Online students, this one���s for you. But not just for you. In the age of online study ���post-Covid��� and the digital wonderland we all live in at least part-time, getting a group together often means firing up your computer (and for some of us, Ring lamp). We reside in a camera-ready-from-the-waist-up, pajamas-from-the-waist-down world. We study there, too.

On or offline, studying with your fellow students is a great way to get your material down, so we���ve got some online study group tips to help you increase the effectiveness of your study time and minimize technical hiccups. We���ll focus mostly on the online considerations here, but some tips apply to study groups both online and IRL.

(Make sure to also check out our post on the six steps for starting a study group, which is focused more on in-person study sessions.)

Here are the steps and tips for hosting your virtual study group:

Choose a Virtual Meeting App

You may already have a virtual meeting app (or two or three) installed. If you have a favorite that you know inside and out and you plan to be the study group emcee, ask your group-mates to download it. Let the group weigh in, but settle on one platform that everyone can install and get to know. Here are a few of the most commonly used apps to consider:

• : This app is so widely adopted, i岳���s become a verb, like ���Google.��� Zoom has an intuitive interface, and odds are others already have it.
• : This platform is formerly known as Google Meet and is often preferred by those already using Google for all their word processing, email, and organizational needs.
• : Many companies use this, since they���re already using Microsoft Suite software. Only one member of the group needs to subscribe and it���ll work for all.

There are many more options. Do some research if none of the above appeal to you. Many apps have different features like breakout rooms and whiteboards that you may be interested in using. Some meeting apps are free, some are paid, and some have subscription tiers with a paywall to host longer meetings or use additional features. If you use a paid version specifically for your study group, you can consider asking everyone to chip in. Typically only the meeting host needs the paid version for the additional time to extend to all attendees.

Learn the App

Once you settle on a video conferencing app, get to know it. Take a tutorial, click through the menu, go spelunking. Do a dry run (maybe a good excuse for a video call with Mom?) to make sure you know how to use things like screen share and adding a co-host. You do稼���t want to have to try to figure it out on the fly in the middle of your online study session.

Ask your study group to do the same. Even if you���re hosting, give everyone the pre-homework of downloading (or updating) the app, learning the basics, and testing their camera and audio.

Pro tip: If you���re planning to share your screen, spend a little extra time on this feature to avoid an embarrassing mishap. If you do稼���t want your peers to see your open tabs or any other document you have open, make sure you know how to share a specific document and not your entire desktop. Or at least make a mental note to close out anything personal or sensitive before you open the meeting.

Set Up Your Space

You might already have a dedicated space in your home for video calls, but if not, put together an ergonomic area so all you need to do is log on when you���re ready. Here���s a quick list of what your space should include:

• Wall Plug: Make sure your setup is close to a power source. Video calls drain battery, so stay plugged in to avoid a surprise shut-down or having to jump up and go plug-hunting.
• Check Your Backdrop: Unless you���re planning to blur your background with the app, make sure there���s nothing distracting or inappropriate sharing the screen with you.
• Find Your Light: This seems obvious, but part of the point of the video meeting is seeing each other. Make sure you have adequate light so people can make you out.
• Interruption-Proof Your Space: If you can, find a room you can close yourself off in. Dogs, kids, and roommates wandering into frame might be delightful, but also a distraction.

The above concerns online study session setup, but feel free to also read our post with more tips on how to set up your personal study space for success.

Before Your First Study Session

We already covered the app setup, but here���s a to-do list for before your first group meeting. If you���re the group���s admin, you can take care of all of these tasks, but you can also ask people in the group to take on individual responsibilities.

• Gather the emails of everyone in your study group.
• Use the app to schedule the session (recurring or ad-hoc) and send invites.
• Send out a proposed agenda at least a day in advance and invite input.
• Ask everyone to check for application updates before the meeting to avoid login delays.
• Disseminate any study materials everyone will be working with so others have time to download and print if they like.

Consider emailing the gang to create a thread for your group so you can easily collect requests and input about how the group will be run. Someone might have a great idea or need some kind of special accommodation. This can be an ongoing thread so you can make adjustments to your group over time.

Virtual Study Session Etiquette

Manners matter. At the beginning of your first session, set some ground rules for etiquette. In addition to the common courtesies we all know and love (be attentive, keep it civil, come prepared) there are a few additional considerations for an online meetup:

• Cameras On: Ask everyone to keep their cameras on. We���re all ���here��� to interact, and seeing each other’s faces demonstrates you���re there and engaged. You can allow for members to shut off cameras in special circumstances or briefly if they need to.
• Noises Off: Sometimes there���s background noise that ca稼���t be helped. Kids, dogs, planes, trains, and automobiles will inevitably find their way into your study soundscape. Ask people to be mindful and mute temporarily if the noise on their end becomes intrusive.
• Get Dressed: A study session is an informal gathering so you can keep it casual, but remember that you���re still in polite company. Our cheeky ���pajamas-from-the-waist-down��� comment aside, please do wear pants in case you need to stand up, and keep it appropriate from the waist up as well.
• Minimize Cross-Talk: Live online discussions can be tricky to moderate. One good way to mitigate everyone talking over each other or having more than one conversation at a time is to limit your group size, so the conversation can be easier to control.
• Take Turns: Depending on your session format, it might be helpful to have some structure around who talks and when. Try not to interrupt, and if you do, check yourself and shush. Some apps have a ���hand raised��� function that can keep the conversation moving in an orderly fashion.

