These creative tips will help you escape the boredom of studying
Sajjan Sarai. Photo by Sie Douglas-Fish.
When the sun is shining, people are sneezing, and the fountain is back on, it means one thing: exam season is upon us.
While it’s nice to think that we’re close to relaxing at the beach, there is still the looming academic requirement that we all loathe. We dread it every year, as we bring out our grade calculators to figure out how well we need to do on the final to get the mark we want. So, whether you’re just done with studying in general, or you need 116 per cent on the final to pass your course, here are some creative ways to study for finals.
Stay hydrated
Everyone knows that being fed and refreshed is key to focussing on school work. (They also say a good night’s sleep helps, but I‘m in no position to give that advice, since I’m writing this at 5 a.m.). It’s also recommended that you find a place to study that’s not your own room. Thus, my solution: brunch at Earls.
It’s the perfect place to focus and study. Just bring your laptop, order some mimosas or simply a $20 bottle of prosecco, and you’ll be having the time of your life. You can make it a full-day adventure too. Start brunch at 12, get lunch there — a little puke and rally — and then head across the street to Irish Times! It’s a foolproof way to make sure you stay focussed on school.
Change of scenery
It’s nice to get out of your living area in order to focus better and avoid distractions, like chatty roommates and video games. I could suggest going to the quiet floors of the library or a café, but those are boring tips. These are creative tips. As such, I present the perfect place to get 90 minutes of peace and white noise: taking the 72 bus to the ferry terminals!
The 72 takes the scenic route to Swartz Bay, which means the bus is relatively free of passengers. The new buses also have charging ports built in so you can charge your laptop the entire trip. The only issue is Wi-Fi so I recommend downloading the slides you’re going to study ahead of time. And if you don’t think 90 minutes is enough, you can always increase your time by getting on a ferry!
Stay hydrated: The sequel
Seriously, I can’t stress the importance of hydration. You know how I mentioned the fountain being turned back on at the beginning of this article? Well, you can just hop right in! I have seen so many students sit in the fountain studying when it was off, and I don’t see any reason why that should stop now that it’s gushing.
My tip would be to grab one of those lawn chairs from the quad and put it right in the middle of the fountain. Make sure you bring a battery pack to charge your laptop because once you get in you won’t want to get out (also because it is a fountain; it’s not like there are outlets nearby).
While these study hacks are meant to be innovative, I don’t want to take away from the established forms of studying, like cramming the day before or getting hopped up on caffeine and pulling an all-nighter. These techniques are for those who desire a change of pace, something apart from the norm.
With these tips, I guarantee that you will remain focussed while also combating the boredom that comes with studying for exams. At the very least, you won’t be stuck in a third floor library cubicle.
