Knowing how much to study is essential to organize yourself in order to pass the exams, but let’s remember that taking breaks is just as important! So today we see how much to study and how many breaks to take to grind hours of study without getting tired.
I always get tons of messages from students asking me “How many hours do I have to study a day to prepare for my exam?”. It is an absolutely legitimate question if only to get an idea of the timing for adjusting your study rhythms.
But since we are talking about rhythms (which include the alternation of moments of work and moments of relaxation) the strange thing or, if you like, the thing that makes me think is the lack of the concept of pause. In fact, no one has ever asked me “How many breaks do I have to take on my study day?”.
Guys, let’s get rid of the idea that to study well it is necessary to spend many continuous hours on books. Mistaken. The QUALITY of the study is important, not the quantity!
The brain needs to catch its breath every now and then. Studying for 4 or 5 hours straight without lifting your head from the book is not productive, by doing so you understand what you are reading, but afterward, you will not remember anything.
To make an analogy we could say that studying for many hours in a row is like breathing fresh and clean air for two minutes: so much air is not good for you, rather it makes your lungs burst! Similarly, overloading the brain with information for many hours, non-stop, risks making it explode.
Since it is always preferable to avoid splatter scenarios like this, let’s try to understand how much to study, when to take breaks and when to review (because this phase should never be neglected!).
How Much to Study and When to Take Breaks
It must be recognized that this mentality that the more hours you study the better you prepare is a bit difficult to eradicate. In fact, above all the parents (mine already did, but it is still a current behavior) tend to evaluate the degree of preparation of their children based on the hours in which they see them bent over books. Obviously, that’s not the case, but let’s not blame them.
If your parents do this, don’t get frustrated: bring home some results by passing the exams and you will see that they will not complain anymore and will not interfere with your study habits. To pass the exams successfully I’ll be there to help you if you want to join the other guys from #iostudiorapido (don’t worry, it’s not a satanic sect) and take this path together!
But returning to us, the fact of studying a lot is not necessarily due to excellent preparation. If in that “time” you got distracted, lost your thread twenty-four times, and crumbled a whole packet of crackers on the book while snacking, I have my serious doubts that you had a quality study session.
“Well, however, I took the breaks: a coffee here, a snack there, a Facebook shake there”. Okay, but that’s not how it works, by scattering the breaks randomly over a certain amount of time. Even the breaks must be done in a reasoned way, otherwise, you risk spending more time playing around than studying (I caught you!).
Remember the 40-10-10 Pattern: The Study Cycles
So, what is the formula for understanding how much to study and when to stop? Remember 40-10-10.
40 minutes of serious and concentrated study glued to the chair. Off the phone, surround yourself with everything you need to avoid having to get up and get distracted, find concentration, and launch into these first 40 minutes.
Then take a 10-minute break, spend it as you want, and just disconnect your brain for a moment. If you want to watch social media this is the right time (not before!!!). Maybe have a snack, possibly avoid snacks, or refined sugars that raise your blood sugar and make you drowsy. a healthier and prefer a snack of dried fruit or fresh fruit instead. If you can maybe get some fresh air.
Finally, review for 10 minutes. Always remember to review what you have studied in the previous 40 minutes because if you don’t, you will miss out on most of the information. In this phase, if you use mind maps you will be much easier and faster!
So, plan your hours on books by following these study cycles regularly, focusing when you need to work, and taking breaks when you need to rest.
At the end of your entire day of study then, precisely an hour later, remember to carry out the first step of the review cycle by going to review everything you have studied during the day.
With this scheme, your study hours will be much more productive, because the work will be marked by breaks and the time to review will help you immediately consolidate what you are studying! Isn’t it better to study like this instead of doing it randomly?
If you add to this help from a pro assignment writer to whom you can always come with “Write my essay!”, your studying productivity will increase greatly!
Key Word: Organization
But I want to make an upstream consideration.
If you find yourself in the position of having to study many hours in a row without breaks, it could be because you did not organize yourself well previously, now there is little time left for the exam and you have not finished preparing it yet…
Did I get it? Surely for some this picture of the situation may not be so far from reality: by now I know what students are like, I know my chickens!
And now the lecture: please, never underestimate the extra gear that a good organization of the study offers. Leaving things to chance, it is normal for the preparation to fall apart. Sure, on the exam you might get lucky and get it right, but at what price? A probably low grade preceded by a crazy and desperate week of study: what stress! Who makes you live like this?
Apply the Right Study Method
Start by calculating how long it will take you to prepare for an exam and formulate a daily study plan, then study as I taught you today: 40-10-10. You will find this advice and many others in the article “How to prepare for an exam in a week?” (and if the date of your exam is actually running out, I bet you’ll read it right away)
Well, now all you have to do is move on to practice. Share this video with your friends and be heard in the comments for anything!
