a diuretic and sugary drinks can have other undesir- students to put their phone into ‘fl ight mode’ when
able eff ects (mentioned below). they study and better yet, put the phone in a diff erent
room. Even if you’re not looking at the phone, having
Healthy snacks – studying can burn energy, so hav- it on your desk is distracting. Allocate specifi c times
ing snacks and regular meals before you get to that in the day when you check your phone and respond
intense hunger stage can prevent you reaching for to messages. Unless I’m waiting for a specifi c mes-
the quickest sugar hit. That chocolate bar may give sage about meeting up with a friend during the day
you an immediate boost to your study session, but it or collecting a delivery, I leave my phone in my car
will soon be followed by a dip in energy, diminishing or desk drawer. On the days I do have my phone on
the productivity of the rest of the study session. Try my desk, I fi nd I reach for it when I really don’t need
to avoid over-eating as well. If your digestive system to. If you have a lot of data stored on your phone,
needs to work over-time, that’s energy taken away transfer it to a computer and access the informa-
from your brain. tion from there. You might think it’s relaxing when
you check your phone and that it gives you a short
Exercise – it’s tempting to convince yourself you don’t break. But the break in your concentration levels is
have time to exercise when you have a deadline ap- a high cost to pay. If you really need a short break,
proaching. However, planning time for exercise can sit up straight, close your eyes and breathing deeply
have two positive eff ects. Firstly by planning it into for a minute.
your schedule, you are likely to be more productive
and achieve your learning goals ahead of your exercise Electronic learning – a lot of information we receive is
session. Secondly, the release of endorphins leaves online. The benefi ts are wonderful, giving you instant
you with more energy, making the following study access to vast amounts of material and the fl exibility
session more productive. Try it. Exercise for half an of learning around a schedule that suits you. However,
hour on your lunch break and observe the eff ects on reading a hard copy makes it much easier to assimi-
your energy levels in the afternoon. late information compared to reading from a screen.
Lifestyle tips
Try one or all of the above when preparing for an exam
or presentation. Look out for the next article in this
Phones – technology is powerful, but only if you are series on learning, where I outline three techniques
the master of it. Don’t let it dictate your day for turning that promote both performance in exams and long-
to it every time you receive a message. I advise my term knowledge retention.
Monad 5 / 2017 | Page 27