How to study effectively

I know, I know. You must be thinking, "What a nerd! I don't need yet another person telling me to do my work." Well, that's too bad, because getting work done is the best feeling in the world, and I'm going to share some of my tips and tricks that will make studying a whole lot easier. 

#1: Make a plan.

I'm not usually this meticulous but here you go.

Yes, this is the most basic step out there. However, there must be a reason everyone says this. 

When you plan what you're going to do ahead of time, you'll be a lot more organized and efficient. It doesn't have to be an elaborate plan, merely writing down somewhere what you plan to achieve is enough.

Of course, if you want to make a detailed, color-coded chart containing your work plans for the next week/month, I'm not stopping you.

The important thing is to figure out what type of planning works for you and to stick to it. Trust me, future you will be grateful.

#2: Don't be an overachiever. Start small.

Before you go, "Wait, what?!", let me explain myself. Trying to tackle every single project you have to do in an hour or even a day, is just setting yourself up for failure. I speak from experience when I say that hard work takes time, and it's completely unrealistic to take on more than 2 or 3 assignments at a time.

There's no WAY you're going to get all this done in a day.

#3: Make yourself comfortable and ready.

No, I'm not telling you to write your essays and memorize your textbook while lying in bed. In fact, that's possibly the very worst thing you could do. What I am telling you to do is to find a place to study where there are no apparent distractions, allowing you to focus on your work. 

Consider setting aside a designated study area where you can do your work in peace. For most teens, this would be your study table. 

Before sitting down to slave away at your 33+ assignments, ask yourself, "Am I comfortable? Is there anything that's going to distract me from my work right now?"

For example, if you decide, "Well, I am quite hungry," then I strongly suggest you take care of that. This way, you won't have to hear your stomach growling as you write about the use of color in a painting. 

(Bonus tip: Keep a water bottle nearby to prevent you from having to get up to grab a drink later.)

#4: Don't exert yourself too much.

"Wait, I thought you were helping me get all my work done?! Why are you telling me to be chill?" Firstly, I am not telling you to be chill. Second, if you really believed this was a magic guide that would somehow assist you in completing all that work you put off, then I am scared for you.

While it may seem tempting to sit at your desk and stare at your book/laptop all day, I do not recommend this. Your notes may appear to swim around the page (Once again, I speak from experience). 

Taking a 5-10 minute break every hour or so allows you to rest your eyes and clear your head. During this time, do something different, like walking around or looking out the window. Avoid messing with your phone throughout your break (which brings me to my next point). 

#5: Keep your phone far, far, away. 

At least I can tell you this step is no surprise. Phones are the easiest way to get distracted and lose focus on your work. Scrolling through Instagram, checking up on friends, all that can wait. I suggest you keep your phone in a different room. Or a different house. Maybe even a different country. 

#6: Reward yourself.

Picture this: It's been a long day, you've been following my advice, and you're now sitting happily at your desk after just having typed that final word. You close your textbook with a resounding Bang! You stretch back in your chair as you think about how productive you have been today.

Yay, you've done it! Time to call it a day and pack away your things. Time to do something fun. Go on, you deserved it.

Final thoughts

I hope you guys liked my tips and try them out. If you have any study/work tips of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments!