College Stress Support Group
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Hi everyone, it's David (JourneymanProject1).
This question is for everyone who wants to answer.
This semester, I have had major problems with taking breaks during my study sessions. Either I would leave it and not come back to it (focus/discipline problem, perhaps?), or I would try to go through the material without stopping and thus burn myself out.
The semester is basically over for me now (just two finals remain after tomorrow's class), but since I'm taking a summer course I feel compelled to ask the following:
Have study breaks worked for you? If they have, how often do you take them and how do you hold yourself accountable for how long the break is? If they haven't, why didn't they work for you?
This question is for everyone who wants to answer.
This semester, I have had major problems with taking breaks during my study sessions. Either I would leave it and not come back to it (focus/discipline problem, perhaps?), or I would try to go through the material without stopping and thus burn myself out.
The semester is basically over for me now (just two finals remain after tomorrow's class), but since I'm taking a summer course I feel compelled to ask the following:
Have study breaks worked for you? If they have, how often do you take them and how do you hold yourself accountable for how long the break is? If they haven't, why didn't they work for you?
Although I don't always follow through with my own plan, I have found that it is helpful to give myself some sort of time limit for studying, or at least "get this much done, then take a break." Knowing there is a break ahead helps me stay focused. Once I take a break, I am reasonable with myself about how much time I have before I would need to get back to work. For instance, if I'm writing an essay that's due the next day, I know I can't take a break for hours without rushing in the end. Creating an actual amount of time helps me stay accountable, because then I know I'm "breaking my rule" if I go past what I said I would. Sometimes this guilt helps, but also I think it helps that this is an organized way of scheduling in studying and breaks.
Like I said, I don't always follow through, and this type of system really is based on self-regulation. When I know I'm really off track, it helps to ask someone else to hold me accountable. I have said to my boyfriend, "If you don't see me doing my schoolwork in another hour, call me on it, okay?" This outside help can be a really good push to get back on track!
Hope that helped a bit! I absolutely think study breaks are important, and you know that because you've experienced the burn out that can occur when no breaks are allowed! It's just a matter of discipline, which can be difficult! There may not be one easy answer to this (I wish there were), but I wish you luck with figuring out your own solution!
What I have started doing this semester is not turning on the computer till I have put in a good 3 or 4 hours in the morning, every day. Then anything else is just gravy for the gravy train.
Of course, if you are taking classes in the morning, it won't work for you. Maybe write the studying done on the mood chart?
Say you study for an hour or two, why not take a break and watch a favorite TV show thats 30mins long. That was it's a timed break, and its a reward too. Well at least that's what I did.