It’s finally graduation season, and most of us are buzzing with excitement as well as motivation from the graduates. As we scroll through social media, the graduation gowns, caps, and ceremonies fill us with sudden zeal to excel in our academics. Therefore, with exams lurking, now is the time to put systems in place to ensure ultimate success; now is the time to become an academic weapon; now is the time to become the perfect student. But how, you might ask? Many may say to manage your time, study harder, or be more consistent; however, all these are futile without self-discipline.
Below are a few tips to help develop self-discipline when it comes to studying.
1. Schedule time to rest first
It may seem odd to add rest as the first task to your weekly schedule, but it is crucial. The truth of the matter is, we live in a busy world and find that at times, we actually do not have free time. Consequently, we end up using our study time to rest. Thus, schedule rest activities such as, sleep, social media or going out with friends, then add your lessons, study sessions and chores. This enables us to look after our mental health and tackle our responsibilities in a healthy manner.
2. Make a routine and stick to it
After scheduling rest-time, add all the activities that have a fixed time, such as, classes or lectures. Then, asses the remaining time and use this to study. Notably, different people study best at different times of the day as our energy levels fluctuate. Thus, determine when it is that you are most productive (morning or evening). Now, schedule your study sessions accordingly.
3. Don’t start at the right time
There is no right time to start doing something. You don’t even need to wait until the clock is an even number to start studying; I myself am guilty of this. Similarly, waiting for motivation is dangerous because it comes and goes, and when you don’t feel motivated, you won’t study. So, you need to change your mindset from doing things because you feel like it to doing them because you want to progress and reach your goals.
4. Set goals, build systems, and enjoy the process
At this point, ask yourself three important questions:
- Do I have a clear goal?
- Do I have a functional system (study routine) that will help me achieve my goals?
- Do I enjoy the process of working towards my goals?
You need to answer yes to all three questions in order to ensure you obtain your desired results. Some of us may struggle with the last question because we fantasize about our goals and associate happiness with achieving them. However, this restricts our happiness, and we should instead focus on getting one percent better and not fixating on the end results.
Ultimately, it is key to be intentional about all you do. To help keep you organized, make a weekly routine and wake up each day with the intention of completing all your tasks. Likewise, Notion is an excellent, free app to help schedule your months, weeks, and days.
This article is highly inspired and references information from @fayefilms on YouTube; thus, do make sure to go watch her videos on all things university and achieving your goals.
