As the year progresses and we get into the heart of winter, lots of students find it harder to stay productive. At first, it may seem like this is just because the excitement of the new school year has set in, but as true as that may be, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. One of the biggest killers of productivity for students and adults alike is Seasonal Affective Disorder. Scientists are not sure exactly what causes SAD, but things such as the lack of daylight and staying indoors are likely factors. Regardless of what may bring it, SAD is common throughout the wintertime and includes symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, and even depression. While often talked about more with adults, students (especially in college) can also suffer the effects of SAD, especially when it comes to keeping up with studying and homework.
For today, let’s talk about a few helpful ways to avoid the negative effects of the wintertime and stay productive for the whole school year.
Firstly, you may want to ensure that you are well-hydrated and comfortable enough. Make sure that you don’t fall sick during this time, as most of us are prone to catching a fever or cold. One of the most obvious ways to counter the effects of less sunlight is to keep up your Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is an essential part of maintaining a good mood, and a good mood is an important part of staying in a productive headspace. There are many ways to supplement your intake; consuming foods (like oranges) that are high in Vitamin D is one of the easiest. If that’s not enough, basic supplements are available, as are special lamps that simulate sunlight to help to body produce more.
A less obvious tip in the same vein is to be mindful of your winter skincare routine. Most of us don’t associate having good skin with productivity, but research suggests that dry skin and other negative results of cold weather may play a part in the onset of SAD. Because of this, taking care of your skin may be an unexpected help in countering some of SAD’s effects.
Staying active is another way of making sure the winter months don’t disrupt your productivity. Anyone who reads this blog regularly will already be familiar with the numerous benefits of exercising, even for just a short amount of time each day. It’s easy to let workout routines slip when the days are short and the weather is cold, but consistency is key. With specific regard to the winter months, physical activity helps the body produce the hormones to keep you in a positive mood as well as boost energy, two of the biggest effects of SAD.
Another way of combating SAD is to help other people. It may sound counter-intuitive, but taking time to focus on helping someone else, whether a classmate, sibling or anyone else, has been shown to boost the mood of the person who helps even more than that of the person who got the help. When it comes to productivity, staying in the right headspace is essential, and taking a little time to help others can keep everyone feeling more positive and productive.
Other tips include things like wearing bright colors, keeping your study area bright with things like plants and good lighting, and listening to upbeat music.
Whichever of these (or any other) methods work best for you, the most important thing to keep in mind is that sometimes, unimportant things such as the time of year can have an impact on studying and grades; the more mindful we are of our environment and how to make the best of it, the more we are able to stay ahead of the game.
Modern-day students spend most of their waking hours sharpening their minds at school, building relationships with friends and families, and pursuing a wide variety of hobbies. Although students tend to think of their social, academic, and physical activities as separate, these areas are quite synergistic, meaning success in one area translates to success in another. Conversely, ignoring one dimension of life has negative consequences on the others. We have discussed the importance of physical health in past blogs about sleep and nutrition, but perhaps the most important of these synergistic activities is exercise.
It is important to stay active when it comes to maintaining physical (and mental) health. Exercise’s positive impact on academic performance, however, is somewhat less talked about, in spite of significant scientific evidence showing exactly that. As time goes on and more research becomes available, the academic benefits of a healthy exercise regime are clearer than ever. Exercise, be it in the form of swimming, dancing, or sports—anything could prove effective as long as it keeps the kids physically active.
Let’s look at five of the most basic ways regular exercise can have benefits for students of all ages, from kindergarten to college.
Focus
In recent years, there have been more and more studies showing that kids (and adults) who exercised for as little as 20 minutes before taking a class display marked improvements in their ability to focus. There are a number of possible reasons for why this might be the case. Some experts theorize that physical activity stimulates circulation to the brain, making it easier for them to devote the necessary brainpower to the lessons. Others say that it’s because it works excess energy out of their systems, allowing them to stay on task. Regardless of the underlying reasons, the fact remains that a little bit of exercise has a big impact on how well students are able to concentrate on their lessons.
While it may not seem practical for most kids to get twenty minutes of activity in before their classes, other studies have suggested that having even just one workout per week had a noticeable effect on students’ overall performance.
Brain Cell Development
Recent human and animal studies show that regular aerobic exercise has profound effects on the brain. A recent New York Times article, “How Exercise Could Lead To A Better Brain”, describes experiments performed on mice at the University of Illinois. Mice who ran regularly on a wheel had more neurons—brain cells—than those who did not.
Also, mice who ran regularly had more complex connections between neurons, meaning they were able to access their brain cells more flexibly. Finally, the mice who ran regularly did better on cognitive tests, such as completing a maze. There’s evidence that this direct relationship also exists in humans.
Memory
The part of our brains that controls memory is called the hippocampus; throughout school years, it grows and develops with the rest of children’s brains. Studies have shown that keeping a regular exercise routine not only aided in the hippocampus’s development in students’ younger years but also slowed the rate at which it began to shrink later in life. The benefits of having a greater working memory are obvious for students across the board, and the increase in development paired with a decrease in degeneration down the road is an important way of ensuring student’s long-term success.
Mood
Another benefit that comes with being physically active is the positive impact it can have on kids’ moods. While this may not seem directly linked to academic performance, a number of studies have found that a student’s overall mood has a noticeable effect on how well they do in a number of essential areas, including absorbing new information and creative thinking.
