Study Tricks and Tips

Let’s be honest, studying is one of the most boring things known to human kind, but it has to be done.  Therefore, my friends and I have come up with a few tricks to help us to get through those long nights of studying. 

Movies

When my roommate and I wanted to study in our apartment we would put on a movie.  Our typical choices included movies that were close to two-and-a-half hours long and we had seen them a million times before.  The long movies gave us enough time to complete our assignment, as well as we weren’t actually watching the movie because we already knew what happens at every part.  (I eventually even got used to tuning out my roommate as she quoted various lines of Titanic to me.) The movie was enough of a distraction to keep us from falling asleep but we were also able to get our work done.  Some of our top movie choices included Titanic, Dark Knight Rises, Pearl Harbor and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Music

My personal choice for studying is to listen to music.  Pandora and I have become really good friends while at college.  Usually for each big test that I am studying for I pick a new Pandora station to become obsessed with.  The songs start to become familiar and so does the material that I am studying.  But be warned, when the test is done and over, that Pandora station will be ruined forever by the subject that you had used it to study for.  So I always choose stations of people that I only knew one or two songs from, that way I didn’t ruin any of my favorites.

TV Shows

Watching TV show series is also a great way to stay focused for a long amount of time.  We would watch the shows over and over again, so that once again we wouldn't be too focused on actually watching the show.  It was just another good way to block out all of the other sounds in the room and it was still enjoyable because we would be watching some of our favorite shows.  Top choices were Big Bang Theory, Gilmore Girls and Boy Meets World.

Physical Activity

Studying for hours can take its toll on any person.  Some physical activity in between long hours is not a bad idea, especially if everyone takes a break at the same time.  One example was when my friend and I had studied all day and then went to play racquet ball at 9 o’clock at night.  It was a great way to de-stress and get all of our frustration out after a long day of studying.  But if you do not have enough time to go to the gym, there are activities you can do from the room you are in.  Group handstands are a fun activity for everyone.  Whether you are a pro or a beginner this will offer tons of entertainment and it will get your blood flowing again. 

Samantha Burt is a junior in Civil Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13.  To read more about Sam visit her WEPO Profile: http://raindancer45.wix.com/ladyengineers#!samantha-burt/c21tj