4 Practical Ways To Study For Long Hours
How I study without losing the desire of doing so.
Studying sucks! Every time I get motivated to study, I end up wasting my time fantasizing about the false luxuries and comforts of my future life. Let me explain how it goes with me, and I presume it’s how it goes with you as well.
It all starts when I make my study timetable for a particular day. Everything goes according to the schedule until it’s the time for my 15- minute break. Now, this break stretches for an hour or and that’s where I lose my continuity. I imagine my life after I have become successful, despite knowing that I’ll achieve everything with hard work and not by merely fantasizing about it.
These were some of my problems. Are you finding something relatable?
The most important and frequent question that arises during studies is:
How To Stick To Your Routine
Although I can’t give you a quick pro-tip on maintaining consistency, I still have a lot to share.
Great leaders and personalities across the globe have become successful by being consistent. Two factors are of utmost importance to achieve this feat…
Blending your hard work and sheer determination with your patience, along with continuous improvements.
Well, that was the crux or the ideal method to go by. Let us dive deep into it to know the know-how of it while studying.
1. Stay Away From Distractions
Avoid any and every kind of distraction, especially your mobile phone. The distractions caused by your mobile phone during studies are one of the biggest culprits behind your mood shift and can seriously affect your brainpower and concentration if not controlled.
According to a study by PubMed Central,
While smartphones and related mobile technologies are recognized as flexible and powerful tools that, when used prudently, can augment human cognition, there is also a growing perception that habitual involvement with these devices may have a negative and lasting impact on users’ ability to think, remember, pay attention, and regulate emotion.
So stay away from such distractions.
2. Apply The Correct Strategy During Breaks
Taking small breaks between studies can help you a lot as it increases your concentration and keeps you focused. This method proves extremely useful when applied in the right way.
Most people find it hard to resume their studies after the break and lose their consistency. Believe me, when I say that this hard-to-start phenomenon occurs only when you are keeping yourself engaged in an activity that is too tiring — something that increases your mental pressure — or diverts your attention from studies.
So the best method is to find out a more refreshing activity during the break. It could be anything from taking a brisk walk to taking a small nap or whatever keeps you refreshed.
3. Study In Small Shifts
It is easier to study six hours a day in multiple shifts of two hours than to study continuously for six hours. This method is highly effective as it doesn’t create any pressure on the mind. Try to increase the hours in your shift slowly, as this would increase your overall study hours.
4. Don’t Listen To The Tricky Signals
Many among us lose their continuity only because they get fooled by their mind. This was the problem that even I faced during my studies. Few hours into the study, I get tricky signals from my brain like “You have covered more than enough topics” and “That’s all for today, you can resume later” etc.
Such messages can easily keep anyone off from studying. My advice — ignore those hollow escape routes that your brain suggests you and stay focused until your target for that day is achieved.
But some students have a different problem. The problem that prevents them from looking at their books. It is called the “lack of motivation.”
Motivation acts as an impetus that keeps us going during our studies. The only problem with it is that it doesn’t last long. After a few hours, motivation fades, making everything normal again.
So the big question is:
How To Stay Motivated
Now, there is an ocean of videos on YouTube that can keep you motivated. Don’t you think you need something that keeps you going anytime and anywhere without relying much on motivation? It is the drive that pushes you on your journey when motivation fades.
Here are some of my tips on how to be driven.
- The easiest way of staying driven is to think about your success. The more you think about your future, the more effort you will put into achieving it. This method might be dangerous as it can occasionally lead you to waste your time and keeping you hooked into daydreaming, but it helps a lot when carried out cautiously.
- Another method of being self-motivated is to think about your competitors. Just think how hard they might study at the present when you are wasting your precious time. Every second you procrastinate, you increase the possibility of your failure and they are getting ahead of you. This feeling will keep you motivated.
- Another method of staying motivated is to think about your failure. It seems scary and frustrating, but worth the while. Pondering over the guilt and regret that one would feel after losing the opportunity is better than actually going through it. The fear of failure would drive you into studying.
- Finally, think about your parents and your family. They are giving their best to provide you with quality education to make you stand on your own feet and face the future. Your mother’s smile and your dad’s pride should be your greatest motivation.
So these are some techniques of self-motivation. Thinking about all four during your studies can easily keep you motivated.
Now, moving on to my question — Does studying suck?
The answer is yes; it does when not dealt with in the manner it deserves to be dealt with. As a result, the regret and lamentation overwhelm you.
Two or three years later, while looking back at your old books, you would feel the pain that if I would have studied effectively, then my life would have been a lot different.
So stop procrastinating and study hard!
The Take Away Point?
In short,
Q.) How to study for long hours consistently without losing the desire of doing so?
Solution:-
- Stay away from distractions.
- Apply the correct strategy during breaks.
- Study in small shifts.
- Don’t listen to your brain’s tricky signals.
Bonus: The above mentioned techniques will only help you if you have the desire to study, which the majority of students don’t have.
Q) How to stay driven in the process of studying?
Solution:-
- The easiest way of staying driven is to visualize your success.
- Think about your competitors. Imagine how hard they are working for their goals while you lay in bed procrastinating. More on Procrastination here.
- Think about the consequences of your actions.
- Think about the ones you care most, and the consequences that they will face by your inaction
Do you have any other strategy to stay motivated during studies? Comment your views.
