As the new semester starts, and students settle in, it’s time to make a plan to make this school year successful (and of course, all these tips apply to work-life, too!).
Part One: Start with your schedule.
It’s great to have a solid study plan, but not if you never make the time to do it.
Sit down and list out all of your activities this year—are the kids in gymnastics? Is dad in a beer-softball league? Get it all on the calendar! Young kids should have a daily routine that includes homework/study at a time of day when they’re feeling fresh. Older kids and college students should do the same, in addition to a few blocked out hours on weekends. (And adults, you can give your career a kick by building skills—like language learning—using the same discipline!).
Fill in the smaller activities: do you need to keep one day a week cleared off for errands? What about sports practice, music lessons, etc.?
Then add in even smaller activities: fill the remaining gaps in with extra study time, quick errands, or even fun events (so you relax and stay sane).
Part Two: Prime Yourself
Make sure you’ve got a good schedule with time for nutritious meals, sleep, and exercise, all of which support your brain. If you aren’t meeting your body’s basic health needs, it’s not really going to cooperate with higher learning.
You can also help your brain learn focusing behaviors with regular meditation.
And if you want an extra boost? Colloidal gold is reported to help improve focus, memory, and general function.
Part Three: Set the Mood
You want your mind alert, fresh, and chugging along. Make sure your schedule has study-time optimally placed. Do you wear out in evenings? Study in the morning! You’ll need less time to do it if you’re efficient.
Then, engage your senses. Different people need different set-ups—music helps some, distracts others. Studies think these tricks work, though:
-Use the same conditions to study that you’ll have when you’re recalling it. If your testing hall is a cement box with bad lighting and stiff-backed seats, I probably wouldn’t study at the park.
-A stimulating smell, like coffee, can help get you off and studying. For little kids try citrus.
-It’s ok to use a scene change to kick start things, especially if you’re trying to do creative work (including report writing).
Part 4: Brag!
Let us know how you did! We want to hear about your achievements this year, and which study tricks worked best for you! (Was it the colloidal gold?! I bet it will be the colloidal gold!)
