Learning, studying, and succeeding in school come hand in hand for most people. That means, in order to do well on quizzes and tests and earn high grades, studying the material before attending class is highly important. This can prove difficult for a lot of students because finding the motivation to sit down and dedicate a portion of time to studying what was already learned in class can be exhausting. There are a few ways around this though in order to make studying a bit more enjoyable and find the motivation to simply do it. 

Setting up a comfortable environment 

Everyone is different, but creating an environment to study in that caters to you will undoubtedly make the studying experience a lot more enjoyable. Clear off a space to work: a desk, a table, a countertop, somewhere to sit comfortably, with room to spread all necessary materials out. It is important to maintain good posture while studying, orthopedic surgeons say, and choose a comfortable, supportive chair. Comfortable lighting is important for a person’s eyesight, so avoid low-lighting. With this it is also pertinent to create an environment that will inspire motivation﹘a few ways to brighten up the scenery could be:

-lighting a candle

-putting on your choice of music

-using interactive learning materials (ex. Quizlet, Quizzizz, flashcards, etc…)

-studying with a friend or a group of people

Stationary Materials

It is not entirely necessary to make your notes aesthetically pleasing, but it never hurts to try and decorate notes in a creative way that can inspire studying and improve workflow. Investing in proper stationery materials such as highlighters, high-quality paper, colored pens and pencils, notepads, and even stickers can brighten up the experience entirely. Materials like these can be found at any craft store, but most commonly they can be found at Joannes, Michaels, Target, and Staples. 

Stationary materials do not only make notes colorful and pleasing to look at, they often help organize the material, making it clearer and more understandable. Highlighting important sections and using bright colors for important information will improve the retainability of the information. 

Phone Usage

It is commonly known that having your phone out while studying can be very distracting. We are often tempted to quickly respond to texts, but in turn, get swarmed by other distractions and often end up viewing the screen for much longer than expected. By shutting off and putting away the phone, unnecessary distractions are removed. It will completely change your focus to dedicate even short bursts of energy solely to studying. 

How to Study

Writing has been proven to be the top way to recall information, especially for quizzes and tests. Writing down notes while skimming through lessons or simply copying information down will allow you to further retain the information. The organization does not have to be exhausting; by using stationery, separating notes into understandable, clear sections, and assigning colors to important information, studying can become something fun and beneficial. 

Studying does not have to be the exhausting task that it is often misconstrued to be. Studying can be entirely individual, and cater specifically to your needs in order to maximize productivity. It is important to try out different techniques and experiment with what might allow you to succeed in school.