clean and tidy study space

When you de-clutter your physical space, you de-clutter your mind.

exercise

Make sure you get outside each day and 'exercise' - although a nice walk for 30minutes is pretty good allows. The fresh air increases the oxygen in your brain and that means you will study more effectively.

tech tip

Avoid sending messages of all kinds to friends during study, continuous distractions disrupt the relevant information from being absorbed by your brain.

music

For those who listen to music when they study, my tip is listen to music that does not contain lyrics, whether that be classical or techno.

balance

One of my biggest recommendations to all my students to try and achieve a balanced lifestyle, so although you have to study to get through university or school, it is really important you give yourself down time and 'free time' where you do something that is not study related. Go and watch a movie, hang out with friends and go to dinner somewhere new. 

set out a goal list

A to-do list is inherently negative, and you often find yourself focusing on what you didn't achieve during your study, rather than focusing on what you did manage to get through. A goal list is positive, in that it sets out what you want to achieve during your study time.

good food

Your brain and your body needs good food to allow you to stay focused and motivated. Eating healthy foods means you will have the energy you need to keep on studying.

plan your time

In order to be effective during your study and to avoid cramming, structure and plan your time. This can be easily achieved by having a monthly planner that is visible to you (on your desk or wall). This plan shows your work commitments, your assessments and exams. You can then plan your time effectively so you avoid stressful cramming.

lectures

2 hour lectures can be draining. Staying focused and on track can be quite challenging, especially with modern technology. So, the one way I used to be productive during lectures, and maximise my understanding of the topic, would be to print out the lecture PowerPoint slides in note view, and write as I listened. I would surprise myself on how much I could write in that 2 hours, and also how much I would remember. The 2 hours would also go quite quickly too.

regular breaks

Taking regular breaks of 10-15 minutes keeps your mind fresh and it allows your beautiful brain to process and digest information.

study using various methods

What does this mean?  It's quite simple really, study using different parts of your brain, the more ways in which you can learn the content the easier it is to remember crucial information. Read your textbooks, write your notes and summaries, listen to lectures, watch videos/lectures and discuss the content in a group (quiz each other).

sleep

Good sleep is absolutely crucial for your study to be effective. You should be aiming for 7-9hours of good sleep, this means  you need to be in a quiet and dark room. Why? Good sleep allows for your brain to rest, recover and process all the data you have tried to cram into it. Sleeping allows for your brain to sort through all that information and store it neatly in your memory.

breathe

It might seem really silly, but remember to breathe when you are studying. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed about an assessment, and exam or just worried about balancing multiple tasks at once, sit back and do some breathing exercises where all you are doing is focusing on the air moving in and out of your lungs. This will allow you to become slightly more grounded and it gets your brain and mind refocused.