Drum & Bass Music
If you can’t study with music then this won’t apply to you, but for me, I study better with music, but it has to be the right music. I’ve found that drum & bass sounding music gets me in a real good mood and helps me type faster, think faster and concentrate better. I usually go for Shapeshifter, but of course there are plenty other bands out there that do some good drum & bass beats.
Music Without Words
I find music without words super helpful, especially because if the music I listen to has words I usually just end up singing along. Instrumental versions of albums are great, and also movie soundtracks! I really like the soundtrack from the movie Hanna, which was created by The Chemical Brothers, search for it on Spotify or YouTube… or even better, watch the movie…oh wait, you’re meant to be studying, don’t watch the movie!!
Candles
This one is a wee bit girly, but I have a whole bunch of candles in my room in jars and on cute wee plates that I sometimes like to light up. Not only does it make study more interesting, but it also creates a different type of mood in your room and is marginally romantic- if that’s even possible when doing study?
Study Breaks
Productive study breaks make you feel more refreshed and will help you be more productive in the long run, but you all know that. The trick here is doing something during that study break that is actually fun, relaxing and refreshing all at the same time. In previous study breaks I have sat in the sun and ate fruit, I have learnt raps to songs (that’s a personal favourite of mine- I would recommend Twenty One Pilots for that), I have gone for quick runs round the block, I have called a friend, made a smoothie, had a coffee date with a friend, discovered new music online, and also done funny exercise videos in the lounge (and the flatmates came home wondering what on earth I was doing). Seriously, the options are endless.
Study Amongst Friends
Note here I say ‘amongst’ instead of ‘with’. When you and your friends meet up and share a desk at the library it’s a lot more fun than studying by yourself. The key here is to talk more during your study breaks when you get lunch or have a break outside, instead of during the study sessions.
Talk Out Loud
This only really applies when you are studying by yourself at home, but you could talk out loud to yourself. This is actually beneficial for both your enjoyment levels, and also your memory- verbalising notes can help you remember what you’re reading better. If you’re game you could even give it a go in an accent, enjoyment levels increase by 23.5% when you do this!
Food
Food makes a huge difference for studying! Having yummy study snacks gives you something to look forward to (if you use food as an incentive), and something to get the wheels in your brain turning. I would recommend foods such as nuts, yoghurt, pretzels, grapes, apples, cheese and crackers, dried apricots, olives, corn and cheese toasties, the classic egg toastie, and of course chocolate, chocolate never fails.