College is a never-ending series of deadlines, exams, and stress. COVID has made all of this much more difficult. Although we are doing things remotely, Zoom fatigue is very real and incredibly draining! As final exams approach, it is important to remember that studying is necessary to pass your exams, but it is also important to prioritize your mental health and yourself.
Taking Care of Yourself
First, we want to start off by reminding you about self-care and self-preservation. Although studying is important in order to thrive in your classes, taking care of yourself and taking breaks is as important. When scheduling your studying sessions, be sure to schedule times where you can take breaks. Doing things such as journaling, yoga, going out for a walk, or simply talking to your loved ones can prevent feeling burnt out.
Combating the Forgetting Curve
Now that you have some tips on self-care, let’s learn a bit about how you can retain the information you are studying. In the late 19th century, a German psychologist named Hermann Ebbinghaus tested his memory over various periods of time. Ebbinghaus discovered the nature of memory loss over time and that information disappears at an exponential rate. He learned that the level of retention depends on a couple of things:
- The strength of the memory
- The time that has passed since the information was first learned
Ebbinghaus discovered that information is easier to recall when it’s built upon things you already know. Every time you reinforce information, the rate of decline reduces.
From all of this, we can create a studying schedule that uses the forgetting curve to your advantage. Simply by testing your memory, your memory will become stronger. Scheduling frequent training intervals will help solidify the information through active recall.
Studying Techniques
Studying for college exams is also a series of procrastination and forgetfulness. If you are having some trouble focusing or getting started, it is ok to start small. A good way to start is with these studying techniques:
Tomato Timer is an online resource that uses the Pomodoro technique. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, usually 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. The goal of this technique is to reduce the impact of internal and external interruptions on focus and flow.
Forest is another online app that helps you stay focused and be present. You plant a tree and will see it grow into a tree but if you leave the app to, let’s say answer a text message or check social media, the plant immediately dies and you’ll have to start all over again.
