11 Studying hacks to save you during the semester

Whether you are more of a chocolate or gummy fan, the philosophy is the same: you’ll be more motivated to keep going (aka reading these endless textbooks) if you have something to look forward to. And sugar works like magic in that case! You can place a gummy bear on each section you have to read, or save a big treat for the end of a long chapter. Vary the type of rewards for greater success.

Taking breaks allows the brain to retain more information but also to stay motivated and focused while you are studying. Scheduling breaks in your study routine can be very effective. It is recommended to take breaks every 50mins because concentration and attention slow down after this cutoff and anything new looked at after 1h30 doesn’t get retained by your tired brain.

You might look silly but if you don’t do it in a public space, like the library or your local coffee shop, no one will judge you! Saying out loud what you learned is a powerful memory exercise: it tests your retention but it also forces you to say it in your own words to test your understanding of the matter.

Several researchers studied the effect of chewing gum on cognitive performance and results were pretty surprising and positive. They found that the physical exercise of chewing gum increased blood flow to the brain, which improves memory. It also increased arousal, alertness and concentration.

Drawing a diagram of the material is a great exercise because it forces you to transform the information in a different way, hence tapping into your understanding of it and your mental flexibility. It also make your notes more appealing to the eye. If you weren’t allowed to doodle in middle school, now you can and you should!

Perhaps the most surprising hack we’ve come across. Spraying a scent you are not used to has two benefits: it keeps you alert and it acts as a memory cue if you spray before the exam. The scent association will help you recall the information you were studying the first time you smelled it.

Basically, do anything that will get your body moving and your blood flowing. An increased blood flow, which ultimately travels to your head, has a very positive impact on your brain and memory. It improves cognitive flexibility and can help you release tension!

Changing the place where you study works similarly as the unfamiliar scent: you can recall information based on the location where you studied it. And it makes your studying routine less monotonous.

Procrastination is a big problem we have all encountered during long stretches of studying. Thankfully, there are apps to control the apps that will hinder your concentration, like SelfControl app allows you to temporarily block access to certain websites. Bye bye Facebook stalking your ex or wasting 100 hours on Pinterest recipes, hello Psych 101.

More brain gymnastics! Making connections between different pieces of information improves the retaining and recalling of each piece, and the whole as well and greater understanding of the material.

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