The most important ground rule is also probably going to be the hardest to enforce: getting started. As people filter in to your session, they���ll start to check in and chat. We���re all friends here, so tha岳���s okay, but put a time limit on it. Tell everyone you���ll be kicking off the first topic promptly ten minutes after the session starts. This will also help people be on time.

If it helps, set an actual timer for this. That way you do稼���t have to interrupt the lively conversation���you can outsource that to a digital noisemaker. When the buzzer goes off, whoever is mid-sentence can finish that sentence, and then i岳���s time to hit the books.

If you like, you can also leave the study group video call open for an extra half hour at the end, so anyone who wants to can stay and socialize. That way, members who would love to catch up can, and those who are just there to cram can sign off and get on with their day.

Miscellaneous Virtual Study Group Considerations

To wrap things up, here���s a grab bag of other considerations to help you create your virtual study group and keep it humming. You might come up with a few hacks of your own as well.

• If people in your group are in different time zones, try to find a ���meet in the middle��� time that works for everyone, or take turns with time zones.
• Open every meeting five minutes early. This gives you time to check your tech, get settled, and admire your own face until others join.
• Invite the group to add questions to the chat. That way you do稼���t have to interrupt discussion. Monitor the chat during the meeting and before you close out, make sure everything has been addressed.
• Also use the live chat function to send out any quick links or references for later. People can cut and paste them for their own use.
• If it makes sense, record your study session, especially if there���s going to be discussion or exercises that might benefit a member who ca稼���t join for whatever reason. Always ask permission before recording. (Some apps will do this for you.)
• If you���re hosting, add a co-host when you open the meeting. This gives someone else shared control if you have to leave abruptly or have a technical snafu on your end.

We hope you enjoyed this edition of WCU���s Study Buddy series. Good luck with your group!

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In this installment of our Study Buddy series, we���re taking a look at how to get more bang for your books.

Even if you love to learn, there���s no point in studying more than you need to. In fact, there���s plenty of evidence that allotting some breathing room between study sessions will actually . But there are ways you can study more efficiently so when you take those hard-earned breaks, you���re taking the material with you.

Some of these techniques will help you learn better by unlearning study strategies for students that are more myth than method. Others will require a small amount of setup and discipline. And all of them will pay off in better comprehension and retention that will help you get the most out of your education. 

Below are three adjustments you can make to your current study habits to level up your study ���A Game��� (double meaning intended). Study hard, but not harder than you have to. Here���s how:

Results-Oriented Reading: The SQ3R Method

Ever read a sentence, a page���even a whole chapter���of your textbook, only to realize you do稼���t remember any of it? This usually happens because your mind starts to wander from the page and off on its own adventure. This is稼���t your fault. Nobody has an endless attention span, and textbooks generally are稼���t as riveting as, say, that Netflix show you���ve been binging.

You���ve already learned to read. But how do you read to learn? How can you lock in on your assigned reading and lock down the information? Enter a technique called that can help you absorb and retain. Here���s how it works:

• S(urvey): This means scanning the text for the big ideas and overall context. Read the first paragraph, the first and last sentences of each subsequent paragraph, and the last paragraph or conclusion. As you do, read any headlines and spend a moment or two with any illustrations. 

• Q(uestion): Now write down questions based on what you���ve just skimmed. It might help to take any headlines and reword them as questions. This is a way to reframe the information in a different way and better understand the objective of the content. What questions are being asked? What questions does this text seek to answer? Why?

• R(ead): Now read the text fully. You���ll have an easier time absorbing it now that you���ve got the lay of the land. See how it answers the questions you���ve written down. This is also a good time to take notes and highlight.

• R(eview): Go back through your questions and make sure you���ve found answers to all of them. Do you see the big picture? Do the pieces add up? Do you feel like you understand the material? If not, go back to your notes and fill in the gaps.

• R(ecite): Now talk yourself through it, out loud, in your own words. This will imprint and reinforce the information you���ve absorbed visually in a different way, which can help you with retention and personalizing your understanding.

It sounds like a lot of steps, but i岳���s much more efficient than reading and re-reading text with no strategy, and much more effective at driving home an actual comprehension and the intention of the text. 

Multitasking vs. Monotasking

I岳���s tempting to think you can tackle more than one thing at a time. There���s one problem: I岳���s . We all desperately want to believe in the myth of the multitasker, but the inconvenient truth is if you���re jumping back and forth between work, you���re being much less efficient than if you hone in on one task. You���ll also make more mistakes.

So monotask: Pick one thing and, even if i岳���s just for a short period of time, focus on just that. Then move to another. Abandon the myth. Embrace the science. Master the art of monotasking.

Okay, okay, there are exceptions. If you���re absolutely addicted to two-for-one productivity, take a or a . Both are proven to encourage creative thought, so next time you���ve got writer���s block on that essay or are struggling with a solution, you can think it through while you get clean or get some exercise.

Optimize Your Study Setup

One way to save time and stay focused is to make sure you have everything you need within arm���s reach before you start studying. Make sure your laptop is plugged in so you wo稼���t have to go cord hunting later. Place a glass of water (or your study beverage of choice) on your desk, within reach but out of spill range. Keep a hoodie or a sweater on the back of your chair so you can layer up or down without getting up. And organize any study materials you���ll be using. 

