Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi!

Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with.

These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help!

If you only remember one thing, let it be this:

You are important. Your grades don’t define you.

(support)

Studying can feel isolating but know you’re not alone! Reach out – and find or make friends that can support you along the way.

If you’re having trouble finding some friends, join some local communities or clubs! They have lots at Uni’s and even stuff like open days are great ways to meet new people and find out what’s happening.

Study groups can also be a great way to meet people and stay motivated. Also remind yourself why you’re doing this; inspirational wallpapers or quotes can be super inspiring.

Remember the saying about the oxygen mask? If you can’t take care of yourself first studying will be harder. You are important. You know the drill - water, food, exercise, sleep.

Try to stay calm. Stuff that might be able to help include mindfulness, breathing exercises, colouring in, going for walks, journaling, listening to music…

If you’re struggling – reach out. See a therapist. Talk to your student counsellor. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Also lots of Universities and TAFE offer disability services – which includes conditions like Depression and Anxiety.

(study)

Find the right study space for you. Maybe that’s in your room, or a coffee shop, or the library. Some people find that noise helps; other people not so much. If you like particular kinds of noise, you can find ‘coffee shop’ noise or ‘rain sounds’ to help concentrate.

Make a plan. It helps to do it often so it becomes a habit. Anytime you get a due date, write it down. Maybe you could use a diary, planner, bullet journal or an app. I find the 30/30 App helpful - study for a bit and then break for a bit. You can also get add-on’s for your computer to block sites like Facebook if you find them too distracting.

Find out what study technique works for you. Do you like cue cards? Mind maps? Colour coding? Does highlighting stuff help you remember? Charts, maps, diagrams? Recorded lectures?

Goals! These are so important – not just writing down deadlines but rewarding yourself for meeting them. Even making smaller goals like ‘read two pages from a textbook’ can help. Break it down into bite size pieces, and don’t forget to reward yourself after!

[Busguy1631]

Hi Everyone.

I recently finished my Bachelor Degree and wish I had seen these tips sooner.

In my early years of uni I would always get too anxious to talk to anyone else in the class and as soon as class finished I would just want to get home.

By my final year I learnt that everyone was there because they had similiar goals and interest. I got to know 2 or 3 other class mates and we formed a study group. It made studying less stressful as we could share ideas and also just have a laugh too.

I highly recommend using coloured post it notes to highlight key topics and concepts. This makes it much easier at exam time (and reduces the chance of forgetting things when anxiety is heightened).

Best of luck to everyone with there studies. Remember help is there don't be afraid.

[SunsetStillness]

Hi there 🙂 I'm new here.

I've recently been feeling very overwhelmed with study and uni in general... And like Busguy1631, I also wish I had found this sooner.

I've known that I could use a bit of help for a while now, and I'm only just recognising it and acting on it. I used to think there was something wrong with seeking help. Totally not true. I visited Beyond Blue a couple of times in the past but never stayed on the website for long - but now I know how calming and welcoming it is.

Some of the comments in this post particularly have already brightened my day: the Pomodoro technique and Noisli website suit my work habits perfectly, and I'm really looking forward to using them.

I can't remember who was looking for something that could save your computer tabs so you don't have to worry about closing windows, but there's a Google Chrome Ad-On that's great for that: it's called Toby. It basically sets up a home page where if you open Google Chrome like you normally would, you can see all of your saved tabs in neat folders ready for you to return to. It's great for storing tabs that you need for bibliographies.

Another useful Ad-On I have is Weava Highlighter, which allows me to highlight any words on webpages. Saves me from printing out and highlighting manually... Though I still prefer to do things on paper. (Man do I get sick of looking at laptops all day.)

I hope these might be of help to you guys 🙂 Something that really inspires me is your zest for learning.

[lauren99]

Thanks for the helpful tools guys.

I find it really useful to start my day with exercise before studying. I find I can get very depressed if I don't exercise and it get's my mind in the right place to feel calm, creative and focused.

[AnxiousS]

Thanks for all the tips guys! I love hearing about how other people study because I haven't found a perfect formula for myself yet.

One thing I find really important is exercise - I know it's been said before but I wanted to emphasise it. When I was studying for Year 12 exams, I incorporated exercise really well - my gym was near school and since we had 6 weeks of study before exams (including holidays) I made an effort to get in the habit of going every day and it did wonders for me. Now that I'm at uni where I usually only have 1 1/2 weeks of study before exams, I find I usually ignore exercise and I always feel like crap by the end of exams. I'm working on making more time for it because it definitely makes a difference!

I also find that having a particular spot at uni to study helps me. I have study areas that I go to when I want to really smash out some work, and have other areas for days where I only have an hour between classes and just want to watch a TV show and chill for an hour. Really draws the line between study and free time which I find helps keep me focused when I do want to work

[Saddo_in_Stilettos_22]

Hi AnxiousS,

I really liked your post and found it helpful. But I would like some advice- my family are really noisy, especially my brother and I'm finding it hard to find a nice quiet place to study! My father is always coming and going overseas so this disrupts family life. I would love to go to a local park or coffee shop but my mother loves to micromanage everything I do and would probably object. Help!

With thanks,

Saddo_in_Stilettos_22

[Grace_23]

Hi Online Friends,

I am new to this online site I thought I would suggest some study ideas that I use when I am studying.

First, I would plan when my assignments are due and put them in order according to the due dates. I would work/start on the assignment that is due before the other ones. I do love having a work study schedule.

I love to colour code my work, I would make one colour say green for Math's and pink for English to help me. Colour coding makes my studying brighter and fun it also makes me happier.

I really suggest getting a support network like a study buddy or get into a study group for support. I have a good relationship with my lecturer’s and to tell you the truth it helps me out so much to have that good open communication with them.

I hope these couple of my own suggestions help you out if you would like to use them, Thanks for reading.

From Grace

[nina12]

Hey Saddo_in_Stillettos_22,

I had the same issue - my family is also super loud, TV always running and you can hear everything even over headphones playing music. I also don't like listening to music when I study, so that made it much worse. I used to try staying at the library until really late - good because it was actually quiet, but bad because it took time to travel there and I'd end up going to sleep super late which really affected me.

I'd had people recommend noise-cancelling headphones to me, but the buzzing annoyed me and they were like $400 - no thanks. I ended up buying a pack of those memory foam earplugs from the chemist for about $6 and honestly, wish I'd gotten them sooner. Highly recommend trying them - and if they don't work for you, you haven't wasted much.

Best of luck 🙂

[imissmacmiller]

Noise cancelling headphones are beyond fantastic but my biggest problem is the fact my parents hate me wearing them. They're absolutely incredible for studying though.

[dustinB]

I found your post very helpful. Thank you for this good piece of advice.

[dustinB]

Hello. Im new in this forum. I found your post very helpful in terms of studying and keeping up with my grades. Thank you for your helpful Post.