School life can be pretty daunting when we, as students with high expectation of a bright future, know very well how to study but struggle practically. So, I believe you know very well about the Feynman technique, how to absorb textbook information, etc but you still battle in your study sessions. Anyways, you do not need to worry anymore because your knowledge of 8 Reasons why we do not study when we know how to study will help you overcome this problem.
8 Reasons why we do not study when we know how to study
More often students do not know how to study, therefore, they fail in academics. But what about those who know very well how to study yet they have a hard time studying. I personally, as a college student and a life long learner, believe that even though you know about certain techniques, you lack certain habits and knowledge which, indeed, is helpful in getting A plus.
1. Sleep Deprived
How many of you are wholly crushing your last minute assignment and studying with caffeine?
According to some statistics, 92% of students take caffeine to stay longer while studying. This, however, results in sleep deprivation and, thus, low concentration.
Students who make themselves through days upon days to study with only 4 hours or probably less sleep, significantly perform worse. Also, they succeed in damaging two powerful elements of studying which are known as vigilance and motivation.
Therefore, it is better if you take enough sleep even if you are not capable of completing your assignments.
2. Lack of Management
I, personally, can not stress enough the importance of management. Students who lack the ability to manage their schedule often face academic failures. Nonetheless, failure in practical life is the consideration of later event if you fail to manage your school schedule.
Therefore, spend some quality time scheduling you next day every night before bed. You can either keep a journal, a notebook or, most convenient, a productivity app to write down your to-dos.
3. An End-of-the-day Alarm
If you deem that studying late into nights will help you in becoming a successful student, I am very sorry to tell you that you are wrong. Late night study sessions will only make you sleep deprived. Therefore, set an alarm, not a morning alarm, but a night. This alarm shall decide when you have to end your study sessions and go to bed.
This is important for you to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Moreover, the recommended time is from 10 pm to 4 am. Because after a hard day’s work, sleeping earlier will help you restore your energy and stamina for the following day. besides, if you sleep earlier, you will be able to get up earlier in the morning. Early morning is a great time to start studying with full concentration.
4. Lack of Motivation
“What you seek, is seeking you.”
It is very important that you should not feel a lack of motivation while studying. Because the lack of motivation may lead to procrastination and lack of concentration. But at any point, if you feel not motivated enough to continue studying, I recommend you should take some time off.
Go for a walk, play your favorite sport, watch your favorite tv program or anything that may divert your attention. Then, come back and start studying.
5. High Expectation
From a very early age, we learn, unknowingly, to expect more from us than we are capable of. This may not seem a very big issue but, unfortunately, it is a huge reason that we fail. Very often, high expectation leads us to ignorance. Therefore, we do not tend to work harder.
Acceptance is Freedom
It is totally OKAYÂ if you fail; if you do not learn something in the first attempt; if you do not understand maths. We all are different; our specialties rest in different realms. So, accept and move on and Do you best.
6. False Study Methods
Right from the start, we have learned the ways to study which are, honestly, not very efficient. We have been told to concentrate more on retention rather than learning the core concept. Therefore, we spend hours and hours rereading the same passage.
Instead, it is more beneficial to try out different study methods. For example, you can use the Feynman technique for better retention.
7. Long Study Sessions
One of the habits which lead students towards less retention while studying is sitting on the same chair with the same dim desk lamp for a long time. It is very important to remember that studying for a longer time will not help you. Instead, it is observed that after a certain amount of time, you start to lose your concentration.
Therefore, dividing your study sessions into various small chunks with small breaks in between will help you get most out of your study sessions. For instance, you can use the Pomodoro technique by studying for 25 minutes and taking a 5-minute break.
8. False Sense of security
There might have been times when you thought you knew that particular topic very well but you failed to explain the same concept on a test. This is because there is a huge difference between believing that you understand and actually understanding the topic. And this is what we call passive learning.
So, if you repeat the day’s lecture once at night. Then, reread it after some days gap, you might be able to fully understand it.