Sit down and get started – before you do that, you should prepare yourself. Because if you want to learn effectively, but then realize that your documents are not sorted, your desk is a mess or you have no plan where to start, the greatest motivation is quickly gone.
That’s why you should prepare yourself for learning. That means:
- Sort your learning material and check it for completeness.
- Fill in missing content by asking your classmates and reading up on the subject.
- Set up your workspace: Study materials should be within reach, and anything that could distract you and clutter should be removed from your desk.
- Prepare your learning material, for example, by summarizing the content, arranging it chronologically, and preparing it clearly, for example, in the form of index cards or tables.
- Create a pleasant learning atmosphere: let in some fresh air, provide yourself with enough to drink and something to snack on.
- Make sure you are not constantly interrupted or disturbed.
By the way, you don’t have to stay glued to your desk while studying. Especially for writing or doing exercises, a tidy workplace is important and helpful. However, when it comes to memorizing, for example when learning vocabulary some people find it helpful to walk around the room, recite what they have learned aloud or lie down on the floor. The rule here is: whatever helps you is allowed. Just try it out.