Have Fun While Studying!

by: Rachid Ouedraogo

As college students, we know studying can be boring, sometimes even awful. Here are a few ways you can make your study time more enjoyable.

Listen to music

Listening to music can help you relax, keep stress levels down, and improve your mood. This strategy may not work for everyone, though, especially students who are easily distracted. The rule is to play music that does not have lyrics. Lyrical music will distract you more easily from studying. Some genres people recommend are jazz, electronic music, or classical. You can even listen to background noise, like the ocean or birds singing.

Take short breaks

Some people find that taking a few shorts breaks is better than taking one long break while studying. While studying, set alarms on your phone to remind yourself to take a break. We suggest taking a break every hour to hour and a half of continuous studying. You are able to learn and memorize the most material in that amount of time. Any longer than that, you may start to lose your focus. Your short breaks should be about 15 minutes long. During your break, you should try to be active. Some people stretch, go for walks, call a friend, or clean their room. These types of activities will allow you to return to your work re-energized and ready to focus.

Draw pictures

A great way to be creative and have fun while boosting your memory is to draw pictures that relate to your study material. If you are able to translate your lectures notes into pictures (or “doodles”), you will be able to recall the information much faster. This is helpful when studying for an exam! You don’t have to be an artist to do this either—simply draw what you can. A good example of this method was shown in our last blog article about studying English with podcasts.

Make flashcards and create a game

Flashcards (also called note cards or index cards) can be used to summarize the main points of your textbook or notes. If you have good flash cards you will not need to rely on your notes all the time. They are especially helpful for learning new vocabulary words. Write the new word on the front of the card and the definition on the back. You can then use flashcards in a game to quiz yourself and earn “rewards” if you get questions right. Some rewards could be a short break, a snack, or watch an episode of TV. If there are cards that you keep answering incorrectly, put them in a separate pile so that you can study them again.

Study in different places

Sometimes studying in the same place can make studying even more boring. Thankfully, the St. Cloud State campus has tons of good study spots! If you are taking a summer class you could study in Barden Park or on the Atwood Mall. As it gets colder, move inside to Atwood Memorial Center by the lounge fireplace or cozy up in an armchair in the library. As an added bonus, both Atwood and the Library have coffee shops so that you can enjoy a hot coffee, tea or cocoa while you study.

Use fun school supplies or stationary

You might look forward to studying if you have some fun, new supplies! There’s nothing like writing in a brand new notebook or on cute stationary. Color-coding your study materials can help you stay organized, too. You can use different colored post-its, highlighters, gel pens, and more. You can use a different color for each subject or use multiple colors to bring attention to important notes. A planner is also a useful supply to have. Some people like to decorate theirs with stickers. Although this may cost money, it’s a neat way to give attention to your study materials.

Study with friends

Finally, what can be more fun than studying with friends? Study sessions with your friends are never boring. It can be an efficient way to master difficult material and prepare for exams. Your friends can motivate you. On the other hand, you have to make sure that you all stay focused on your tasks—and not have too much fun.

What do you do to have fun while studying? Share with us in the comments!