And at the end of each study session, do a little study space housekeeping. Organize your notes and materials. Put away anything you���re done with, and place whatever you���ll want to return to in an accessible spot. Leaving your study space in order ensures the next time you sit down, you���ll be able to dive right into your next subject instead of wasting your precious motivation clearing out and cleaning up.

If you really want to create the optimal study space, check out our other Study Buddy post, Good Study Hygiene, for tips on how to set up, set the mood, and create your own little study cockpit right at home. 

Ready for a Break?

If you followed the study tips above, you���ve earned one! And you can enjoy a little leisure knowing you���ve improved your efficiency and focus. Particularly when midterms and exams close in, you���ll be glad you���ve got your skills, habits, and space queued up for maximum study productivity.

Keep up with our blog for more study tips for students!

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Studying is hard. But you do稼���t have to do it alone.

Starting a study group is an excellent way to enhance your learning experience, and not just at test-prep time. One of the top reasons to consider making study a team sport is accountability���for some of us, having others counting on us to be present is the best way to make sure we show up, both physically and mentally.

But there���s more. When you study together, you���ll get access to each other���s interpretations of the material and secret study hacks.

And do稼���t underestimate team spirit! One of the first things we recommend you do after compiling your study group is picking a name. Get creative and keep it on theme. This way you���ll get a little emotional reward every time you see an email from your ���Brain Busters��� thread in your inbox.

Ready to assemble? Follow these steps for a successful study squad:

1. Pick Your People

Recruiting the right gang is both the first and most important step in building an effective study group. And do think of it as a team, with players chosen for complementary strengths. I岳���s okay if your study group includes friends, but that should稼���t be the only requirement. Choose people who are committed and collaborative.

Keep your group small���three to five members is a good ballpark target���you want everyone to have ample time to contribute and participate. Try to keep your group as consistent as possible, but i岳���s safe to assume not everyone will be able to make every meetup. If schedules are difficult to coordinate, you can consider opening up a larger group, so if people need to rotate in and out, you���ll have enough attendance to get the most out of each session.

2. Establish the Rules and Roles

Do this at your first meeting. I岳���s important to level expectations and make sure everyone agrees to the group etiquette upfront. Make sure all members have equal input and agency in the group. (This is not a dictatorship!) Speaking of which, start by determining roles for the group. Here���s our recommended makeup:

• Group Coordinator: This is the person who manages scheduling and communication with the group, creates a snack sign-up sheet (more on that below), etc.
• Session Leader: Your leader emcees the actual sessions: kicking things off, keeping track of session timing, calling breaks, etc. This should be someone who does稼���t mind intervening if the group loses focus.
• Materials Wrangler: Someone needs to make sure you have all the materials you need for study. Lots of this should be BYO, but this member can print out and distribute any practice sheets, etc.
• Understudy(ies): You can have more than one of these. For any of the roles above, this member is on call to sub in, in the event another team member needs to tap out.

These roles can change, as needed. If someone is well suited to a particular role and does稼���t mind taking it on permanently, by all means, let them take initiative. But allow for some flexibility if people would like to rotate in and out of different responsibilities.

Speaking of responsibility, consider the unfortunate possibility of a group member not working out. This could be purely logistical, like a schedule that is impossible to coordinate or, in rare circumstances, the issue of someone not being a productive member of the group. In either case, decisions about changing your group���s membership should always be by committee and handled with diplomacy.

3. Set a Schedule (and a Timer)

Have a regular session cadence and ask everyone to commit. This can be whatever makes sense for the group: weekly, monthly, or timed around testing events. Once your group is up and running, it will become clear if you need to adjust the schedule.

Some members may want to meet more often, and there���s nothing wrong with leaving the option open for ���breakout sessions��� where a member can call an ad-hoc, elective meetup for extra preparation or to spend more time on a certain topic.

You also need to decide how long each session will last and how you���ll break it up. We recommend no fewer than two hours, and a maximum of four. (Exceptions can be made for marathon sessions leading up to exams.) Assume 15 minutes up top for everyone to arrive, settle in, and catch up. After that, you can break it up into sprints and breaks. So, an example session could be:

• Settle in/Set up (15 minutes)
• Sprint 1 (45 minutes)
• Break (10 minutes)
• Sprint 2 (45 minutes)
• Snack Break (15 minutes)
• Sprint 3 (30 minutes)
• Recap/Assignments (10 minutes)
• Cleanup (10 minutes)

Feel free to adjust the length of your sprints and breaks as needed, but plan your sprints ahead. Do you want to spend the whole session reviewing anatomy? Great. Would you rather swap up topics? Also fine. You can even spend one sprint on quiet reading time.

Consider throwing in some activities, like a ���lightning round��� at the end, or taking a quick practice quiz and then grading each other���s answers. For some topics, that might involve critical thinking over facts (ethics, for example) that may call for group discussion.

4. Location, Location, Location

First: Choose a location tha岳���s comfortable but functional, with enough seating for everyone and enough work surface for materials. A group member���s home or dorm room will do, or if your school has classrooms available at night or spaces at the library that allow for discussion, you can take advantage of those facilities. Try to find something tha岳���s convenient for everyone. Hopefully you���re all in the same part of town, but if not, pick something central, if possible.

Second: Consider rotating through multiple locations. We go into this in more detail in another one of our posts, ���3 Learning Myths Busted,��� but the reason for rotating study locations is that there���s evidence you���ll have better recall on test day (and in general) if you���ve reviewed the material in multiple settings. It might make practical sense to take turns hosting, anyway.

