How to study smart

What is studying smart?
Studying smart doesn't mean studying hard, it means that you make the most use of your time, and get the most out of it.

 There are many ways to make the most use of your study time. Here are a few tips and tricks of how to study smart:

• You have to have at least 8 hours of sleep 

Sleep is incredibly important. Without 8 hours of sleep or more, your body wouldn't function properly during the day. You will feel sluggish, and very sleepy. However, if you are one of those people who can sleep for less than 8 hours and you don't feel any of those things, you are welcome to sleep for less than 8 hours.

• The view in front of you when you study should be a plain colour

 I don't know about you, but, I simply cannot study when there are very bright colours, or lively patters in front of me when I study. It is better to have a plain white, yellow or blue wall in front of you and not any bright colour that can disturb you, like, bright pink. You don't actually have to work with a plain-coloured wall in front of you but I find it better for remembering formulas, equations, and what-not.

• You should study more from books rather than computers

Sometimes, when I am on my Macbook studying, my eyes get tired and I find it more difficult to concentrate on what I am doing. If you stare at a screen for too long, it may affect your eyesight. There is no real time period that is specifically damaging to your vision, but if you know that you are going to be staring at a screen for a few hours, then follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take a break for 20 seconds, looking at something 20 feet away (or just close your eyes). When we look into computer screens, we tend to blink less, resulting in dry eyes. Books might be a better solution to these problems, but, once again, everybody has their own ways   of studying - some may find it easier to study from computers, and some may find it easier to study from books.

• Always ask for help 

A lot of the time, when you are studying, you come across things which you really can't put your finger on. When that happens, the best solution is to ask somebody (teachers, parents, adults, friends...) You can also search something up on the internet, where you can easily find the information you are looking for. Furthermore, if you don't ask for help, it is only you who doesn't gain anything from it, not your teachers, or friends, not anyone. If you need to know something, it is your job to find out.

• Before you start working, make a timetable to plan your time 

A timetable is always a great way to plan your time. It lets you know how much time you need to do something, and how much time you have to do it. With timetables, you can tell yourself, and reassure yourself, that you will have the time to do whatever you need. It also satisfies you, and shows you than you can do all your work on time. Here are some tips on making your timetable:

TIP 1: Whenever you make a timetable, be very generous with your time so you wouldn't be rushing to finish what you planned to do.

TIP 2: Leave a short time at the end of your timetable to finish any undone work or to revise something you are not so sure on while you were studying. 

TIP 3: Always put in a few breaks. A 10 minute break every one and a half hours should be more than enough. The breaks should be when you are switching subjects if possible.

• Make sure you have a clean working environment

For some people, it is very hard to concentrate when there are many things around you like, storybooks, random pieces of paper, rubik's cubes and all sorts of things. They distract you greatly when you are tying ti study or memorise anything that you need. You are very likely to lose many of your things in the mess, and "Fun things" like rubik's cubes and chess sets have to be kept away so they wouldn't tempt you to play with them. All you should have on your table is the work you are presently doing, your pencil box, your mac (optional, only for searching things up if you have to), and your water bottle.

• Don't do more than 2 things at once

Here is another major distraction. Doing many things at once. I find that I can only do 2 things at once, or I wouldn't be able to concentrate on either. For example, if you do work and listen to music, it is fine, as long as the music doesn't have any words as words tent to distract you and sometimes force you to pay attention to them. However, if you study, listen to music whilst watching a music video, you will more likely be paying attention to the video, instead of the work you are doing. I usually just study and listen to calming, instrumental music on my earphones, as they keep all sounds inside my head and helps me to concentrate.

So, I hope that those 7 little tips will help you to study smarter and better - they do help me and I hope that I don't sound too much like your parents.  BTW, I like the number 7. If you look at my other posts, you will notice a lot of 7 things. YAY!