Studying can be a tricky process no matter the subject. Though everyone does it differently, there are some strategies that can maximize productivity.

Create a Study Space

The first thing that should happen before beginning homework or studying is setting up the space where you could be for multiple continuous hours at once.

To get comfortable, you should have a glass of water and a snack (blueberries, walnuts, and dark chocolate for brain food). Having food and a drink at the desk prevents having to get up every couple minutes and disrupting the task on hand.

Other ways to create a space where productivity is at its highest is to set up good lighting like a desk lamp, reduce clutter by tidying up, and you can even use essential oils like mint to keep your mind sharp.

Avoid Distractions

Distractions like social media and Netflix are difficult to avoid when things are always happening and schoolwork is often much less interesting.

There are apps for avoiding phone distractions, including Forest, Flipd, and Sound Curtain. These apps block other apps, block sounds, or “punish” you for using other apps.

Anything that will take your focus away from your current task is a distraction. Even if it is only five minutes, those minutes add up. For example, if you study for one hour everyday for a week but are distracted for five minutes each session, you miss over a half hour of time that could have been used to work.

Plan Out Your Tasks

It is easy to become stressed and overwhelmed when you have a lot of work to do. The best way to decrease this stress is to write down everything you have to do (even the tiny things) in a planner, journal, or even just a piece of paper. Start by completing the tiny tasks first, since crossing things off of your list is motivating and makes you feel more productive.

The only thing to be conscious of with planning tasks is to not spend too much time writing things down. Wasting extra time will create less time for you to actually complete the assignments.

Another way to conserve time is to write down over time how long it takes you to study compared to the grade you receive on the test. If you studied for three hours but you only needed to study for one hour to get an A last time, then you may have wasted two hours.

Touch Everything Once

If you have a lot of tasks to complete, use the “touch everything once” method. This method only requires a little bit of self-discipline.

To do this method, set a timer for five minutes and pick up one task, working on it for five minutes. After the timer goes off, see if you want to move onto something else or continue the original task. This tends to work because all it takes to begin a task is discipline. Just like the Law of Intertia, your brain works the same way. Once you begin a task, you will tend to continue the task until it is complete.

It is important to remember the saying to “work smarter, not harder” when studying because knowing how to study can make a huge difference in how you absorb the information.