5 ways to make study more enjoyable
By Leon Collier
At some point during your course, it’s more than possible that you’ll get tired of studying, lack motivation and lose interest. Studyinghas a bit of a reputation as being boring by nature. But who says making it fun is a crime?
During my time as a student, I had doubts as to whether I should continue my education. To get through it, I made studying a fun thing to do. This led me to develop more interest in studying, retaining what I read and eventually staying more productive.
There are many fun ways to commit yourself to study — these are just a few.
Turn it into a song
Make a recording
Reading, re-reading and memorising long notes in preparation for an exam can be tedious, to say the least. There is another option: read it once and memorise it by repeatedly listening to it. This is where your gadgets and devices come in. Pick up your tablet or phone, read your note out loud and record it. Then, play your recordings to yourself continuously, even when you’re doing other things — cooking, cleaning, doing the dishes or laundry. Try to pick up new points and ideas and verbally explain the concepts again to yourself. Many people find this a lot easier and more interesting than sitting in one place reading for hours.
Create your own flashcards
This one is a little old-fashioned, but it does help to break down your topic and aids retention. You’ll need to pick out the information that you want to learn the most, then develop questions and write out the answers based on this information. Make sure that whatever you wrote on the flashcard is not just readable, but also brief.
Study with your friends
When you’re studying among your friends or fellow students, it instantly lightens the mood. You can have a laugh at intervals and take study breaks together. You can also support each other by explaining your own understanding of the topic you’re reading. This way, you will boost your learning speed and may have some assignment help from your fellows. Be mindful of staying on topic and avoiding getting distracted as a group — it’s all about keeping each other accountable. If getting together in person is a problem, try a video call!
Listen to music
Along with singing, music is known to help with creativity, focus, and concentration. Get out your headphones and listen to some tunes while you read. Try to stay away from music with vocals — they can be adistraction. Instrumental tunes or underlying beats usually work well. Listening to music that works for you can help to improve your memory and maximise learning by activating the right and left brain simultaneously. Learn more about different types of music for studying here.
Turn it into a game of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
You can simulate Who Wants to be a Millionaire?with your friends and learn while playing.If you’ve already made flashcards, put them to use!This works well with a group of four or five people —each person brings at least four questions in the topics you are trying to learn, orderedfrom easiest to toughest. The one who organises the questions will act as the game master. This competitiveness makes it fun, but it’s undeniable that you can learn a lot this way. This can also be done online if you’re unable to gather in person.
Leon is a writer for assignment help UK, who loves to write about everything: pop-culture, travel, self-development and marketing. You can follow him on Twitter here.
