Do you find it difficult to study? Do you get distracted easily? Perhaps you need to consider improving your workspace – here are ACED’s five top tips for setting up a successful study space.
1. Have all of the right stuff within reach
A tidy and organised study space is the key to success. Make sure all of your notes and materials are within reach so that you’re not wasting precious time searching for things. This will limit movement away from your study space, and you will be less likely to be distracted. Studying is a great excuse to buy a heap of colourful highlighters, pens and sticky notes!
2. Remove distractions
It’s hard to ignore the buzzing of your phone when you’re studying, so make sure you limit distractions by leaving your phone in another room, ensuring the TV is turned off, shutting the door, and clearing your desk of any other unnecessary items. If you’re finding it difficult to do this at home, study at your local library.
3. Set a timer
Have a count-down timer (just Google ‘timer’) sitting in front of you on your desk. Set it to 45-minute blocks, and when the time is over, give yourself a 10-minute break. If you find yourself distracted or not productive in your 45-minute block, pause the timer, or even reset it if you need to get work done!
4. Study in the same place
Only study at your study space. This will help to remind you that this space is just for productive schoolwork. Avoid having your study space as your bedroom or the living room, as you might be inclined to sleep or watch TV.
5. Make it ergonomic
Ergonomics is an applied science that helps people to arrange workspaces so that they are easy and safe to use. Make sure that you have an ergonomic study space by having good seating posture (feet flat on the ground, a straight back, and a chair lower than your desk – not studying on the bed or floor), and you have a bright light that doesn’t cast any shadows on your study space. Try to use natural light as much as possible, so you can sleep well later.
Have these tips been useful? If so, we’d love it if you could share or like our post on Facebook, so your friends can also set up a successful study space.
ACED wishes you the best VCE exam success!
ACED 