{"id":25502,"date":"2015-09-28T09:58:34","date_gmt":"2015-09-28T13:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/?p=25502"},"modified":"2015-09-28T09:58:34","modified_gmt":"2015-09-28T13:58:34","slug":"avoiding-instant-noodles-study-session-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2015\/09\/28\/avoiding-instant-noodles-study-session-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding Instant Noodles: Study Session Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"Emerging from your three-hour study session, you recall doing only three things: (i) writing your name on top of a blank paper that is currently your essay; (ii) eating; (iii) re-watching season 5 of Game of Thrones<\/em> while repeating to yourself, \u201cHe\u2019s not dead. He\u2019s not dead. He\u2019s<\/em> not<\/em> dead<\/em>.\u201d \u00a0If this happens to you as often as it happens to me, then consider implementing some study session tips to increase your productivity. Here are a few I\u2019ve garnered over years of experimenting:\r\n
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  1. Select an ideal spot for studying<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nFor some people, the ideal spot includes background noise; hence, it\u2019d probably be a seat at a cafeteria or a bench at Queen\u2019s park. For others who require absolute silence, the ideal spot would be a high floor on Robarts or the third floor of Koffler\u2019s Student Services Center. Regardless of whether or not you mind noise, choose a spot that works best for you<\/em>.\r\n
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    1. Get comfortable<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWhether it be taking a hot shower first, drinking two cups of Oolong tea, or throwing on that super embarrassing but oh-so-comfy Winnie-the-Pooh onesie, getting comfortable is essential to starting a good study session. It\u2019s best to get rid of the buzz from just finishing a class or a tutorial so you can settle into a state where you can dedicate one hundred percent of your focus to studying.\r\n\r\n
      \"A<\/a>
      \u2014 Oolong tea from a considerate friend who knew I was craving for it \u00a0this week.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n
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      1. Have a study plan<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWrite out your tasks in a \u2018to-do list\u2019 format, prioritize them, and estimate how much time each task is going to take. I use a whiteboard to write out my tasks, but if you\u2019re more technologically-oriented, consider using the \u2018Notes\u2019 app on your phone, the \u2018Reminders\u2019 app on your laptop, or an app called Any.Do<\/a> that syncs your to-do list across multiple devices. A study plan will not only help you think realistically in terms of what you can achieve during your study session, but it will also help you stay on track.\r\n
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        1. Minimize distractions<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nIt\u2019s hard to focus when you hear that distinct ping<\/em> of texts or the constantly growing number of notifications on your Facebook tab. Try minimizing distractions by turning your phone on silent and using the\u00a0LeechBlock\u00a0app<\/a>\u00a0to block those ever-tempting social media sites. If you don\u2019t need the internet at all, consider turning off the wi-fi altogether and using a distraction-free word processor, such as JDarkRoom<\/a>. Also, make sure to remove other non-technological distractions, such as clutter, off your table as well, or else you might lose your readings and utensils among the chaotic pile.\r\n
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          1. Bring everything you need to the table<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nIt\u2019s like gearing up for marathoning all eight Harry Potter movies\u2014getting the popcorn, bringing the blanket, and most of all, grabbing ten tissue boxes (especially<\/em> for the last movie)\u2014except for studying, you\u2019re more likely to consider bringing small snacks and drinks, as well as required utensils. By placing everything near you, you won\u2019t have to break your concentration midway to grab something you needed.\r\n\r\n
            \"My<\/a>
            \u2014 State of my desk last week\u2014what not to do if you actually want to be able to see where your readings are.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n
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            1. Take breaks<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nDon\u2019t plan on studying from 6:00 pm to 1:00 am because your brain won\u2019t be able to soldier through seven hours straight of studying. Instead, take fifteen-minute breaks every hour or so\u2014get up from your chair, stretch, walk around. Not only will this provide a mental break for you, but stretching will also loosen up your tense limbs from sitting in the same position for so long.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nTry some of these out, and see if they work for you. Who knows, maybe you won\u2019t have to eat so many late-night instant noodles while cramming three hundred pages of reading as a product of inefficient studying anymore; instead, you\u2019ll be meandering through the streets of beautiful downtown Toronto with a delicious Frappuccino at hand!\r\n\r\n
              \"Current<\/a>
              \u2014 Emergency stash of instant noodles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIs there anything you do to increase the productivity of your study sessions? Let me know in the comments below or through @lifeatuoft on Twitter!<\/em>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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              \nEmerging from your three-hour study session, you recall doing only three things: (i) writing your name on top of a blank paper that is currently your essay; (ii) eating; (iii) re-watching season 5 of Game of Thrones while repeating to…\n<\/div>
              Continue reading “Avoiding Instant Noodles: Study Session Productivity”<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>
              Continue reading “Avoiding Instant Noodles: Study Session Productivity”<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":268,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[176,13,25507,89],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25502"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25502"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25526,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25502\/revisions\/25526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}