During study time (those 2 or 3 hours a day), you have to take regular breaks to clear your mind and get strength for the next “round”.
Each hour, you can take a brief 5-minute break.
There are students who don’t make these brief stops, thinking they’re using most of their time wisely, but they don’t get what they expect. Without noticing, they start getting tired, and their performance decreases.
We need to use these brief breaks to go out of the room and stretch our legs.
We can do something relaxing (walking around the house, peeking through the window, chatting with a sibling or classmate, watering the plants, etc.), or something that demands low mental effort.
We need to avoid doing something we especially like (for example, watching part of a game that’s on TV), because then it would be difficult to go back to work.
The student has to be really strict about his breaks, not even going one minute over what was established.
If during the work session, you feel like you’re too tired, or you are not very efficient, it’s best to stop, even if you haven’t completed your study hours. If you feel fresher later, you can continue your work. But if you don’t, you can make up for the lost hours another day. You shouldn’t strain your mind.
Studying is like a race. It’s not about doing our best only for a couple of days, but rather about being able to keep a nice work rhythm for a long time.
It’s more like a marathon than a test of speed.
This demands a perfect health, and breaks play a really important aspect in this.
The student needs to plan his activities in a way that it leaves him time to study, but also has time to rest and enjoy.
It’s important to be able to disconnect oneself from the work, to have some incentives.
There are many hours in a day, and you can do a lot of things, it’s just a matter of organization. You would be surprised with what you can do in a day if you know how to make the best of time, if you avoid absurd waste of time.
Considering that, in most classes (school, college, except in some careers like engineering, architecture, medicine, etc.), dedicating around 2 to 3 hours of study a day is enough, there are still many hours left to do other activities.
Breaks: some students prefer not to take breaks, because then they lose all concentration and need lots of time to go back to studying. In contrast, breaks are really useful for other students, because this lets them renew their strength and continue working. For some, changing activities is enough of a rest.
What’s the case with you?
If you prefer to take breaks, remember the following:
-Don’t do it when you’re in the maximum performance phase, because this is the best time to study.
– If you only take one break, take it when you notice your performance and concentration start to decay.
– Don’t use your break for activities that make you lose concentration, such as watching TV, listening to the radio or starting long conversations, because then it will be difficult to concentrate again.
– It’s advisable to do some relaxation and concentration exercises. You’ll rest and you’ll be in good physical and mental shape to continue with the rest of the work.
– In all cases, breaks should be short during study times.