I really haven’t made the acquaintance of hour-long breaks between classes until I came to uni. I was lucky enough to have my timetable equally distributed across the week, except for a couple of days when I would be condemned to wait around a couple of hours until my next lecture started.
Multiply that by eleven, how many weeks are within a semester: that’s almost an entire day’s worth of waiting, eating lunch and scrolling through your phone! I soon learned that I could use this time more productively, and this is how the concept of ‘flash study session’ started to make sense to me.
By ‘flash study session’, I am referring to a quick, non-traditional amount of time you spent studying, while you are waiting for your next scheduled responsibility, could it be a seminar or a shift at work. After two years of balancing higher education, a part-time job and various other commitments, flash study sessions have become my best friend: I found that I could use the little time gaps between classes and appointments in a productive way, and make progress on all of my projects much faster as a result of that! Flash study sessions are also a brilliant way of staying on top of your to-do list, maybe even ticking the last item off before dinner so that leaves your evening entirely free.
If you want to make better use of the free time you have between classes, keep on reading.
1. First things first… make a plan!
Write down the things that you want to achieve during the next hours of free time you have, or make a daily to-do list and highlight which tasks you want to work on yet. Done right, planning will be the guide for the progress of your work, and it will help you work with the time you have rather than against it.
Making a good and comprehensive plan is hard, and a long to-do list will make you feel overwhelmed rather than help you, though. This is why I designed a Flash Study Session worksheet for you guys to use for your own studying! Download your own copy at the end of this post!
(Created using Canva.com)
What I would suggest you do is pick max. three things off your daily or weekly to-do list that you need to get done as soon as possible, and identify what you can do in your specific time frame to make a bit of progress on these tasks. Set yourself a time limit for each task and put it down, and tick the tasks off as you go. Very easy, isn’t it? Use the worksheet to guide you through the process.
2. Find the perfect study spot.
Depending on what you want to do in your flash study session, you might need silence and a comfortable amount of physical space. Consider going to the library or the nearest silent study area to do the work, and look for a computer or a printer if you think you might need them. If you want to have lunch while you study, you might want to pack it up and have it with you as canteens are usually busy and very distracting. If you want to share your flash study sessions with friends and course mates that want to do some work, as well, find a group table and make it yours!
3. Be conscious of time.
It is a flash study session for a reason: it is short, quick and time-efficient. Respect the plan that you set for yourself at the very beginning and work on your chosen tasks in their specific time frames. Don’t feel discouraged if you get stuck: just move on to the next task to maximize efficiency. Another thing that I do – and absolutely shouldn’t – is I fall so deeply into the studying wormhole that I sometimes forget that I’m supposed to be somewhere at the end of my flash study session. Don’t do that! Be on time for your classes.
4. Don’t push yourself too hard!
There is only so much work you can do in an hour. Although it might feel as though you haven’t done as much progress in your flash study session as you would’ve hoped, remember that is still better than doing nothing. Don’t set too high of a goal for yourself: I might’ve recommended choosing three tasks, but there is nothing wrong with just doing one. It is up to you, the time that you have and the work you need to get done – adapt!
5. Finally, take a break.
If your class is two hours away and you feel like working for just one hour and grabbing lunch with friends for the following hour, do exactly that. Productivity is important, but it can also pose the threat of a ridiculous standard. You are in control of your own time, and breaks are just as important to keep efficiency to a maximum level. In fact, it is recommended that you do take a break right before your next class: that will give you the energy needed for renewed intellectual effort.
These are my tips and tricks for making the most out of a flash study session and being productive between classes. I do hope that you will find them as useful as I did!
Check my Flash Study Session printable worksheet by clicking here! I designed it myself. :)
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