Tips And Apps For Better Studying
Modern life requires constant learning, and without the ability to self-study, you will not be able to get the skills you really need. You’ve got a heap of things to do. You are tired of endless test, essays and paper works. All you want is just to finish it on time. Here are some tips and apps on how to stay productive and make the most of your self-study experience.
What do you want to learn?
Today our world is full of different information and people simply get lost in it, so you should not try to learn everything. This will not make you smart; on the contrary, you will be lost and you will not be able to reveal your true talents.
Therefore, before starting self-education, it is very important to understand what you want at all. Of course, it is not that easy. Self-education should bring you at least pleasure. You should not learn what you are not interested in. Also, if you have always been aspired to something that seems unattainable, try it yourself for real! If you still have no desire, it means that you are not drawn to this as much as you thought. In any case, you need to learn what you really want to. Make a list of all the options for yourself, and start with the best for you at present moment.
Without health, nothing happens
Now many people understand that it is better not to eat fast food or to lie in a bed than to spend valuable time and money on doctors later. Of course, here you need to remember that if something bad has already happened to you, you should not postpone the visit to the doctor. So, do not do it with yourself, as self-study requires your mental activity and concentration, and without health, you will turn into a «zombie».
Sleep is also important. Yes, nighttime is the time of a stream of ideas, however, make yourself into the habit of falling asleep at least no later than 12 a.m. You need to be asleep as exactly at this time the human body «reboots» after a work day. Try to go to bed at least no later than 12 a.m. and to sleep 8-9 hours then you will definitely feel more energy in the morning.
Sport
After the completed online lecture or an assignment, try to do some physical activity. You will feel more tired, but this is only for a while, and your morale will improve significantly. Every day try to run at least about 15 minutes on a treadmill, and after that you would feel really enthusiastic. It is difficult to explain this feeling, just try it on your own and you will understand that physical activity will greatly simplify your life.
Food
Now there are a huge number of recipes for proper nutrition. Spend a few days and find the most attractive for yourself, teach yourself to eat in a right way very day. At first, it will not be easy, especially if you have a weakness for fast food, but try to abstain from all junk food and your taste buds will get used to ordinary food. It will delight you no less than chemical additives after a month of such a «diet».
In life with deadlines
Do you need to understand what is the goal of your self-education? Perhaps, you want to become a famous photographer, and you need to master a number of courses. Start with a little - make up tasks. Reading a study about photography is already a task. Make a rough plan of such tasks, and as soon as you begin to carry them out, you will feel that you are approaching your goal.
At the same time, do not drag out the time; try to define a clear deadline for yourself as we have during our study in HSE. For example, when you do a task, set a timer for half an hour. It turns out that for this time you are intently doing some task, and then for a few minutes have a little break to make tea, for example. You can use the Pomodoro Method – this technique divides work into intervals (traditionally 25 minutes in length), divided by 5 minute breaks. This way you will not feel exhausted after just a few tasks, and it really helps to focus on one thing.
Another way to cope with all the deadlines – keeping a planner. Writing all of them down and keeping them in one place is definitely a good decision – you can be sure you did not miss anything.
Your work is where you work
Only keep the essentials on your desk while studying. Do not let anything distract you – put your phone away, unless you need it for study purposes. Make the space around your desk enjoyable, so you can associate studying with something nice instead of burdensome.
If you work outside, then try to find some places designed specifically for a working atmosphere. For example, if you live in Moscow, then you can use this selection of caffeine for work and study:
- Bloom-n-Brew // @bloomnbrew
- Cosmic latte // @ cosmiclatte.coffee
- Coffee Bureau // @coffeeburo
- Good coffee // @literate_coffee
- JOBS // @ jobs.coffee.coworking
- Satellite // @coffeesputnik
- Point 242 // @ point242
- Jeffrey’s coffee // jeffreys.coffee
Use monotonus noises to concentrate
When you are all set, surrounded by work atmosphere, but you still do not feel like studying – try listening to calm music. For example, sounds of library, pouring rain, sea waves, white noise, and tapping – all of these can make you forget about the real world and dive into work.
Therefore, these tips can make self-education much easier and much more effective. However, do not forget that the most important tip for studying is your own desire; it is the main key to success. Just understand what you really want, and go to your goal with a full dedication.
Our modern life gives us many technical opportunities. Let us now move on to describing some very useful apps that can make your life if not easy but more convenient.
Evernote
The best app that will help one to track all the notes. A student can organize his own workspace, invite friends to work on the project together and share ideas any time he or she wants. This app will be a great substitute for the dozens of books and notebooks – the same way you can underline key ideas, take notes and add personal comments. What is more, the data is synchronized across all your devices, including desktop, smartphone, and tablets so that your ideas, photos, documents are always available, no matter where you are.
Goal
This one is useful for tracking your success on this or that goal. One chooses the period over which he or she wants to accomplish the goal and each day get the reminders to dedicate some time to it. Then you put the stick if you made a step towards it today. Thus, you see a percentage of the work been done.
Apps for English
Since the English language is an integral part of the studying process in HSE, some apps that will help improve your language skills are of great importance, such as Quizlet for memorizing new words, ContextReverso for the searching of the word’s context or Multitran if you need to find all the alternative translations.
StudyBlue – Flashcards
In this app you have a chance to master each subject you want as you can create your personal study materials, discover class-specific content, and study online to track progress and see, how you are mastering the material.
Do remember that you will not be able to succeed only using our advice on time management and apps, if you yourself do not make any efforts. Good luck!
Text by
Tatiana Prudnikova, Olya Kudryavtseva and
Yulia Lavrenkina