Start the Year With 5 Productivity-Boosting Habits

Whether you’ve just begun an academic program or are well into your studies, January brings an opportunity to reconsider how you approach learning. By doing so, you can take up good habits to help maximize your productivity and thus get more enrichment out of your education.

Here are some studying and time management tips, each designed to help you be more productive this year.

1. Take care of yourself

One of the most important things to focus on is your physical health and comfort. This can include eating healthy foods, taking a walk or other activities during study breaks, and making sure you’re getting enough sleep. Each of these habits can support your ability to concentrate, retain information, and help reduce stress levels. By prioritizing your physical health, you can create a solid foundation for learning throughout the year.

2. Change where and how long you study

Mixing up where you study keeps things fresh and can help you focus and improve retention. Instead of spending hours in one place, try moving to a different location. This can be your kitchen, living room, or another area. If you usually study at home, try going to a coffee shop or library—any setting that is calm and peaceful. By changing where you study, you can reenergize and approach your work with new focus. 

You can also look for ways to break up long study sessions. Instead of sitting in one place for a few hours, try taking breaks every 30 minutes. Moving can help you optimize your attention and absorb information more effectively. Taking breaks can also relax your focus, allowing you to return to your work feeling more refreshed. 

3. Go analog

It may seem odd to switch from using a laptop or mobile device to using physical paper and a pen, but writing out notes this way can lead to improved memory. Some researchers believe the spatial and tactile information that comes with writing adds to this improvement. When you incorporate physical writing into your studying techniques, you can make your learning more effective. 

Writing out your notes can include rewriting things you jotted down during a lecture or while watching video content. When you rewrite something, you reinforce the information in your mind. This can be especially helpful if your first set of notes was in shorthand—when you rewrite them, you can add detail and make it a more fully fleshed-out explanation of the material.

4. Plan ahead

When you’re in the middle of a big project, it can be difficult to think ahead to what the next tasks will be. But if you can take a few minutes at the start of the month to list all the things you’ll need to take care of, you’ll be ready for them. Be sure to include not only academic projects but also personal events. For example, you can create a combined calendar that lists family gatherings as well as the due dates for your assignments. Once you know everything that’s approaching, you can better plan how to prepare for them all. 

This time management technique can also reduce stress by eliminating thoughts about “what’s next, when should I get ready for it?” because a calendar externalizes all of those questions. It also lets you visualize your workload and see where there are opportunities to get caught up on your studies on days that have fewer events.

5. Break large tasks down into smaller ones

As final exams approach, instead of studying material for the quarter/semester as a whole, break it down into topics or chapters. Studying one section at a time makes your goals smaller and more manageable. This approach can be applied to any project. One way to do this is to break tasks into 25-minute blocks of time. This method is often referred to as the Pomodoro Technique. When your time ends, you take a five-minute break and then start over again. Timing yourself this way can help you stay more focused and complete academic tasks on time. 

When you break tasks down into more manageable chunks of time, be aware of the impulse to multitask. It can be helpful to focus on one thing at a time. This may seem counterintuitive, but you can accomplish more if you don’t try to do too much at once.

As you look ahead to a new year of studying, it’s important to keep your goals in mind. Approaches to studying and time management can help you succeed – it’s worth trying out different options, then sticking with the ones that are the most impactful.

Check out some additional helpful resources: 

How to Know If Self-Paced, Online Education Is Right for You

Top 3 Things to Consider When Going Back to School While Working