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Photos: What Should You Have When Studying?

With finals right around the corner, VSU students may be stressed trying to find the right way to study.

However, many students don’t have time to figure out the best way of studying, especially right before the end of the semester. So, here are a few things you should have on hand to take some of your pressure away.

1. Find a comfortable space away from your bedroom

While sitting in bed with your laptop or hunching over your desk may sound appealing, an effective study session will only be found if you are in a place with limited distractions.

Being in your room makes it easier for you to find distractions, like cleaning, watching TV or talking to roommates, that allow you to avoid actively studying.

Whether it’s Odum Library or the corner of your favorite coffee shop, finding a place where you are comfortable, secure and unable to distract yourself helps you focus when reviewing for tests, quizzes or class discussions.

2. Have an idea of what you want to study

Knowing what you want to go over before you actually begin allows you to fully prepare for a reliable study session.

The best time this comes into play is for topics you are unsure about.

For example, if you have a good understanding of everything in chapter three of your biology textbook, you probably don’t need to look over it again. However, if you struggled with chapter six, you will probably need to spend a good amount of time reviewing it.

Writing out a list of important chapters, subsections or vocabulary will help you move away from reviewing the things you do know and focus on the things you don’t.

3. Make sure your textbooks and notes are on hand

Whether they’re on your laptop or written in a notebook, having class notes and textbooks will show you what your thought process was during the original lesson.

Knowing how you perceived a topic or remembering how it was presented to you will let you recall important information, giving you an easy, familiar way to go back over it.

4. Set a schedule

One common mistake many students make is cramming for a test for multiple hours at a time.

Studying for long periods without breaks overwhelms your mind. The large intake of so much content without a break will actually make you retain less, meaning all those hours you spent studying will equate to nothing.

Writing out your planned schedule and having it within your eyesight during your study session will remind you to stick to it. Having timers set on your phone or laptop so you don’t frequently check the time is also a good idea.

5. Grab some snacks

Like the body, the mind needs energy and nutrition to properly function.

If you plan on having hours long study sessions, making sure you stay hydrated and properly fed is the most important thing.

Try sticking with healthy food, water, juice and small meals while studying. Getting too full, sticking solely to junk foods and only having drinks that are high in caffeine and sugar will cause your digestive system to exert more energy. When this happens, a smaller amount of oxygen goes to your brain, making it harder for you to properly concentrate.

At the end of the day, the best thing to remember is that there is no right or perfect way to study. What works for some may not work for others, and figuring out the best options for yourself is a process. However, starting with small things like this provided list can give you a bit of a head start.

Written by Bailey Storey, Photo Editor. Photos by Bailey Storey.

 

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