5. Maintain Good Study Group Etiquette

Good team morale starts with good manners. Keep good attendance, arrive on time but not early, offer to help with setup, and always help with cleanup. Make sure you���re not dominating the conversation���give the more introverted in your group a turn.

Etiquette is important in other ways, too. Observe ���campground rules��� and clean up after yourself. Respect that everyone learns differently and at a different pace. Leave any negativity at the door, and if you���re sick, sit the session out (or Zoom in).

And bring snacks! Sustenance is important. Consider setting up a rotating ���snack duty��� sign-up sheet. Ask if anyone has food allergies or dietary restrictions, and shop accordingly. To avoid ���food coma,��� choose foods that will keep everyone alert. Think brain foods like nuts and fruits, and if the group so desires, some coffee. Having something to munch or sip on can help break up the slog of a particularly challenging subject.

6. Have a Reward System

And, last but not least, celebrate together. Keep the socializing during sessions to a minimum (we���re looking at you, session leader), but plan something fun for after exams. Go out to dinner, go bowling, catch a movie���pick something recreational and/or leisurely where you can appreciate your hard work and each other in a study-free setting.

Once you get your study group up and running, come share your group name with us on and !

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When you���re a student, your study area is a sacred space. Studying nursing is a challenging pursuit requiring focus and discipline���but there are ways to make your study time more pleasant or and even inviting.

Why not work in a place that makes you feel clear-minded and comfortable? Why not Zen your space? No purchase necessary (okay maybe a few small, inexpensive supplies). Creating an environment where you can settle in, calm down, temporarily block out the world and focus may only take a few adjustments to your current setup.

We put together five simple study space tips to transform the area you might associate with stress into your own private study oasis. And since you���re a student nurse with a scientific sensibility, we explain why each tip is rooted in science and cultural tradition.

1. Feng Shui

Feng shui is a Chinese tradition dating back to ancient times, conceived as the art of creating harmony with your environment. According to feng shui, your desk is a ���commanding object���: an object of special importance that . Therefore, its placement and the arrangement of other furniture and objects around it will have an effect on your career pursuits���which of course includes study���according to feng shui.

You can take your feng shui as far as you want, but at a minimum, position your desk so you can see the door, but at an indirect angle. Feng shui also recommends decluttering and removing any objects that interrupt the flow of your space. Some of the basics of feng shui-ing your space include cleanliness, clear lines of sight, and the integration of decor to highlight the vertical lines in your study area.

2. Aromatherapy

A pleasant scent always adds atmosphere to a room, but there are some that are particularly good for your workspace. May we suggest rosemary? This herb has romance and a literary legacy as a boon to memory���you need only pick up a copy of Hamlet and flip to act IV, scene V to read ���there���s rosemary; tha岳���s for remembrance.���

Want some science to back it up? One study confirmed that , as subjects who were exposed to rosemary performed significantly better on a memory test against subjects exposed to lavender.

There are other aromas that can calm or invigorate you as you learn, and even enhance your productivity. Citrus scents can , cinnamon has been , and peppermint has been proven to lengthen attention span in medical students. Luckily, i岳���s easy to find candles and essential oils in almost any scent; or you can fill a bowl with cut lemons, fresh rosemary, cinnamon sticks, or just chew some peppermint gum.

3. Ambient Music

Music can be a powerful mood enhancer, and even a great motivator. Music at a gamma frequency (40 Hz) in particular . The specific music that activates you is very much according to taste, but science shows instrumental music works best for study, because you wo稼���t be distracted by lyrics.

I岳���s up to you what type of instrumental soundtrack you want for your study time. Classical music is an obvious choice, but if you���re not feeling orchestral, you can find contemporary ambient music to put on a playlist. Check out Brian Eno���s

If you find even ambient or classical music distracting, consider investing in a sound machine and simply play white noise, which has been studied and .

4. Get a Plant!

A houseplant is稼���t just a lively addition to any space���i岳���s a friend to your productivity. First of all, the color green, because of its low wavelength, promotes a calm and focused mind, .

In addition to being (typically) green, houseplants may improve both productivity and happiness. One demonstrated a 12% increase in response time in subjects working near houseplants. And according to the , supported by numerous studies, humans experience a connection with houseplants that creates positive emotions.

If you want to combine efforts, see tip number two and consider a rosemary or peppermint plant. One popular option is a that is meant to bring you good fortune. Do稼���t forget to apply water and sunlight to keep your plant as happy as it makes you.

5. Post Your Mantra

Even if you���re not a meditator, pick a mantra. Or call it a motto. Or maxim. Or battle cry.

Whatever you choose to call it, they should be your words to live by. Mantras have , derived from the perceived power of the primordial intonation ���Om.��� But feel free to take a modern approach. Find something self-affirming and inspiring���something that when you think or say it to yourself, it moves you. Then write it down and give it a place of honor in your study space. Have it engraved on a placard or just put it up on a Post-It.

However you choose to display it, it will personalize your space and literally imprint it with the energy you seek. Then anytime you feel defeated, unmotivated, or even just want to center yourself, i岳���s there to tell you what you need to hear.

Tha岳���s it! Just five easy and cheap tips to Zen your study area. Follow these steps to make your desk not just your workspace, but your happy place.

For another post on how to keep your study space and study habits organized for maximum productivity, check out our Study Buddy post on ���5 Lessons for Good Study ���Hygiene������.

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For our latest Study Buddy session, we���re taking a look at how you can work on your study ���hygiene.��� We���re not talking about showering while studying (although is a great way to get your creative mind flowing).

