College Student Studying

Why Breaks are Needed When Studying

People often think that you need to do it without any break or interruption when studying. However, research into how the brain learns and retains information shows that shorter segments of study time boost academic performance. No matter their age, students have shown the effectiveness of multiple shorter study sessions and study breaks. But when should you plan to take a break, and what makes the break meaningful?

Effects on the brain and how students learn

Many psychologists have completed studies to examine the effects of learning and brain function. Performed experiments showed that students who studied for longer durations and no break did not retain the lessons as well. Although, those students who studied in multiple shorter periods learned more.

Those students that spent 45-minute intervals with a 5-15 minute break in between performed much better on tests. Results have been shared that a student’s brain retains the first 15 and the last 15 minutes of studying. At the same time, the middle of the study session was also helpful but more of a point where the brain was building bridges between the beginning and end information.

Unfortunately, the students that would study for 2-3 hours straight through experienced what experts call “brain fatigue.” This condition is similar to when a person exercises for too long; the muscle needs to rest or shut down to repair. Therefore, students are encouraged to take breaks, de-stress, and let the brain relax to have more effective and efficient study sessions. In fact, the students that spread out study sessions even benefit from greater motivation and concentration levels while studying.

How to Study in multiple shorter sessions

The methods of studying should be used by you to reach the highest level of performance in school. By breaking the study sessions into smaller segments of time and more often, you will be able to follow the guide to learning effectively.

  1. Read and review notes from class
    • Skills are not remembered instantly by students, so you should sit and review materials.
    • If you have new terms to memorize, go over them three times each study session. Eventually, you will be able to recall and recite the information with ease.
  1. Explain the who, why, what, and how
    • Put the lesson into your own words to help make connections.
    • Understanding the information can be helped by asking questions and gathering an explanation.
  1. Quiz or test yourself
    • To see what you need to study more of, you should quiz yourself. This can be accomplished with flashcards, the questions in a textbook, or even forming your own questions from the class’s lessons.
  1. Study with a friend or classmate
    • Study groups are great ways to study collaboratively. When you are in a group, you and your classmates can each become a teacher while reciting the information.
    • Study groups are also effective methods to form study guides which will be very helpful.
  1. Interleaved practice
    • Mix up the lesson materials. When you take a test, the skills are not generally tested in the same order as to how your teacher taught them in class.
    • Practice and more practice assist the brain in making connections to recall the lessons when you prepare for a test.
  1. Test yourself again
    • Repeat and test yourself again to re-assess your knowledge of the class skills needed on test day.
    • Before you take the test, you should review in a couple of study sessions for at least 30 minutes.

When should you take a break from studying?

All students know themselves best and can tell when they are struggling to focus. Most often, a study break may be needed and will help if:

  • You’ve been focusing on your work for 45-60 minutes since your last break
  • You’re no longer able to focus as effectively as when you started.
  • Your mind wandering more frequently
  • You’re unable to recall information as easily in the study session.
  • If You switch from one course subject to another

Study break ideas:

Before starting your break, make a note to yourself about where you left off or where to start again. Then when you are ready to get back to work, it is easier.

  • Get a drink or snack
  • Listen to music
  • Talk to a friend or classmate
  • Go stretch or walk
  • Exercise
  • Close your eyes, take a nap
  • Play a quick game

Once your circulation is back up, you will be ready to start studying again. The best students use the methods we discussed here and earn higher grades than others. Above all, make sure you take at least 5-15 minutes for your study break, so you resume rejuvenated.

Read more: 

  • proper amount of homework
  • study habits
  • Test taking strategies
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