Unusual study techniques that work!

Study like a pro with these unusual methods!

Getting enough sleep, sitting at a desk and eating well are all excellent ways to improve your studying sessions, but why not try something a little more unusual?

If you’ve been sitting at your desk, reading and rereading the same piece of information for the past hour and feeling like you’ve made zero progress, it may be time to try something new. Check out our unusual (and often fun) methods to achieve study success.

Everybody learns differently and watching videos could be your key to study success. Not only are videos excellent for visual learners, but they also deliver information in a way that is easy to understand and process. By using a combination of written materials and videos, your brain will find it easier to absorb and retain information. Just make sure you don’t end up clicking through hundreds of unrelated videos in the process!

With their absence of lyrics and abundance of drama, classical film soundtracks are perfect for improving motivation and concentration. It’s common knowledge that classical music can aid study efforts. But if you’re not a classical music fan then this might not work for you. Instead, try scores from Jurassic Park or Pirates of the Caribbean to maintain your interest without causing distraction. Have you ever studied to the same music as a battle scene from Lord of The Rings? Seriously, give it a go!

Not only is sushi delicious, but it is also excellent brain food. Filled with omega 3 fatty acids, this tasty treat increases brain function and development. It has also been claimed that omega 3 can improve memory, which is perfect for when you’re trying to remember vital information for exams.

Sushi is also easy to eat and doesn’t make a lot of mess. Perfect for snacking on during your studies.

If you’ve been struggling to read and retain your notes, a simple font change could help! Studies have revealed that an unfamiliar font forces us to slow down and concentrate on what we’re reading.

However, if you want to read as quickly as possible, a sans-serif font such as Helvetica or Chivo will work well. Their simple and clear structure helps the brain to scan through the letters and speed up reading. But remember that quick reading doesn’t necessarily mean greater understanding.

Copying and pasting an online article into Word could help you focus by eliminating distractions. After all, webpages are notorious for being filled with clutter. With ads flashing and cookie notifications vying for attention, it’s no wonder that we struggle to focus on content.

By copying and pasting the body of text into Word, you can adjust the font and focus on the content alone without the temptation to look elsewhere or click links.

Sometimes, it can be beneficial to study away from home. Many of us choose to relocate to the library or a local café because the change of scenery forces our brain to work in a slightly different way that improves our concentration. But travelling further afield may be more effective.

Journeying far from home could make us commit more to our study time since we have exerted effort to get there. Also, since it would take a long time to get home again, we resign ourselves to the new location and throw ourselves into a thorough study session.

According to research, looking at something cute that makes us happy will increase our attention span!

Psychological scientists at Hiroshima University in Japan challenged a group of students to play a game similar to Operation. They found that participants’ game performance significantly improved after being shown images of puppies and kittens.

The findings suggested that we have a natural inclination to look at babies with an increased sense of care and focus. Therefore, if you’re struggling to focus on your studies, a glance at a kitten could be the answer.

Why not put this theory to the test. Take a look at the puppies to the left. Do you feel more focussed? Even if you don’t, we hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Research suggests that how we colour our workspace can affect our mood, productivity and alertness. In particular, red, orange and yellow are said to increase neural activity and alertness. So, if you’ve been feeling unmotivated and lethargic in your workspace, it may be time for a desk makeover.

Studies have shown that reading your work out loud could help with information retention. When compared with reading silently, listening to a recording of your voice or listening to another person reading, reading aloud in real time resulted in the best remembering.

These results showed that adding a level of activity into the process helped the brain absorb the information. Therefore, if you can’t remember something you’ve written down, read it out loud.

There are a few reasons why taking a cold shower could boost your study efforts:

1. It increases energy

Participants in a study exploring the effects of cold showers said they felt energised and alert after a cold shower. Researchers even suggested that cold water showers have a caffeine-like effect.

2. It improves immunity

Nothing is more frustrating than getting ill while you’re studying. Not only does it feel awful, but it can put a halt to work entirely. Studies revealed that cold showers could improve your immune system by upping your anti-inflammatory substances. Cold showers could also decrease absence from work or college by 29%.

3. It can boost your mood

Some researchers believe that cold showers activate the sympathetic nervous system, increasing the availability of neurotransmitters like endorphins. However, you should not replace prescribed depression medication with cold showers.

If you’re currently having to work and study from home, we have another blog post with scientific advice on how to do so successfully. Hopefully these two blogs combined will help you with all your assignments and exams. Happy studying!