No, we���re talking about habits that will keep your study time, space, and mindset ���clean��� so you can learn with a clear head and minimal interruptions, both internal and external. Study habits of successful students go beyond just good memorization skills, so le岳���s delve into a more environmental approach.

The tips below are effective study space ideas, wherever you have chosen to locate it in your home. Others will travel with you, to give you a clean slate to study when you���re meeting up with a study group or relocating for another reason. (See Study Buddy Mythbusters post to learn about how mixing up your study location is actually a good thing.) 

Lesson 1: Login Laundry

Students log a lot of screen hours. Because you spend so much time on your computer, it makes sense to keep up with your housekeeping. Think of your computer like your bed���you spend a third of your life in bed, so you make sure you change the sheets. Same goes for your laptop (or desktop computer).

The following checklist can help you keep screen time distractions to a minimum:

• First, the obvious: Clean your screen once a week. Fingerprints and smudges can contaminate your field of focus.
• Close out your browser tabs. Do this at the start of study time, or at least daily, so you do稼���t find yourself migrating back to that saved shopping cart every time you get stuck.
• Declutter your desktop. If you do稼���t already have an organized filing system, make a point once a week to archive documents you might need later and trash any you wo稼���t.
• Restart regularly to keep your computer and applications up to date and running smoothly.

Lesson 2: Scrub Your Schedule

Meaning: Clear the part of it you���ll use for studying. Organize your calendar like you would a shelf or a cabinet, with everything in its place. Schedule your study time allotment in whatever cadence you decide you need, ideally not back-to-back with another brain-consuming task so you���re not thinking ahead to the next task and you can stay present with your study. 

Here are some tips for scrubbing your schedule:

• Go through your calendar and delete any recurring commitments that have expired.
• Block off dedicated study time. If you can, save the time of day you know you���re most productive.
• Keep your study time like you would any appointment. Be on time and ready to work.
• Track your time. (You can get an app for this.) This will help you stay accountable, and you���ll also enjoy the emotional reward of having a record of your efforts.

Lesson 3: Spruce Up Your Surface

“Whatever you’re using for a desk, this is your sacred study space. It should be comfortable and functional, and you can set it up for efficient study sessions by following a few rules for maintaining an organized and clean study area.

Here���s how you can improve your optimize your space to help you get settled, stay settled, and study:

• Do稼���t let loose papers colonize your space. We recommend a small tabletop file holder where you can consolidate the important stuff. Clearing out worksheets and notes you no longer need can actually be pretty satisfying.
• Place everything you need within arm���s reach. This can include textbooks, your glasses, a beverage, a snack, and anything else you might want like tissues or eye drops.
• Keep your computer charged and make sure i岳���s plugged in so you wo稼���t have to get up and search for your cord mid-session.
• Place a small waste bin nearby so you can toss any rubbish instead of letting it build up on your study surface. You might also want to consider a small paper shredder.

Lesson 4: Outfit Your Area (and Yourself)

This one applies especially to morning-study types���those of us who keep our laptops on the bedside and pull it onto our laps first thing. Instead of going straight for the keyboard, consider completing your morning rituals and get ready for the day. 

Below are a few tips to follow:

• Shower and brush your teeth before you get into the books. Taking care of small morning tasks will clear your brain for learning.
• As tempting as it might be to study in your snuggie, get dressed. Not to the nines, but put on something you���d wear to the store. 
• Hang a ���study sweater��� or ���study sweatshirt��� on the back of your chair so you can layer up or down for temperature control without getting up.
• Consider investing in a pair of comfortable ���house shoes��� (not slippers). There���s some that when you have shoes on, your brain kicks into productivity mode. 

Lesson 5: Quiet, Please

When it comes to study time, silence is golden (exemptions made for ambient noise or study-friendly tunes). Clean up your noise pollution. Ringtones and notifications are designed to steal your attention. Figure out the settings on your phone and computer that control your notifications���once you know where they are, this will only take a few seconds per session. 

You can reduce noise and other environmental distractions by doing the following:

• Turn off any message or email notifications that will pop up on your screen.
• Silence your phone and place it face down so you wo稼���t see it light up with messages or calls.
• Consider a white-noise machine if you have a lot of ambient noise outside or indoors.
• If music helps you work, keep your playlist instrumental so the words in your books do稼���t compete with the ones in your ears. And try to stick to an album or playlist so you wo稼���t be interrupted by radio commercials.

The tips above should稼���t add more than a few minutes to your routine, as long as you keep up with your study-time ���housekeeping.��� 

Want to learn more about the ins and outs of study time? Visit our 5 Study Types post to see what type of learner you are. Happy studying!

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We���ve all heard of ���body type.��� You (hopefully) know your blood type. But wha岳���s your study type? Humans are naturally habit-forming, and we all gravitate toward certain behavioral patterns. At 返字心頭, we���re focused on educating the next generation of nurses, business minds, and administrators, and we���re not just interested in what you study, but how.

Of course, each type has its pros and cons (we���ve included a few to ponder). Whether your habits involve methodical practice, short bursts of learning, or creative use of material delivery (e.g., audio textbooks), you���ve got your go-tos. Here are the 5 study types we identified. Which one sounds like you?

