Sunny days help curb slacking?
I might be in my second year, but I can honestly say studying does not seem to get any easier. I have been thinking a lot about this and have come up with a few reasons as to why. I also have a few possible solutions.
First, college students have to constantly readjust to different professors. Let’s be realistic, professors do not all teach in the same way and different subjects require different ways of studying. For instance, I can use flashcards for biology, but I need to read for intermediate microeconomics and I have to draw pictures for organic chemistry.
The first step is finding what form of studying is fit for that specific class and for that person because we all have a specific learning style.
Second, I noticed (now that I do not have a roommate) that while I am more productive in my work (usually…) that more often than not, the weather seems to affect my study habits. Particularly, I noticed that on cloudy and rainy days, I do not want to study as much. So, I did a little research and here is what I found at www.psychcentral.com:
[P]leasant weather (higher temperature or barometric pressure) was related to higher mood, better memory, and ‘‘broadened’’ cognitive style during the spring as time spent outside increased. The same relationships between mood and weather were not observed during other times of year, and indeed hotter weather was associated with lower mood in the summer.
This makes so much sense because I work better on “pleasant” days. But how do I combat my crummy-weather lack of studying? Assuming I have utilized time management and completed large homework assignments, on crummy days, I find that taking an hour nap and then doing some work, then doing something I enjoy, then finishing more work, makes me more productive because I am not just trying to power through work I legitimately do not feel like doing.
While that may not make sense and may not work for everyone, it works for me. I can say that it works because among being a RA, attending classes, going to labs and working my other job, I am still able to have downtime.
We BGSU students are reaching a crucial time in the semester. This means that you need to figure out and understand what forms of studying are effective for you. By doing this, not only are you utilizing your time, but you are learning how to be flexible with your education, and that is invaluable.