with friends, try to avoid talking about the law. The key is to think about anything except what you were studying, which will allow your brain to recharge and prepare you for studying when you return.  When you complete your two hours away from studying you will find that you can continue studying.

Most of the time when your brain is tired, a small break will do. But when the small break doesn’t work you need to reboot your brain.  You do this by engaging in an activity where you completely forget about the law for a couple of hours, which allows you to return later and begin refreshed.

Fun

For example, go watch a movie at the theater and enjoy a soda and popcorn. If you like to exercise, go to the gym for a few hours–your brain will benefit from exercise.  For some, get a good night’s sleep, maybe 10 to 12 hours. Go hang out with your friends for awhile and enjoy some pizza with them.  The key is to do something, anything, that will get you to stop thinking about the law for a few hours.  Once you reset your brain, then you will be ready to start learning again.

Artificial Stimulants

By the way, you should not take stimulants to try to keep you going. Drinking coffee, soda, and energy drinks may work for short periods of time, but when you are at a complete roadblock all that will happen is that you will become more mentally exhausted.  You may make some miniscule gains, but soon you will be back to where you were:  tired and unable to learn.

By the way, if you think your real issue is procrastination, you might want to learn how to fight procrastination.