Staying Focused and Motivated

Staying focused and motivated

Try working at a totally new time

Take advantage of the more flexible schedule that study leave allows you.

This is one for really desperate times, not to be used all year round: as you will see when you read on, if overused its natural conclusion is a descent into madness.

When Im having an essay crisis, or an exam is looming and I dont feel prepared, I totally change my routine, and wake up at 3.30am to work or revise. I have real problems focusing in the evening – I find working after 6pm miserable and oppressive, and know that I work very slowly and inefficiently at that time. However, if I go to bed really early (say, 9pm), when I wake up in the small hours of the morning (and once Ive had a very strong coffee) my brain is refreshed, and I can get loads done before the day has even properly started. Whats more, there are no possible distractions at that time of day – nothing to do, no one to meet for coffees, and Facebook slows to the merest of trickles. Plus, the feeling of intense smugness that being up and working while the rest of the world sleeps will only make you more productive.

If youre not a morning person, this one might not work for you – instead, try giving yourself a lie in, and then staying up a few hours later at night. And of course, make up the time youve missed in bed elsewhere.

Break it down

Now, many of you will undoubtedly be sick to death of being told to plan your revision. I personally dont hold much love for study timetables: in my experience, they inevitably end up sitting over your desk, evilly mocking your ineptitude with each day that you get further and further behind the targets you set three weeks ago. On the other hand, though, without a sense of when everything will get learned, its easy to feel totally at sea with revision, with a creeping sense that you might not be learning things quickly or well enough, or that you may have missed something out. Unfortunately, then, they can be something of a necessary evil. However, one tip will make sure you keep pace with your timetable, and realise if youve set unrealistic goals, while also increasing your motivation and helping you stay in the library for that crucial extra few hours. Each day, break your revision down into chunks- say, at least ten. Once youve completed one chunk, give yourself a little reward: I have a friend who will buy a bag of Maltesers, and eat two after each chunk; another who watches one video on YouTube; a third who checks his Facebook for five minutes and a fourth who spends a few minutes punching a punch-bag! Make it a rule that before you leave the library at the end of the day, youve got to have completed the ten small tasks you have set yourself.

Plan daily exercise in groups

Taking care of your health is important before exams; theres no reason why it shouldnt be fun as well.

Annoyingly, for those of us who prefer an afternoon on the sofa with a movie to a walk or a game of tennis, its been proven a hundred times over: regular exercise boosts concentration. Whats more, whole days, weeks or even months spent in the library, working towards a single goal, with no distractions or social interaction are very bad for morale, efficiency and concentration. A great way to break revision up, see some human faces and get moving is to plan to do something active and fun once a day with friends. When I was revising for my IB, a group of us used to go swimming for an hour every day before dinner. This was a great social event (and a good chance to moan about all the work we were doing!), which gave us all something to plan our days around, and a chance to get outside and generally stay sane.