Other things:
- Change the scenery. Don't always study in the same place and/or at the same time. Try different places in your room, near windows, away from other people or with other people, in the library, outside, parks, study rooms, anywhere. To be honest, as un-ergonomic as it is, I always found studying on my bed to be the most comfortable. I could always move around to different positions, lie down, sit up, spread everything out. Plus, it was squishy.
- Take breaks. A few teachers at my high school used to call cramming without breaks "study bingeing". Every hour or so take a five minute break, at least. I was always the kind that found it hardest to start but once I did I'd go for ages. After a few hours I'd realise that none of the information was being absorbed anymore and I was really just reading with no reward. I usually now do 1 - 2 hours then take a 5 - 15 minute break for food or a walk or something. DON'T get on the net during this time.
- Try to enjoy what you're studying. Particularly in college you've most likely chosen a course that you have
some sort of interest in. You may be studying the most boring aspect of statistics or neurophysiology but you will usually always be able find something interesting in it that will at least catch your attention and make you go, "Oh. Did not know that. Cool." Just so long as you don't go researching on Wikipedia because we should really all what that leads to by now.
- Mix up your subjects. Don't try and do six hours of chemistry all at once. ie. do a few hours chem, a few hours math, a few hours history (taking breaks every so often).
- Try different study methods. Some learn just by reading. A lot don't. Personally, that makes my eyes and my head hurt too much. Sounds ridiculous but try doing all those things your study counsellors advised in high school. Make up rhymes or acrostics. As much as you think you're wasting time trying to think of one, all that time you're really spending going over and over it. Some people learn by others talking to them about it or discussion - go to some study groups or extra lectures. This is going to sound so childish but when I used to study history I'd make up mini re-enactments of battles or political debacles, ie. each country would get it's own figurine or army of figurines and you put them into battle or have a debate with them. Yeah, it does sound childish, but it helped HEAPS. And was so much fun. You'd never forget the name of an army general or who won that battle or which leader kicked that one's a ss etc. etc. Perhaps take photos of important objects or structures. In high school (again) I used to build different chemical structures out of fruits and lollies and chocolate (also keeps your belly satisfied). If you find you "learn more by doing", go DO something. Even if you can't physically do anything (like build the chocolate chemical structures thing), try recording your notes and going for a jog. Passing a ball with someone as you recite different facts or figures. You get the idea. Try and be creative and it'll be easy to keep yourself occupied, focused and sometimes amused.
- CC isn't fun? Pfft.
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.....CC isn't fun? aawwh.
