What I Do When I Don’t Want to Study

Despite being a college blogger and talking about study tips and tricks, there are days when I really (and I mean REALLY) don’t want to study. I set my alarm the night before for an early start of studying only to find myself completely unmotivated when that annoying ring wakes me up. The point is, I am not the perfect student and I don’t try to be! However, especially when I have big exams coming up, I cannot get away with just not studying and therefore I have found ways to keep me motivated when the last thing I want to do is study:

I set small goals for myself.

Rather than thinking “I am going to do ALL of my readings”, I set small goals for myself throughout the day and then reward myself. For example, I say “I will read 30 pages and then allow myself a small break to spend X minutes on Instagram”. As long as I am very strict with myself, this method keeps me motivated and makes studying seem more manageable.

I find a study buddy.

A study buddy who can ‘suffer’ through long library days with you makes a huge difference. Just make sure this person won’t distract you from your goals—your study session shouldn’t turn into hanging out.

I eat a filling and energizing meal.

Usually in the morning, the source of my lack of motivation is hunger or lack of energy! By filling up on a healthy, nutritious and energizing meal, I feel a lot better and more focused on studying.

I also find this to be true in the evening as well. I try, as much as I can, to make time for meals and focus on eating good, nutritious foods rather than heaps of sugar (although, if we are being honest, I have eaten candy for dinner in the library before…)

As much as possible, I don’t cram.

I always take every measure possible NOT to cram for an exam. Cramming for exams always leaves me stressed, unmotivated and exhausted. A tip is to start studying one hour per day for two weeks before an exam. Obviously, your exam may require additional studying but this way you avoid stressful and cramped eight hour study days. Of course, there are times when I have had to cram but I always try to avoid it unless completely necessary.