Study can be boring – that’s certainly no secret. So we’ve decided to give you a few interesting alternatives to the classic study techniques of reading notes and flicking through PowerPoint slides.

ONE – Using Timers

  • Whenever you start a fresh study session, set a timer for a period of deep focus. Depending on your circumstances and the time you have your deep focus session could run anywhere from 15-50 minutes. Try to avoid any more or less than this. Too little, you won’t achieve any meaningful learning, any more you might become distracted/burnt-out too quickly.
  • When that timer ends, instead of switching straight to your phone, take a short timed break, aiming to move your body and refuel your brain.
  • Timing your study helps maintain productivity and keeps the study interesting

TWO – Teach!

  • Teachers need to know what from the content is the most important – the key ideas. Test your understanding by finding and consolidating these central ideas.
  • Make some ‘teaching’ resources on the topic that you would use to help others understand. This could be a simple one page worksheet, PowerPoint slides, or a 5 question quiz.
  • If you make these resources earlier in the term, they can be excellent to return to come exam season to revise understanding. 

THREE – Switch Up Your Surroundings

  • Try studying in a new place, particularly in a more public space. Move to a public library, a café or a university campus!
  • Having others working around you can really help motivate you to study and keep you focused. Try finding the quiet floor/section of the library for extra environmental focus.
  • Being in a new place can also help fight fatigue and make study seem more appealing. 

FOUR – Take a new form

  • If you’re sick of reading things to study, try finding a new visual or auditory way of learning the content.
  • YouTube videos (ATARNotes has hundreds!) are a good place to start, but you can often find documentaries and podcasts on educational topics as well.
  • One of the best ways to check your understanding is by doing a practise test or to. If you want to go extreme mode, try them in exam conditions. Put that phone away!

FIVE – Gamify!

  • If you’re a competitive person, gamifying your study can boost motivation.
  • Apps like “Flora” allow you to gain prizes for long periods of focus away from your phone.
  • Positive reinforcement can lead to a healthier approached to study, where you focus more on success than the possibility of failure.

Happy Studying!