It’s midterms week and many students are spending an increasing number of hours studying. In an attempt to maximize efficiency, these students will look up guides and lists of tips and tricks to help them study. However, many of these tips are old and overused. Listed below are a few funky and fresh study tricks for midterms.
Singing and dancing
While memorizing information, like scientific and mathematical formulas, repeating the words to a melody or creating a jingle can help you remember them with more ease. Not that musically inclined? Try looking online for other people who have already created songs for the information you’re studying. In the same vein, feel free to get up and dance along with your song. While it might not necessarily help with memory, getting up and moving while studying helps you get some well needed exercise after hours of sitting down reviewing.
Aromatherapy
Certain scents are known to relax you or ease pain, but there’s also scents that make it easier for you to focus, think and retain information. Ylang Ylang, lemon, peppermint, eucalyptus and rosemary are five of the best oils for studying, and some of them, like Ylang Ylang and lemon, can be combined in a diffuser so you can have the best of both scents. These oils, along with diffusers, are sold pretty much anywhere with home goods. They’re not too expensive and make a great option for study time.
Check out “Studyblr” for inspiration
Tumblr has a rather large community dedicated to studying, aptly named “studyblr.” Hundreds, if not thousands, of people within this community run blogs dedicated to taking photos of their bullet journals, notes, desks and more. These photos are usually accompanied by descriptions written by the blogger, detailing their day of work and other various academia-related discussion. Taking a break from studying to browse posts from this community can definitely help with your inspiration levels, and you may even find new study methods from their hundreds of photos of color coded notes and coffee mugs.
Laughing to ease built-up tension inside
This one doesn’t help you retain information, but it does allow you to chill out a bit while studying. According to Mayo Clinic, laughter is proven to ease tension and stress in your body, making you feel better. If you find yourself super stressed out from studying for your exams, try watching your favorite comedian’s stand-up set during a break. Getting a few good laughs in resets your brain and calms you down, which is a more effective mindset to have while studying.
Use decorative fonts and colored pens
When writing — or rewriting — your notes, try using decorative fonts and colored pens. Not only will your notes look more aesthetically pleasing, but they’ll be easier for you to remember and recall during your exams. You may not be able to remember the tenth line of your third page of notes, but you will be able to remember the bright green bubble letters you spent so long perfecting in your notebook.
Exam week is rough no matter what classes you take. Just remember to stay calm, take a deep breath and realize that this stress is only temporary. Another exam week in the books is another exam week closer to getting your degree.
