‘Can I study without burning out?’ is a question students ask themselves after spending weeks or months in school reading the same materials or doing a project. This makes some to;
- Feel exhausted despite having enough sleep
- Lack the motivation to do their assignments
- Fail to meet crucial deadlines
- Loss of confidence in their academic capability
- Lack of motivation to attend classes or discussions
- Become frequently sick due to fatigue and stress.
However, you can beat academic burnout in every term and academic year in your school calendar. As a result, you enjoy your school life which in turn affects your performance to your best.
8 Ways to Study without Burning Out
1. Set Realistic Goals
When doing your studies, it is crucial to set reasonable goals. Come up with a target that you are sure you will achieve at the end of the term without straining or burning out.
First, realistic goals will help you to be at peace when studying. This is because you have the confidence that you will be able to hit the deadlines. As a result, you won’t be stressed as you learn.
Besides, they will allow you to track your progress in your studies. You will be able to tell what you have already achieved and what is waiting for you. Hence, you will plan your study sessions effectively.
Also, reasonable goals will help you to improve continually. Once you have hit a set target, you will likely set a higher one in your next school term. As a result, you will keep improving on your grades as you study without burning out.
On the other hand, unrealistic study goals lead to frustration. This is because you feel guilty for not achieving what you had aimed. As a result, you will likely experience study burnout because you will lack the motivation to hit your next target.
2. Make Time for Enjoyable Activities
What do you love doing in your free time? Schedule such activities within your school calendar. It will help you to study without burning out throughout your academic year.
If you love swimming, you can have an hour within the week to swim with your friends. This will help to activate a positive mood that will keep you going with your studies.
Besides, such activities will help you relax in between your study sessions. As a result, you will find it easy to learn and master physics concepts during your study sessions.
Do not wait for weekends or school holidays to engage in enjoyable activities. Instead, free up some hours within the week to engage in what you like to remain motivated as you learn.
3. Manage your time well
Sometimes, students get academic burnout because of failing to plan their time well. They wait until the last minute to cover their revision. As a result, they spend many hours on their books which leads to fatigue.
Therefore, plan your time well to study without burning out. Start your revision as early as the school term commences to have enough time. This will help you cover all the topics you are required to study before the exam begins.
Besides, when you plan your time well, you will find time to relax and get enough sleep. This will help your mind to reenergize for the subsequent study sessions.
Finally, when you manage your study time well, you are likely to get your best grades. You will be able to cover each topic from cover to cover and get the concepts at your fingertips. Therefore, be an excellent timekeeper to study without burning out throughout the term.
4. Get Regular Breaks
One of the main reasons you burn out as you study is learning without taking a pause. You are not a machine, and you become exhausted. This is because your body and mind are strained for long without a break.
Hence, it is crucial to schedule breaks in between your school sessions to relax. Also, as you prepare your study plan, have short breaks in between. This way, you are likely to get the most out of your studies.
During your breaks, find something healthy to do. You can choose to have a nature walk, do some jogging or watch your favorite movies. This will give you time to re-energize and come back to your studies focused.
Also, the small study breaks in between your learning sessions are essential. The 20 minutes nap or the 5 minutes deep breath session helps you to unwind. This allows you to study without burning out the whole of your semester.
5. Have a Study Spot
Having a comfortable place to do your studies is a perfect way to study without burning out. It gives you a peaceful environment that will help you utilize every moment you sit down for your revision. Therefore, find a suitable place at school, home, or another place for your studies.
Also, a comfortable study spot helps you to be productive. It allows you to concentrate on what you are learning without getting distracted. In return, you will memorize and master what you have been learning, which equips you well for your exams.
Therefore, look for a place free from too-loud noise, bad lighting, or uncomfortable sitting. This is because when you are in an environment where you get distracted easily, you are likely to lose the morale of studying. Besides, an uncomfortable seat will affect your sitting position. This can easily lead to fatigue which in turn causes burnout.
6. Keep in Touch with Family and Friends
As you study, you need other people. You cannot succeed in your school journey on your own. Therefore, you need to remain connected with family and friends because they count.
For example, you need to be on good terms with your parents to pay your school fees and have peace as you do your studies at home. On the other hand, you need other relatives to get encouragement when things seem to be tough.
Also, your friends can be a great source of inspiration in your school journey. They will help out in areas that you feel challenged and they are best in. For example, you can form a study discussion group with them where you will be revising together. This will not only make learning fun, but you will study without burning out.
Therefore, be in touch with those close to you. You can create time outside your study schedule to visit them. For your family, you can watch a movie together from time to time. It will help to strengthen the body and ease your learning process.
7. Be an Active Learner
The way you study affects your learning process. You can be a passive learner by taking notes, reading them, and not taking time to think through them. On the other hand, you can actively study by reading through your class notes, discussing and analyzing them.
Being an active learner is the best way to study without burning out. This is because you take time to think through each concept you learn. As a result, it sinks into your mind, and you can easily remember it later.
You can engage in active learning by joining a discussion group, going for tuition, and asking questions in class. These different ways of revising will help you to study without burning out because you have different experiences.
On the other hand, when you choose to sit down and just read your notes without giving them a more profound thought, you are likely to forget easily. Besides, you will get bored quickly because you are using the same learning style throughout the semester.
8. Have a Schedule and Stick to It
A study plan is one of the critical tools that every student should have for successful learning. Besides, prepare a well-balanced schedule to cover each of the subjects you will be examined. This will help you to revise adequately for every exam. As a result, you will not be caught up with numerous topics to go through when the exams are around the corner.
Also, a study schedule helps you to focus more on the subjects that you are weaker. This is because when you finish revising what you are best in, you will find time for the remaining subjects.
Therefore, ensure that you have a plan at the beginning of each term to help you study without burning out. This is because you will distribute your time amongst all the subjects. Also, let the schedule be flexible to allow you to go for alternatives in case of anything.
Finally, stick to your study plan for an adequate revision time. Do not skip any of your learning sessions unless you have unavoidable issues. When you fail to follow it, you are likely to have pressure when exams are near.