Every student wants to be able to get as much done in the morning as possible. If you get everything off of your to-do list by say 12 p.m, you have an entire day of freedom! Doesn’t that sound amazing? Alas for a lot of us, it is not that easy. Sometimes it is very hard to get started in the morning, when you are still groggy and half asleep. Even though our willpower is pretty high, it doesn’t feel like that. Follow the plan below to be able to get everything done by 12 p.m!
The night before:
Clean your study space
There is nothing less motivating than a messy study space. When you get up and you see a space that needs to be cleaned and set up, all so you can study, there is a very small chance you will be able to study anytime that day. If you clean your space the night before and build a habit of it, you will always be able to get straight into studying in the morning while your willpower is high. If you have done nothing before you start studying that will take your willpower such as clearing your space, you will be able to get right in!
Make a study plan
What are your top priorities for your study session? How long will your session last? Will you take breaks? What are the methods you are going to use to study? What are the goals for your study session? I know it may seem like I am taking this overboard, after all, it’s only one session, right? But every session matters. If you answer all of these questions to create a great study plan, then your study session can be super valuable.
Get a good nights sleep
If your brain is still tired and woozy when you try to sit down and study, no clean space or study plan will fix that. The only way to fix that is to get more sleep. Getting enough sleep is super important overall for students. Click here to learn about the benefits of enough sleep and how to make sure you are getting enough sleep.
In the morning:
Don’t hit snooze
Right when you get up you need to get straight out of bed. Don’t think about it, just get out of bed, and make your bed. Hitting snooze and getting ten more minutes of sleep doesn’t actually give you more energy, it just wastes time, and makes you moody because you will eventually have to get up. Force a smile on your face, and just get right out of bed.
Do something that will boost your mood
For me, this means meditation, yoga, or journaling. For you, it could mean anything. You definitely do not want to study if you are feeling sad and angry. Do something you know will boost your mood, such as reading or having some tea. One thing I feel I need to point out is that when I say do something that boosts your mood, that is not an excuse to go onto YouTube, Netflix, TikTok, or anything else that will distract you. Social media or any online distraction does not boost your mood. Try to stay away from those when you are boosting your mood.
Check your plan
Remember that plan you wrote the night before? Well, it is useless if you don’t remember and use it. Check it over before you begin studying. I don’t recommend it, but if there is something that came to you at night that you need to study for, you can add it to your plan. Just try to not change your plan too much. Set it up somewhere you will see it while you study, to make sure you will follow it. Be strict on yourself, because that plan was created by someone that had your future self in mind, not this “I actually have to study” person.
Set a timer
Don’t just work endlessly, or even till “everything is done,” because everything will never be done. Set a timer for the amount of time you are going to study for. I recommend 25 minutes at a time. That is called the Pomodoro technique, and it is very widely used for productivity. Do 25 minutes of work, then take a five-minute break. You can repeat that cycle as many times as you want, but make sure that every four cycles you take a longer, 15-20 minute break.
Study!
You got this!
