FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT DOING YOUR BEST DOES NOT MEAN WORKING YOURSELF TO THE POINT 0F A MENTAL BREAKDOWN.

FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT DOING YOUR BEST DOES NOT MEAN WORKING YOURSELF TO THE POINT 0F A MENTAL BREAKDOWN.

What I’ve been doing to study + stay motivated at the end of the semester

Finals season. We don’t love it. This is my penultimate semester as an undergraduate and I’d like to think I’ve gained a bit of experience when it comes to keeping up your motivation and studying for finals.

So here’s the most basic but truly helpful advice for me when it comes to studying:

Study in the way that works for you — If you’re used to taking notes on paper or typing, do that! Generally, handwriting or speaking things out loud are going to help your brain remember things better. If you are a visual learner, use images.

Give yourself breaks — I cannot stress this enough. Forcing yourself to review difficult topics over long periods of time will not help motivation. I like to give myself small rewards during each break to motivate myself to get things done, i.e. 30 minutes of studying then 5 minutes on social media.

Change up your studying environment or have a designated study spot — whatever you do, don’t study in your bed or somewhere you’re going to get too comfortable. Your brain associates sitting at a desk with getting work done, rather than sitting in bed. I like to go to cafes or a library.

Set daily, realistic goals — I can’t study for more than 4-5 hours a day. Know your daily study time limit then set goals that you will be able to finish within that time. Work on 2-3 things per day so you don’t get burned out studying one subject. After you’ve finished your daily goals, allow yourself to relax.

Other resources:

I love to use the forest app to help me with motivation. You can plant a tree as a timer, and when the timer is up, the tree gets added to your daily forest. If you lose focus and use your phone, you kill the tree. This is a fun way to incorporate the Pomodoro technique.

1. Organize your study space

Organizing your study space is really important. Avoid starting to study before that because getting up to get things you don’t have at hand will distract you. I have my own “desk organization list”. Laptop, iPad, Apple Pencil, earphones, water, fruits, my pencil case, my folders, paper, etc.

2.     Make a plan and get control of your calendar

Make a "to do list" and plan everything out. When exactly are your exams?  How many days do you want to study for each subject? Which subject needs more time? Etc., etc.

3.     Mistakes are good

When studying we do make mistakes sometimes. I hate it. You hate it. Yes, it’s awful. But they are GOOD. You learn from them. A short anecdote of my life: If I didn’t make the mistake of dating a complete idiot, I probably would not have learned that bad boys really aren’t that great haha.

4.     Find examples

To really understand something, you should find examples. E. g. if you are learning about some kind of criminal law, look up cases. If you are studying about the business cycle, look up examples of different countries. Is the US in a boom? Or a depression? Has it been in a depression before? What was that like?

5.     Test yourself

Quizz yourself. This is the most important thing when studying something by heart or learning a language. Get your flashcards out of your pocket!  And quizz yourself every single day!

6.     Take regular breaks and sleep for 8 hours

I know, studying is important. But what is even more important is your health. Don’t drain yourself. You got this. Don’t worry! Take a short break after 25 minutes every time. Just a short one. Allow yourself to breath and close your eyes. Your brain needs sleep and breaks to function!

7.     Study before going to sleep

A numerous amount of studies have found out that the brain processes a lot of things while sleeping. This can be very beneficial to us! Study for a few minutes before going to bed or revise what you have studied that day. It will help you remember it better.

8.     Eat good foods

I know you don’t want to hear this… A pizza is quite nice. But is it good for you? Probably not. Food is fuel. But we need good fuel to function properly. Eat nutritious foods and be good to your body. It really needs a healthy diet to maintain your health and stay happy. Also: Your brain needs calories. Don’t starve yourself. Aaaand, remember to drink enough water. I recommend watching “The Game Changers” on Netflix.

9.     Exercise

Working out can be extremely beneficial to you. Not just for your physical strength but also for your mental health and productivity, studies have found. Going for a run or going to the gym can increase your overall well-being! So let’s go! I’m getting ripped tonight, RIP that… umm sorry.

10.  Be kind to yourself

Last but not least, please be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up. Everything is going to be fine. You are not alone. You are loved. You are worthy. Please remember that! I love you.

Feel free to join my #selfhelpforstudents100Days challenge (aka me doing the 100 Days of Productivity Challenge and motivating y'all haha).

Also feel free to join our study/mental health server on Discord. We’re doing self help “group therapy” calls, studying together and much more. We’re stronger together!

We are currently working on a website to help students with studying and mental health issues. My post about it.

Love, Sophia

T-11 hours til Exam Day

Today I have officially not looked at a single MCAT thing. I took my friends' advice and decide to just let myself have this day. I went to work in the morning, came home, took a nap, bought groceries, made spaghetti, watched Eternals, and then showered. I'm now going to pick out my outfit for tomorrow so I don't have to stress myself with anything else since I already know I'll be at PEAK stress levels.

As I head into this exam I am just going to keep telling myself that I studied to the best of my current abilities and that this was enough. I have had to deal with so much emotionally and mentally, that it is a miracle that I have even made it to this day. Even if I were to absolutely bomb the exam (which I'm really hoping is not what happens) I can always try again. Med school isn't going anywhere and somewhere is bound to give me a chance.

Well wish me luck! And good luck to everyone else during this MCAT season :)

T-4 days until exam day.

I am a stressed noodle. High cortisol levels and all. I don't feel 100% prepared, but I know that I'll never be so I'm just going to try my best and see where that gets me. I shouldn't stress myself out since if I don't do well I can study some more and retake it. Just because I "failed" once doesn't mean I'll never succeed and become a doctor.

So keep on trying everyone! Remember bow great it will be to add that 'Dr.' to your name 😄

Manifesting academic success and an unlimited supply of cute stationery for the person whom you reblogged this from