Now that winter break is over, it’s time to get back into good study habits. If you are living in student housing or in off campus housing here are 3 tips to make your study more effective by taking important study breaks. Breaks should be short and regular, should get you moving and fueled, and be organized and help you avoid distraction during study time.
Short and Regular
First make your study breaks short and regular. Only you know how often you may need to take a few minutes away from the books. If you are in a groove and focused maybe have a break every hour or so is sufficient. If you are really having to concentrate hard on a subject, your brain and your backside, may need more frequent rests. Decide before you start when you will take study breaks and then stick to that plan. Set a timer for a certain length of study time or make a goal to get to a certain page before you stop. Then have a short rest but remain focused until that point.
Move and Fuel
When your break time comes get moving and get fueled. The best break is an active one, take a short walk around your apartment building, go outside in the fresh air, have a 10 minute snowball fight, or shot some hoops, do a few jumping jacks or run up and down the apartment stairs. Make it fun, creative and active to get your body awake, alert and ready to learn.
Also don’t forget to fuel. Choose nutritious study snacks. Avoid the sugary snacks that cause brief energy boost but then follows with a blood sugar crash. Don’t forget to hydrate too. Keep water with you when you are studying. As part of your study breaks go and top off your glass.
Avoid Distraction
Use your breaks to avoid distraction during study time. Commit to only use break times to check social media, return a call, or check the score of the game. During study time avoid these distractions altogether. You’d be surprised how much time you can waste and how just a few seconds of checking a text can decrease the efficiency of your study.
Study hard then use only your break time to reward yourself with a short period of reconnecting to the social media. Use your breaks to keep your study time organized. Straighten up a bit, get more supplies. A clean, organized environment will help you think more clearly. Use your break to keep your area study friendly.
January can always be a difficult time to get back into the swing of school. The winter months can be long and dreary. Less daylight hours can make it a little harder to study. So make sure and plan some fun and active breaks to help you earn those good grades.
Dixie Cove Apartments in St George near Utah Tech University provides a quiet, convenient off campus apartments. Large private or shared rooms can provide a comfortable atmosphere. We have a beautiful pool area where you could relax and take break,. There are basketball hoops and a large common area to gather and relax. Dixie Cove is a great student housing option to consider for your education at Dixie State.
