The following is what I’ve learned, how to study for school and achieve everything you want. Implement these three things and you’ll be the fittest and smartest kid in your class. They are complete game changers, for your body and for your mind, the stuff superheroes are made of.
Be consistent
Do school work every day. The key is consistency. Time is going to pass anyway, and think about how much further along you’ll be if you did something worthwhile every single day. Once you make studying and being productive a part of your life, it’s not so hard to do anymore. You’ll become so in the habit it will almost become an obsession, which can be bad, so do remember to hang with friends and have fun and drink. But it’s rewarding to do your best, chase down your dreams, and excel. Time wasters like video games and television will no longer interfere in your life. Steal those hours back. Eventually, you’ll no longer be able to play video games by yourself, not without friends and not if it’s not Call of Duty.
Every one who’s successful did their time, put in the hours. Look at Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. Michael showed up to practice early. Larry took hundreds of shots every day, regardless of whatever negative events assailed him. Girlfriend breaks up with him, dog dies, new girlfriend making out with his best friend — it didn’t matter, Larry shot basketballs every day.
I have friends and relatives who say they hate studying. Something these people all have in common, I noticed, is that they don’t have clearly defined goals. It’s like learning a language: if you’re studying Chinese just because you think it would be nice to know a second language, you’ll give up. That’s not a strong motivator. A goal like moving to China to live and work, to marry and make half Chinese babies and start a business, is. The more specific, the better. In short, have a purpose.
And if you really hate studying, do it first thing in the morning. Roll out of bed and jump straight to it while you’re fresh. Wake up earlier if you have too. Putting things off till later will only torment you. There’s a great, short book by Brian Tracy called Eat that Frog. Studying is eating a frog. If you eat the frog first thing in the morning, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that the worst of the day is over with. Eat frogs consistently. Every day.
Exercise
Every thing about exercise makes you better. Every body knows this. It even improves your study time. According to one study, people are 23% more productive on days they exercise than those they don’t. Exercise boosts your physical energy and mental motivation. Studies have shown that 30 minutes of exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients. Your memory, decision-making and problem solving skills will all be enhanced. Another interesting study found that people can memorize 20% more vocabulary words after intensive exercise. Try it for yourself. If nothing else, exercise will decrease stress and put you into a good mood, increase your confidence and make the opposite sex want to touch your body.
A sedentary lifestyle is no good for your health. I know because my back and neck are so tight the muscles are compressing a nerve, causing me chronic pain in my forearm and hand. When I write or type, debilitating pain runs upwards from the back of my hand to the back of my neck. I have to get up from the computer or study desk every 15 minutes to take a walk, to do calisthenics, to stretch, and I have to pay visits to a chiropractor, massage therapist, and physical therapist. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t let years of sitting hunched over without breaks destroy your body for a year like it did mine.
A nice place to study
I remember being 12 years-old, sitting on the sofa in front of the TV and doing my homework, and my friend’s dad, who is a doctor, telling my mom that I needed a room, desk, and silence. I didn’t care and my parents didn’t care, as long I didn’t fail. Now I wish they did care. My friend’s dad was right. If my parents would have instilled good habits in me from the beginning, my later school life would’ve been easier, and maybe I’d be smarter.
Work in an environment that facilitates studying. It could be in your room or in the library. The library is good. Look at all those people hard at work in silence. It’s motivating. Those people are all doing something with their lives, and you might meet and make friends, or love, with one of them. The library is much more empowering than passing around a blunt and hot boxing you’re friends Toyota Tacoma, though not as fun.
Try everything that you think might work for you. Listen to music. Study immediately after exercise. Study as hard as you can to a 30 minute egg timer, then go for a walk or do some hindu push ups, then reset the egg timer and go right back to studying. Try classical music: Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Try smoking a joint — it won’t work but the point is to actively seek out what works for you. Enjoy sipping on a beer if it makes studying more enjoyable, just don’t have too many. Find a favorite coffee. A large coffee gets my hand shaking and my feet a stomping and the mind a racing, but then it gives me stomach cramps and acne and burns me out. That’s why I like tea better.
Do these and a year from now you’ll be the toughest and smartest tea drinking guy or girl on your block.
Leave a Reply