Stress Relief
Similar to improving a student’s mood, regular exercise can also be a great way to relieve stress. Research has indicated that students who engage in physical activity daily, even for a short time, are less prone to feeling the negative effects of stress. Similar to mood, elevated levels of stress cause classroom performance to suffer, with stressed-out students having a harder time focusing and retaining the information they learn.
Ultimately, academic performance is not the number one reason for students to stay active. The commonly known health benefits are enough of a reason to make exercise part of every student’s routine. The benefits we discussed here will be an added bonus to most. What matters most is that staying healthy plays an essential role in achieving long-term success, both in and out of the classroom.
Habit #1: Find Your Learning Style
Everyone is different. This is just as true when it comes to how we retain information. We can explore the different kinds of learners another time. For a basic guide to understanding the different kinds of learning styles and profiles, check out this page.
Once you figure out which style of learning works best for you, you can decide how to study to take advantage of your strengths. This can also help you find which study aids to use and things to avoid in order to keep distractions to a minimum.
Habit #2: Tackle the Hardest Tasks First
If you have more than one task, you may be tempted to start with the easiest one, even though the most difficult assignment or subject will take the most energy. Once you’ve finished the hardest part of your work, it’ll be much easier to complete the easier work. Research has shown that starting with the toughest task can significantly improve studying effectiveness and subsequent performance.
Habit #3: Take Good Notes
It’s important to develop your note-taking skills so that your notes actually contain the important information you need to know.
Remember, not everything your teacher says needs to be in your notes. Focus on things your teacher says more than once and/or indicates are important. If your teacher takes the time to write something on the board or on the overhead, it’s probably important, so be sure to write it down. Also, topics your teacher takes several class days to cover are surely worth noting.
Be sure to include helpful details like page numbers, due dates, pointers, or anything else that might make it easier to keep track of what you’re doing.
Making lists, diagrams, or charts when appropriate can go a long way toward helping with retaining information.
Habit #4: Review Your Notes
There is never a bad time to look over your notes. Reviewing your notes daily before retiring for the evening or during free periods will help you retain what you’ve been learning.
Habit #5: Create a Study Zone
Your study zone can be anywhere you’ll be able to be productive, like your room, a coffee shop, or the library. Think about what makes each place good or bad. Do you work best when it’s totally quiet, or are you better off with some background noise? Typically, most students find it helpful to locate a consistent place to do their studying that’s not too quiet and not too noisy.
Once you have a place in mind, make sure you have everything you’ll need to study with you. You’ll need a surface big enough to spread your books, laptop, paper, and other supplies.
Don’t be afraid to establish rules when you’re in your study zone. Make sure your parents or roommates are aware of your study space and when you will be studying. This will help you avoid distractions and stay productive. Simple things like keeping your door closed and refraining from responding to phone calls or text messages can make a huge difference.
Consider identifying two or three locations you can make into a study zone. This way, if your main study area can’t be used for any reason, you have a backup.
Habit #6: Make Goals
If you just sit down with the intention of learning everything you need to know, you may be setting yourself up for failure.
Take a minute to think about the factors that will influence what your goals should be. Ask yourself which subjects need your focus now and which can wait until later or tomorrow. Once you answer these questions, you can think of achievable goals that will help you accomplish what you need.
The SMART method is a common way of coming up with good study goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
Habit #7: Prioritize
Prioritize everything, from subjects to assignments. Every time you’re told about something that you’ll need to do, write it down immediately. That way, when you have time later, you can go through everything that you have to do and decide what’s most or least important, as well as the order you will knock them out.
One way to make prioritizing your tasks simple is to organize your study notes by using colors or labels. Whether they’re on your computer or in a notebook or binder, developing your own color-coding system can help you keep track of projects. You can also use different colored pens, highlighters, sticky notes, folders, and labels for each different project or subject.
Habit #8: Make Studying Part of Your Daily Routine
Make time for studying every day, regardless of whether or not you have a test coming up. Consistency is key, and once you get into good studying habits, it will become a routine.
When planning your study blocks, choose times when you’re at peak performance. Do you study better in the mornings or in the evenings? If you’re unsure when you work best, try studying at different times of the day to see what works best.
Remember, once you find a time that works for you and you make it part of your schedule, you can always finish early if you don’t need all the time you’ve allocated.
Lastly, expect the unexpected. Be sure to build in some flexibility. Real life will always necessitate minor changes here and there to your schedule, so be ready for it so it doesn’t throw you off your study track.
Habit #9: Consider Joining a Study Group
Study groups can help you remember what you’ve learned, especially if you’re a social learner. It gives you the opportunity to ask questions and discuss difficult concepts with your peers.
To find a group that works for you, look for people who are as (or more!) dedicated as you are. For that, you can make a group with your friends or classmates or can also join an online group at platforms similar to Studyverse. Choose one wisely, as you don’t want to study with a group that spends more time distracting each other than being productive.
It’s also good to keep the group small, as having more than five or six people in a group often creates more problems than it solves.
Habit #10: Think Positively
Just like with anything else, your attitude has a huge impact on your productivity. If you keep a positive outlook and believe you can do it, it will drive your focus, and you’ll accomplish more, retain more, and feel more confident by the time the test rolls around.
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