With the beginning of the new semester, we are given a clean slate with grades, able to start off with straight A’s or watch them fall deeper and deeper until there’s no coming back, and no one wants that! So, here are some study tips to get you flying through the new semester and your course work with ease. 

Music, music is a fool proof way to motivate yourself and get into that productive mindset that’s perfect for studying. No matter what your favorite genre is, or who’s song is currently stuck in your head, if you’re making a playlist or finding a premade one with all your favs, the right music will always find a way to keep you going on late night study sessions and early morning reviews. For a calming low stress day, you can’t go wrong with a soft lo-fi beat or a calming soundtrack to a beloved movie or show. However, if it’s a high intensity, confident mood you want then I recommend a catchy pop song or fast paced rock hit. 

However, music isn’t the only way to get yourself in a good mood to study. You can also embrace the learning atmosphere with just that, a brand-new atmosphere to help you learn. Try going to a coffee shop down the street, bbc.com found that “A 2012 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research showed that a low-to-moderate level of ambient noise in a place like a cafeteria can actually boost your creative output”. Plus, even if it doesn’t work you’ve still gotten yourself a snack and coffee to keep you going when you try somewhere else to study. So, if the coffee shop doesn’t work out don’t worry because you can take your caffeine and come to a local library to study. Libraries are calm, quiet, and public so you can get your perfect spot to study while still being around others if the background noise from soft chatter in a library might help you focus more. 

And finally, if all else fails you can still make a cozy and comfortable studying environment in your own home. Clear up some space on your desk pull up a nice comfy chair, maybe even get a soft blanket, grab your coffee from earlier, put in your headphones and get to it, because “there’s no place like home” as Dorothy would say so why mess with perfection? You designed that space to your personal wants and needs so it must be the place your most comfortable which is a number one want when it comes to studying. 

I hope this article is able to help you when it comes to keeping your grades up this semester and even prepping for finals in the future!