We’re inching closer towards the final exams. But before finals, we get one more week to take a well-deserved break and/or redeem ourselves (read: start cramming one semester worth of knowledge into our head in one week) – the reading week. Despite its name, the reading week should definitely not be spent just studying the whole time. It is important to insert some fun activities in between our study sessions to refresh our mind and keep us sane. These tips will hopefully help you make the most out of your reading week by striking a balance between work and play! 🙂
Work tip #1: Study together with your friends
When you already promised and set a timing with your friends to come down and study together, you’d have more reasons to actually study – you’re doing it for your friends too, not just yourself! It is also easier to discuss with them and clear up your doubts immediately (or cry about them together). If you’re scared that you’d be distracted and end up chatting with your friends instead, pick a quiet study place like the Central Library study areas. That way, you would be forced to stay quiet and not chat with your friends, as long as your conscience is clear. Studying with your friends should also make it more fun and you can take study breaks or have meals together in between!
Play tip #1: Exercise
Jurong East Swimming Complex
It is commonly known that exercising helps us study more effectively. Exercising is a scientifically proven way to improve our memory and brain power. But more importantly, it helps us refresh and takes us away from our laptop or textbooks! If you want to combine work-out with recreation, Jurong East Swimming Complex might be a cheap and fun option. Not too far away from our campus, the swimming complex does not only have the usual Olympic size swimming pool but also other attractions like slides, a lazy river and a wave pool. Why pay so much to go to Adventure Cove when you can enjoy these attractions at only about $2?
Work tip #2: Set your work playlist
Some people may prefer to work in silence, but others can benefit from the right kind of music. Music can make us feel more relaxed and/or elevate our mood, thereby improving our productivity and motivate us to study for a longer period. We are lucky enough to be living in today’s digital era with various convenient ways to listen to music while studying. Applications or sites like Spotify and 8tracks provide us with an abundance of playlists to suit our moods and preferences. Check out these tips on choosing music for studying: https://www.examtime.com/blog/music-for-studying/
Play tip #2: Attend April events
It is probably good to reserve one or two days of the reading week to go out and take a break from studying. Meet up for meals with friends, visit new places, or attend some events which are held during the exam preparation period and you may not want to miss. One example is the Affordable Art Fair Singapore, held from 22nd April to the 24th April at the F1 Pit Building. If you’re less artsy and more of a tech geek, there is also IT Expo 2016 held during the same three-day period at Singapore Expo.
Work tip #3: Vary your study space
A study place at UTown
Studies have shown that revising the same stuff in different locations help to reduce the likelihood of forgetting what we’ve revised. This is because every time we change location, the brain forms new associations with the same material, resulting in a stronger memory. NUS has a myriad of study places scattered around the campus, from the numerous meeting rooms, lounges and TV rooms in PGPR which will be filled with students near exams, to Starbucks and random benches at UTown. It is easy to get comfortable with one study place and stick to it, but try varying it for possibly better information retention and also to avoid a boring routine!
Play tip #3: Refresh your eyes
MacRitchie TreeTop Walk
And we don’t mean by using eyedrops. We’re spending so much time looking at our laptop screens and notes or textbooks that our eyes probably need a break. So instead of going to the movies for a study break, hunting for picturesque views around Singapore would kill two birds with one stone – you get to refresh both your mind and your eyes. In fact, research has shown that greenery can help us study better! Despite our small size, we still have a lot of beautiful parks and other natural beauties scattered around the island. From the Botanic Gardens to the insta-worthy MacRitchie TreeTop Walk, they will surely please our eyes and serve as a great distraction from our notes!
We hope this post can help you strike the important balance of work and play! And we wish you all the best for your battle against procrastination and for your exams. 🙂
