Lifehacks & Study Tools

[Stacy Sullivan]

Hi, guys! Nice to meet you all! I am a newbie here, so I am still in process of reading all the posts and comments. I'm graduating soon, so I need your help! Recently I feel a bit unstable (mental health issues, hello), so it's difficult for me to be productive and motivated all the time. Can you please share your stories, tips how you stay motivated during stressful period and exams? What tools do you use to speed up your studying/writing process? I personally use things like Evernote, Citatior  and  Shooltraq. And struggle with sleep deprivation as I have to study a lot. I don't know, how can I study enough and don't get cranky at the same time 

[Hope.for.the.best]

Firstly, do you struggle with finding to sleep or falling asleep (i.e. insomnia)? If it is the former, then the best tip I would offer is to get enough sleep. You just cannot function well and remain productive and motivated when you are sleepy. Sleeping is also very helpful to consolidate your memory. You often find it easier to remember things you have studied after a good night sleep (and this has been shown in research). If it is the latter, then you need to find ways to reduce your stress, like having a walk, doing meditation etc. Of course, if these cannot help, then you should seek support from a school counsellor. 

[Adelaide9216]

On ‎2‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 5:55 AM, Hope.for.the.best said:

Firstly, do you struggle with finding to sleep or falling asleep (i.e. insomnia)? If it is the former, then the best tip I would offer is to get enough sleep. You just cannot function well and remain productive and motivated when you are sleepy. Sleeping is also very helpful to consolidate your memory. You often find it easier to remember things you have studied after a good night sleep (and this has been shown in research). If it is the latter, then you need to find ways to reduce your stress, like having a walk, doing meditation etc. Of course, if these cannot help, then you should seek support from a school counsellor. 

I agree. Sleep is also helpful when you deal with anxiety (like me). I always feel like today is a brand new day after having a good night of sleep. Everything becomes more doable and manageable because I had like 8 hours to not think or do anything at all. if you struggle with insomnia, maybe you should get help for that because it's fundamental to be able to sleep well in order to function. 

Edited June 17, 2018 by Adelaide9216

[AP]

Ok, here are a couple of things I tried and worked for me:

1) Use the coursework years to build and consolidate a good social network. People you can cry with, and work with, and watch games with. 

2) During exams, I gave myself the gift of learning something new. I picked up a new sport and went twice or thrice a week. It was MY moment away from books or screens, outside, and doing learning something besides the historiography of plantations. 

3) Life hacks:

• Save your work all the time in an external drive AND the cloud. Trust me. 
• Embrace meal prep once a week. 
• Attend events with free food. 
• Use campus resources. You already "pay" for them.
• Do not underestimate the power of a good break.

4) Exercise helps fight depression and sleep issues. (In addition, do not underestimate a good sleep. If you have problems sleeping, consult with your doctor. I speak from experience).

5) Grad school is just a job, but it is very personal because you give up a lot to be there. Do not hesitate to ask for help. No one is expecting you (or anyone) to have all the answers, otherwise campuses wouldn't have so many resources. Use the reference librarians, your senior graduate students, support services, etc. 

6) Study tools: I don't know your field but for taking notes I use OneNote, for citations I use Zotero, and for writing I use Scrivener. I also carry around a small notebook where I write down random things that I think of as I write. Eg: Look for three references on X. 

All the best!

 

Edited June 28, 2018 by AP