Study tips: how to improve your productivity and stay motivated

It’s a key topic all year round: how to improve your productivity and stay motivated to keep procrastination at bay and meet those deadlines.

• How do you best process information: are you visual or auditory, written or imagery/diagrams?
• Study aids and plans: have you tried these and are they effective for you?
• Do you like to use coloured pens, flash cards, and post it notes?
• When are you most productive: are there times of day you have observed when you focus best?
• How long are you usually able to concentrate for?

• Neurology: history of head injury/ADHD/ASD
• Sleep
• Overall health
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Lowered Mood
• Alcohol/substance use/stimulant use
• Life transitions: grief, loss, change
• Loneliness
• Connection to your course and chosen study
• Medication and health conditions

• Nourishment
• Hydration
• Good sleep habits
• Movement and exercise
• Fresh air and regular daylight (vitamin D)
• Addressing stressors
• Connecting with others
• Downtime and targeted time out (away from devices and tech)

• Get chunking. Break down study and assignments into smaller steps if needed. This is referred to as ‘chunking’.
• Put pen to paper. Write it down what you have to do or draw it using boxes to represent task steps.
• Gradually ease yourself in. Just sit at your desk, read a chapter, and then begin to plan the outline of your assignment. Don’t dive straight in.
• Try and designate an area you associate with study, i.e. a desk, rather than using different locations.This may help you with focus and also to have effective breaks away in areas you don’t then associate with study (e.g. your bed, sofa, etc).
• Take regular breaks. Fresh air and a walk can positively impact your concentration, attention, and processing of information.
• Make a list of what you’ll focus on in each study session – and make this realistic. Just 1 or 2 things, such as make a reading list or write headings for an assignment, can be a huge help. It will help with overwhelm and avoidance of studying when you have too much to realistically achieve at one time.
• Be kind to yourself. You may not get everything done, come back to it if you need.
• Talk to your tutor. If you need more time to complete an assignment or are overwhelmed, be sure to communicate this to the relevant course or personal tutor.
• Plan a little reward for finishing a set task. If you have a history of finding starting tasks difficult, then reward yourself for creating a study plan or even spending a small amount of time on a task to begin with.
• Remember self-compassion. Doing a degree and being away from home can be tough at times. Be kind to yourself if there are times you find studying and assignments hard to complete.
• Reach out. Universities have excellent support mechanisms for students. Don’t sit on concerns about your progress or study habits.

• Remember to look after your overall wellbeing
• Monitor for overwhelm and possible burnout
• Remember to make time for yourself and valued activities
• Sleep, nourishment, hydration, and exercise are basic ingredients for good overall wellbeing
• Avoid using caffeine as a means of aiding concentration
• Be kind - small steps - seek help if needed