Now that we are two weeks away from the AP Exam, this week has been hectic! Teachers are cramming everything in, the stress is starting to weigh on you and it sucks like crap! What I hate so much is that throughout the year (and really since middle school started), I have become less diligent and have developed terrible study habits, which makes trying to study for last unit tests and the big National Exam harder. What I'm about to tell you might not work for you but if you still can't find the best and most comfortable way to study, maybe try something similar.
It is said that the only way to break a habit is to form a new one. I've heard it over and over again that for people who feel like they could be doing more but always either don't know how or seem to can't get to it, they appear to study best at school when they actually put their mind to it. Now, I don't mean when the teacher gives you work time because forgive me, I can't work when people TELL me to work, nope I just love the fact that I waste my time and then stress about not having enough hours in my day to actually do what's important. But I was at school late today before the Art Fair and I found that I could sit down and just stay focused to the point that it amazed me. I was actually getting my work done and everything.
I noticed that there were two main factors that came into play here:
1.) I felt horrible that there were people around me who were sincerely trying and here I am constantly saying, "I'm not going to do well" or "Honestly, I don't know what the frick I'm doing"and joking around and acting like I was blowing off my incompetence when truly it sucked to know that I could be doing something more but I wasn't and my grades and what I felt like I was going to get on the exam suffered. Maybe this was my motivation, knowing that I could do more or that I knew that I wasn't doing the best that I could. Some may call it putting too much pressure on myself and I see their point, I don't want to constantly be saying that what I do do is no good. But it was a true gut feeling that I am lazy not just in my schoolwork but in my life and I wanted to change that, so it gave me motivation. Now obviously a habit as bad as laziness can't be changed overnight but doing something proactively made me at least feel a bit better.
2.) I was working in the cafeteria away from computers, television, even favorite music. Just the fact that I had an EXPANSE place to lay everything out and that my poster was not slouched, the lighting was bright and it kept me awake and that it wasn't just me and dead silence around was relaxing to me. It helped me feel at ease and like I was on task. Now obviously there were some distractions but they weren't self-inflicted, I wanted to get my work done. Now this study haven might not be like mine that I've found (the cafeteria after hours...who knew!) and I still have yet to think of a good place in my home (or else I'm going to NEED to stay at school for the next two weeks....and all of next year). But definitely what I needed was somewhere where nothing was crammed and on top of each other, a place that had great lighting away from my laptop and devices and some noise so I don't feel like everything I do is disturbing the sacred peace. What I'd suggest, compile your simple 3-5 study haven checklist and think of a few places where you can get that feeling that you are changing and erasing bad habits. If this becomes a habit, that old habit will be eliminated.
Now a huge distraction for me has always been the TV and the Computer (of which social media and tv shows are watched) and if I had a smartphone, it would be that as well. I still have yet to figure out how to have the will power to not check my usual tabs (Gmail, FB, IC, etc) every time I log in but I guess the best thing to do is when you realize you are procrastinating, shut your computer lid or turn off the screen monitor and work on something else until you finally have it in your mind that the Chem vids or the English paper is what comes first and to not get sidetracked.
Well, I wish you luck, I know I could use it about now ^.^ and I hope this helps! Comment below on what your study haven is or how you broke your bad habits.
It is said that the only way to break a habit is to form a new one. I've heard it over and over again that for people who feel like they could be doing more but always either don't know how or seem to can't get to it, they appear to study best at school when they actually put their mind to it. Now, I don't mean when the teacher gives you work time because forgive me, I can't work when people TELL me to work, nope I just love the fact that I waste my time and then stress about not having enough hours in my day to actually do what's important. But I was at school late today before the Art Fair and I found that I could sit down and just stay focused to the point that it amazed me. I was actually getting my work done and everything.
I noticed that there were two main factors that came into play here:
1.) I felt horrible that there were people around me who were sincerely trying and here I am constantly saying, "I'm not going to do well" or "Honestly, I don't know what the frick I'm doing"and joking around and acting like I was blowing off my incompetence when truly it sucked to know that I could be doing something more but I wasn't and my grades and what I felt like I was going to get on the exam suffered. Maybe this was my motivation, knowing that I could do more or that I knew that I wasn't doing the best that I could. Some may call it putting too much pressure on myself and I see their point, I don't want to constantly be saying that what I do do is no good. But it was a true gut feeling that I am lazy not just in my schoolwork but in my life and I wanted to change that, so it gave me motivation. Now obviously a habit as bad as laziness can't be changed overnight but doing something proactively made me at least feel a bit better.
2.) I was working in the cafeteria away from computers, television, even favorite music. Just the fact that I had an EXPANSE place to lay everything out and that my poster was not slouched, the lighting was bright and it kept me awake and that it wasn't just me and dead silence around was relaxing to me. It helped me feel at ease and like I was on task. Now obviously there were some distractions but they weren't self-inflicted, I wanted to get my work done. Now this study haven might not be like mine that I've found (the cafeteria after hours...who knew!) and I still have yet to think of a good place in my home (or else I'm going to NEED to stay at school for the next two weeks....and all of next year). But definitely what I needed was somewhere where nothing was crammed and on top of each other, a place that had great lighting away from my laptop and devices and some noise so I don't feel like everything I do is disturbing the sacred peace. What I'd suggest, compile your simple 3-5 study haven checklist and think of a few places where you can get that feeling that you are changing and erasing bad habits. If this becomes a habit, that old habit will be eliminated.
Now a huge distraction for me has always been the TV and the Computer (of which social media and tv shows are watched) and if I had a smartphone, it would be that as well. I still have yet to figure out how to have the will power to not check my usual tabs (Gmail, FB, IC, etc) every time I log in but I guess the best thing to do is when you realize you are procrastinating, shut your computer lid or turn off the screen monitor and work on something else until you finally have it in your mind that the Chem vids or the English paper is what comes first and to not get sidetracked.
Well, I wish you luck, I know I could use it about now ^.^ and I hope this helps! Comment below on what your study haven is or how you broke your bad habits.