The 5 Types

1.��The Multitasker

If your modus operandi is ���divide myself and conquer,��� this is you. You���re not one to sit down with one subject for any length of time; instead, you���ll topic-hop from subject to subject, taking ���breaks��� to make phone calls, do some cleaning, or return emails, and what have you. This type is actually a misnomer, because . No matter. You���re all about mixing and matching when it comes to productive work. You do稼���t sit down for an entree when you study ��� you order tapas!

• Pros: Studying multiple topics in one session may help you intuit connections between topics you might not notice when you take a more myopic approach.
• Pitfalls: While topic-hopping might feel efficient, it can actually since you have to reacclimate every time you swap subjects.

2.��The Crammer

You know who you are. Here it is, the night before the big exam, and you���ve got to prioritize study over sleep. (And we all know sleep is important.) Preparation can wait��� until it ca稼���t. You load up on your favorite source of caffeine and settle in for a long night, only bathroom breaks allowed. You���ve got two tests to pass: the one you���ve got looming tomorrow, and the stress test. This is稼���t always all bad ��� everyone crams sometimes, and .

• Pros: Recency of learning can .
• Pitfalls: Stress and sleep deprivation are proven to .

3.��The Incubator

You���re the opposite of The Crammer. You prefer to let your material gestate. You study in installments. You���re methodical about setting aside time to hit the books, and you keep to your schedule. You believe pacing yourself is better than last-minute panic. You���re on to something, because incremental study helps to understand concepts in a larger context, especially when you revisit and reinforce.

• Pros: Research supports that . In other words, you���ll hold on to the material much better than cramming.
• Pitfalls: Taking a slower approach makes you run the risk of falling behind. Do稼���t mistake procrastination for pacing (though there is such a thing as positive procrastination).

4.��The Study-Group Groupie

If you thrive on groupthink and lively, participatory learning, this is you. You love hearing others��� takes on the material and sharing your own. Everyone brings their own tips, tricks and flashcards to the table. Your study group members keep you engaged, and they make study more experiential and immersive. What can you say, you���re a people person!

• Pros: Studying with others helps hold you to account, and keep a set schedule
• Pitfalls: I岳���s easy to get distracted and do more socializing than studying

5. The Listen-and-Learner

You simply absorb information better by ear. You���re not alone. Even if you do稼���t have a learning disability like dyslexia, some people just profit from adding listening to their info intake. This can present a challenge in an education environment where learning from the page has become standard. There are solutions so you can ingest your material through audio: you can read aloud to yourself, invest in audio textbooks, or even use an to sound. Heck, that you literally learn better by ear, singular: your right ear.

• Pros: Listening , which can allow for greater enjoyment and engagement with material.
• Pitfalls: Material is稼���t always available in audio format, and research says .

Move Out of Your Comfort Zone

Did you find yourself? Identifying with a type is fun and fulfilling, but if we may: Consider trying on another study type for size. If you typically study in isolation, try joining a study group. Crammers: buy an egg timer and test drive spaced-out study. While you might be set in your ways, some other habits might help you kickstart your next session, revitalize your interest in a topic, and keep your learning diet diverse.

Keep following our blog for more tips and advice on how to maintain healthy study habits.

Feel like talking types? Join us on or to share your study secrets and hear about other WCU students learning hacks!

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Welcome (or welcome back) to the 返字心頭 Decompression Session series, in which we focus on wellness and mindfulness, and share lesser-known tips and tricks on everything from healthy study habits to practical sleep science. In this session, we���re talking about your eyes: you know, those two miraculous messengers of visual information that are so essential to successful study and work.

There are lots of . By necessity, and largely due to a world where technology and electronics tend to demand much of our ocular attention, our eyes can get overworked. Whether you stare at a computer screen all day for work, or stay up squinting over textbooks at night, or do anything else that requires strict focus at length, you���re bound to experience eye fatigue and strain.

Make sure you keep your regular vision checkups with your optometrist, but in between, here are a few things you can do to pamper your peepers:

Focus Pocus: Pencil Pushups

This DIY eye exercise was designed as a supportive therapy for and other that make it difficult for both eyes to work together in bifocular function. With this diagnosis, doctors often prescribe bifocal lenses or other treatments. But even if you do稼���t have a diagnosed vision disorder, you can still try this simple exercise to give your dual focus vision a quick workout.

Here���s how to self-administer the at home:

1. Hold a pencil at arm���s length, straight ahead, with the point facing upward.
2. Focus your eyes on the number embossed on the pencil shaft.
3. Slowly draw the pencil toward your eyes, maintaining your point of focus.
4. As soon as you begin to see two pencils, withdraw the pencil back to arm���s length.
5. Repeat several times.

If you experience any typical CI symptoms ��� headaches, difficulty reading or concentrating, double vision (diplopia), loss of place on the page, squinting or closing one eye ��� regularly or acutely, see your eye doctor for in-office treatment.

Eye Strain: Palming

This holistic practice is a yoga technique sometimes called ���The Bates Technique.��� Think of it as eye-targeted sensory deprivation. By blocking out all light and giving your eyes a comforting, warming experience, this exercise is great for both mindfulness and eye health. It is meant to and encourage circulation of ���.��� According to Bates Method expert , ���the darkness relaxes the ciliary muscles, retina and optic nerves.���

Here���s how to palm:

1. Sit comfortably or lie down.
2. Rub your hands together to generate natural heat in your palms.
3. Cup your hands and place them comfortably over closed eyes, with enough room to blink.
4. Relax, release, breathe and enjoy.

Palming may also provide auxiliary benefits like better sleep (which is also great for the eyes). Do it as often as you want, for as long as you like. Consider allocating one of your study breaks for palming, after you���ve been staring at a book or a screen at length.

