Image via Wikipedia
Studying for that big exam and you just can’t focus? Need a better way to organize your class materials? Looking for ways to increase your academic productivity so you’ll have more time to party? Whatever your reasons, here are some useful productivity tips and tricks to improve your academic life.
- Evernote.
Evernote is a handy app for your smartphone or computer that easily organizes your notes. Clip a website as reference for a paper. Take a picture of your handwritten notes. Evernote’s picture-searching technology allows you to search writing in images, so you can easily search and find your notes on Macbeth or the Battle of Trafalgar. Take vocal memos (perfect if you’re an audio learner). - The Pomodoro Technique.
Time to study or work on a paper? Set a timer for 25 minutes. When it dings, take a five minute break. After your fourth 25-minute block, take a 15 minute break. Welcome to the Pomodoro Technique, a productivity tool invented by Francesco Cirillo. The human brain can’t focus effectively for long chunks of time, so taking breaks help break up longer projects. Plus, that five minute break acts like a reward to look forward to while you’re typing away on your paper. Hold off on checking Twitter or Facebook until the timer dings and you’ll notice a major increase in productivity. - Do Flash Cards While You Wait.
Turn your down time into productive study time. Make up flash cards and run through them on your commute or in the doctor office waiting room. This is especially helpful for vocabulary terms on an upcoming exam or foreign language classes.
