There's only one hour before a huge exam and you're still not ready. You've gone the last two days without sleep, your entire diet consists of Ramen noodles and Pepsi, and you can't see straight anymore.
You don't want to encounter the above scenario at any point in time. It is the start of a new school year and by using a few easy study tips and managing your instinct to procrastinate, you can avoid study burnout. Here's how:
Instructions
1. At the beginning of each semester, your professors provide you with a syllabus that describes everything - assignment, reading, and exam - you will need to prepare for over the course of each class. Take this early opportunity to put together a semester-long study plan. Pick up a calendar or a planner and mark down every major event - due dates, exam dates, vacation days, and any other important date you will need to be prepared for. A wall calendar tends to be the most effective thing to use as it is always visible. Write your assignments in big bold letters.
2. Still, simply knowing when assignments are due does not deter the procrastination bug for most. When you are trying to avoid study burnout, your strategy should be to do less work per sitting over the course of more sittings. You can make your life a whole lot easier by giving yourself your own mini-due dates. If it's Monday, and you have to read a particular chapter by Sunday, give yourself incremental reading assignments throughout the week. If you have to read 20 pages, assign yourself three pages per day. To avoid waiting until the last minute of the day, decide the specific time for your reading, otherwise your mind will get into the mentality of 'I'll get to it later.' Asking yourself to handle a three page reading assignment is virtually nothing, especially when compared to 20 pages. By spreading out your studying, you will also have a far easier time when exams start approaching.
3. When writing a paper, take the same approach. If you have a five page paper due in a week, spread out the work. Set aside your first day to research your topic and then assign yourself a page per day until the assignment is due. Not only will you avoid study burnout, but your work will be of a higher quality than if you had rushed it.
4. If you are already at a point in the semester when you are overwhelmed with work, do your best to prioritise. A midterm exam takes precedent over a weekly homework assignment. A class in which you are struggling to hold a C should be given more attention than a class in which you are maintaining an A. Having to prioritise in such a way should be used as a last resort as you should always try to avoid neglecting any classes or assignments.
5. Finally, take advantage of previously wasted study opportunities. Have you ever gone to a sporting event only to sit idly during halftime for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, or a half hour? Bring one of your course books to the game with you; that way, you'll be able to knock out five or 10 pages of reading without even having a study session. By getting moderate amounts of work done over a long period of time, you can avoid study burnout.
- http://www.ehow.com