Agility Ability: Figure Eights

A little activity goes a long way. For this exercise, you let your guys skate in the shape of a smooth . This might feel a little awkward, or herky-jerky, and tha岳���s fine. We���re accustomed to keeping our focus in one place and often straight ahead.

• Sit comfortably.
• Choose a spot on the floor at least a few feet away from you.
• Relax your eyes and trace a figure-eight shape for 30 seconds.
• Switch directions.

These are just three options that you can easily fit in between study sessions or on a work break. Your eyes show you the world ��� so show them some love! Your eyes will feel better before you can blink (well, almost).

If you���d like more tips on rest, rejuvenation, nutrition, and sleep to support your studies, keep reading our Decompression Session blog series.

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Studying hard is hard. Especially when the stakes are high. From midterms to finals to certification and licensure tests, preparation is essential. You might already have your own personal techniques and rituals for getting ready to fill in the dots, but some of the commonly accepted study tips for test prep are稼���t necessarily the best ones.

We at 返字心頭 took a closer look at some tips for test prep that might not be as solid as you think. Here are three oft-endorsed myths about studying that you should unlearn so you can actually learn better while preparing for exams.

Myth 1: Always Study in the Same Place

You might have heard that having a consistent study zone is the best way to get your brain to focus and fact-fill. Enter your study space, enter the right headspace, right? Well, not exactly. We���ll explain:

Habit consistency is one of the most common recommendations for good sleep ��� use your bed only for sleep so your body learns that this is the context for this space is to get some REM. And by and large, this recommendation is a good one��� for dozing off. But for the exact reason that consistency is helpful for sleep, your recall on a test.

Why? When your mind builds associations between particular learning material and familiar stimuli, that stimuli will help with recall. This is sometimes called ���context dependency.��� The problem is that you���re probably not taking your test in your allotted study space. You���re taking it in a different context with unfamiliar stimuli. So all the environmental and sensory associations your mind has made with the material will not be present when they���d help you most.

I岳���s still good to have an ergo-friendly space to crack the books. But change up your study spot. Absorbing the same material at your desk, at a coffee shop, in a study buddy���s room, or at the library will train your brain to know the material in multiple locations, so you���ll adjust to your test setting accordingly.

One exception worth mentioning: If you���re enrolled in an online school that administers tests remotely online, feel free to keep your study space sacred and those associations will be intact for exam time.

Myth 2: Always Read Carefully

Everyone reads at different speeds (some people even practice ). Some readers can skim, some need to pace themselves, but you should read at a speed that maximizes retention and comprehension. As they say, ���whatever���s clever.���

This brings us to a clever (and relatively new) reading technique for effectively retaining information: Wha岳���s ���bionic reading��� you ask?

Bionic reading is a text treatment, invented by Swiss developer Renato Casutt, that emphasizes certain letters to guide the mind through the text and its meaning, and to retain your attention. I岳���s designed both as a shortcut for those of us who have a lot to cover and a wandering mind, or those with reading disorders like dyslexia.

Because bionic reading is a fairly new development, the science behind it is still emerging and studies are ongoing. But you can already access and that can apply bionic reading treatment to text on your computer or e-reader. W艶���d like to emphasize that this is稼���t for everyone. While bionic reading has been greeted with enthusiasm by many, most of the information out there is word-of-mouth. But there���s no denying i岳���s a fascinating innovation that you can try out .

Myth 3: Study One Thing at a Time

It seems logical: If you need to learn something, give it your full focus. Sit down and saddle up with one subject or text and stay put. I岳���s just common sense, right? Nope!

Turns out, topic-hopping can actually help you absorb and hold on to information. Say you���re a graduate student studying for an MBA in project management and you have an economics exam coming up. I岳���s okay ��� even preferable ��� to take a recess from econ to spend a little time with your statistics textbook. This is because you actually engage your brain more when you switch up your subjects. I岳���s called ���contextual interference,��� and .

The theory is that ���interweaving��� your study is a form of , so that you in essence learn, unlearn, and then relearn information, which by repetition helps your brain absorb and retain it. In addition, there���s thinking that by interweaving your subjects, your brain intuitively draws comparisons between them, which creates a more integrated web of knowledge memory.

There are many more ways you can rethink your study habits and optimize your chances for success not just on your next test, but for the length of your career beyond schooling. Studying and test-taking are acquired skills. They require practice and patience.

Want more tips and techniques for success in study? Read more our posts on study tips.

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Creating a Wellness Playlist

Listen carefully. No really, there���s self-care in what you listen to. Music therapy is an evidence-based wellness technique that requires only your ears and a playlist, and is稼���t pseudoscience ��� i岳���s evidence-based. Which songs can help move your mood in the right direction is determined by a number of quantifiable and science-based factors, like beats per minute, but i岳���s also contingent upon taste. A song you dislike is稼���t going to focus or relax you if you do稼���t enjoy it, so do稼���t force the smooth jazz if you���re more of a Chopin fan (hey, that rhymes!).

Music has been shown to cause a dopamine release in the listener, and while dopamine is most commonly associated with feelings of euphoria, i岳���s also tied to . All of these are positive effects, but if you���re seeking a particular mood swing, you can make an educated choice. While some music therapy might seem intuitive, some recommendations might surprise you. To help you get your playlist started, we���ve picked a few songs to try, and offered some science on why they often work.

