The finals are coming up. The pressure is on to focus, retain information, and find effective ways to study. Here is a basic rule of thumb that any student who wants to receive high grades can follow: Log out of your Facebook accounts and stop texting while studying! Here are several Facebook and text message withdrawal methods that can be employed.
1. Study without internet.
Take all the materials you need with you to your study place and study in a place where there is no internet. If you use your computer to study, download all the documents first and have them available on your computer. You’ll find your productivity levels reach a new high without the distraction of the Internet.
2. Use Facebook as an incentive.
Allow yourself to visit Facebook from time to time, but only as a kind of reward. When you’ve effectively studied for 50 minutes, give yourself 10 minutes to log on to Facebook and do what you have to do. Tell yourself that every hour on the hour you can visit the site, but always keep a time constraint where you don’t get lost on the site and end up killing time. Time is the most important resource you have during the finals season and you don’t want to waste it.
3. Keep your phone in your bag.
While studying, don’t hold your phone in front of you so you can see every time you get a text or call. You can use a method similar to Step 2, where you allow yourself to check and send text messages about once an hour, but when you’re done, put your phone away. The worst thing you can do is have a constant text conversation while you study; you will run the risk of not retaining important details because you were too distracted.
4. Study in a public place or in the library.
If you are in a place where other people or students can see you and you are supposed to be studying, you will feel less inclined to text or visit Facebook or other social networking sites. The pressure of seeing other students around you who are completely focused on their studies will provide a strong incentive not to slack off or get distracted.
5. Get rid of the computer and phone completely.
The most effective method, but the most difficult to employ, is to find ways to study the old-fashioned way: using only your notes, your books, a pen, and some paper. Although this idea sounds outrageous to most 21st century students, it is actually the best way to absorb and retain information. Maybe you can make a compromise with yourself where you study without social media activities for a certain number of hours and then give yourself a half-hour break to text and use the internet as much as you want. Studying is all about moderation, so find out what works for you and stick with it.