Relaxation: Consciously Calm

If you want to relax but not doze off, songs with approximately 60 beats per minute (bpm) can synchronize with your brain. This encourages alpha brainwaves for an alert but easy state.

• Chopin: Nocturne in E Flat Major Op. 9 No. 2
• Natalie Cole: This Will Be (an Everlasting Love)
• Death Cab for Cutie: Grapevine Fires

Memory: The Mozart Effect

For study, make something classical your first stop. The so-called ���Mozart Effect��� has been somewhat debunked due to inconclusive research, but studies have indicated that orchestral music may benefit recall. in particular played the same classical music for subjects during study and then repeated that song during sleep. Students who used this method performed almost twice as well as their peers in the control group.

• Vivaldi: Mandolin Concerto in C Major
• Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor
• Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Op. 20 Act II No. 10

Sleep: Tune In & Turn In

Remember the beats-per-minute guideline for alert relaxation? This comes with a delta brainwave, which differs from the alpha brainwave mentioned above. Choose calming music of 60 bpm or fewer and do稼���t expect to doze immediately. It may take while in a sleep-ready posture to achieve drift-off.

• Bjork: Utopia
• Erik Satie: 3 Gymnopedies No. 2
• Prokoviev: Romeo and Juliet Op. 64

Advanced Technique: The Iso Principle

Compiling your playlists above is an enjoyable and effective way to use music as therapy, but if you are trying to move from one strong mood into another, try this technique utilized by some : The Iso Principle. This is used to move from one (undesired) mood into another (desired) emotional state. You need to change the station, but i岳���s slightly more nuanced than that.

Simply put, you start with a song that matches your current mood, le岳���s say anger. Choose a song that matches where you are emotionally, then follow that with something slightly less aggro. Keep going, moving each song choice incrementally from the mood you���re in toward the mood you���re trying to achieve ��� le岳���s say calm.

This is just an overview of a few ways to decompress as needed, but there���s a lot of available about using music as mental and physical medicine. Whether you want to combat stress, enhance your focus, or shift your mood, music can be a powerful tool for well-being and psychological fitness. Basically, you���re just using music to retune. Here���s to your instrumental health!

This post was brought to you by the music and wellness lovers at 返字心頭. For more Decompression Sessions and other health insights, visit the Health Tips section of our blog.

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If you���re reading this, you���re not studying��� busted! Today���s post is about procrastination, more specifically ���positive procrastination.��� Procrastination has earned a bad reputation ��� we���re trained to think we do稼���t deserve downtime, and we often associate procrastination with video games or obsessively refreshing our email or ���doom scrolling��� social media. But, hey, you���re not going to study for eight hours straight without some kind of break anyway, and there are some productive ways to give your brain and body a boost when you take a breather.��

Even though it might sound counterintuitive, we recommend making a list of things you can do when you need to take five. That way, you���ve got your guilt-free activities all queued up. We started a list of ���positive procrastination��� examples for you, but feel free to add to it:

Take a Shower

You have to take one anyway, and a warm stream of water can be a great incubator for creative thought. so thoughts can flow creatively and freely. Sometimes our best ideas happen when we���re not actively trying to have them. So soap up, productive procrastinator!

Eat

This is another one you need to do anyway. Skipping meals can lead to which actually makes it more difficult to concentrate. Scarfing down a lot of food at once can make you sleepy so will keep you from going into a food coma. For a shorter ���positive procrastination��� break, we���re banana fans (!).

Stretch

This one���s especially for the slouchers out there. Five to ten minutes of stretching is great for your body, and lying on your back while gently holding your can help reset a lower spine crunchy from hunching over the keys. If you���ve been typing for hours, try clasping your hands and rolling your wrists around for 30 seconds.

Tidy

Unclutter your mind by decluttering your work area. No need to spring clean, just pick one surface to clear or organize during your ���positive procrastination��� break. Keeping your space clear does稼���t just clear your mind, it can also have a .

Doodle

Here���s a novel idea: try ���positive procrastination��� while you study. There���s evidence that doodling while you���re learning by ear will actually help you concentrate and retain information. In one study, !

Do Laundry

This is a three-part productive procrastination technique: wash, dry, and fold. Even the short walk to and from the machines is good for breaking up a sedentary study session. Added bonus: you can time your study sprints around each cycle.

Take Water Breaks

Hydration begets concentration. Your , and it needs regular replenishment to operate at full capacity. Dehydration can affect more than your brain as well, from your metabolism to heart health to body temperature regulation. Get up, refill your glass or water bottle, and take a good long drink.

Stare Into Space

I岳���s no secret that staring at a screen at length can strain your eyes, and even do permanent damage. Your eyes need a study break, too. The is a quick and simple way to remind your eyes the world is bigger than your computer monitor. Choose a point in the distance (20 feet or so) and stare at it for 20 seconds. Do this every 20 minutes or so.

Call a Friend

This one���s good for intermission ��� a slightly longer break. Studying can feel isolating, especially when you���re cramming for exams, and talking to someone can be a morale booster. There���s nothing wrong with dialing up a friend or loved one. You���ve earned a little dose of friendly endorphins to help ease stress and remember there���s life beyond books.

To sum up: You do稼���t need to space out your breaks precisely ��� if you���re on a roll, by all means, stick with your learning. But cycling through the above will help you become a productive procrastinator and stay happy, healthy, and focused, without feeling guilty. And now that you���ve finished reading this (hopefully helpful) post��� get back to work!

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