Study better for longer: 5 tips for maximizing productivity

Imagine getting your teen to sit down at their desk to study productively for two hours without getting distracted or bored. Here’s how to do it.

What would you give to see your teen keep on track during exam study without them losing motivation every 15 minutes?

Wouldn’t it be such a relief if they could finish a day of studying and say, "yeah, I really nailed it today!" Well at the risk of sounding like a motivational speaker — I believe they can.

Just like any part of studying, maintaining productivity is a skill that can be learnt, practised, and mastered. Of course there will be days when your teen is not as productive, but we're not aiming for perfection — we're aiming for improvement.

So to that end, if your teen is really struggling to maintain focus and productivity while studying, here are 5 top tips for maximizing productivity during a study session:

1. Focus on something small and not scary

Small tasks are easier to tackle than big scary ones.

Studying for five different subjects that all have exams within a few days of each other that you must pass = a scary thought.

But a small, manageable task like reading over school notes on photosynthesis and making your own flow chart of the process = not scary and totally achievable.

Nothing sucks productivity out of a student quicker than feeling overwhelmed. It’s counterproductive to worry about everything you need to study for. My trick for productivity is to just focus on the study task right in front of you and soldier on with it.

By ticking off lots of little tasks that individually aren't scary, your teen will quickly start to see massive progress of the big scary task that is preparing for exams. Having a timetable to stick to will make this even easier, because it means all of your teen’s time is planned out already so they don't need to worry about deciding what to do next.

2. Disconnect

I know it’s hard (and I have talked about it before), but can you expect yourself to knuckle down and focus if in the back of your mind you're constantly feeling that itch to check your phone?

To avoid tanking their productivity, I really strongly suggest having your teen put their phone away in a drawer or another room, or at the very least putting it on silent and out of view.

I know this can be really hard to enforce as a parent and to not come across as a nag, but you can sell it as a positive to your teen — they will get more done in a shorter amount of time if they aren’t distracted by their phone.

If their attachment to their phone has reached unhealthy levels, it’s probably worth while everyone having some blackout time (disconnecting the Internet) and your teen telling their mates they’re studying and will be offline for a while.

I know this is particularly hard for teens, but it really is worth being disciplined in this way, and they will feel so much better after smashing out a productive study session without getting distracted.

3. Take breaks

There are lots of study commentators who talk about the optimum length of time to study for. My take on this is that we're all different and we're all productive for different amounts of time. We're not robots! So sometimes we might get in the zone and be productive for three hours before feeling zonked, and other times we might only last 30 minutes before we're desperate to run out of the room and make a cup of coffee.

If your teen has been reading the same sentence for 10 minutes and is just getting ‘over it’, I say embrace the fact that they need a break. Go get a drink, chill out for a little bit without feeling guilty, and then they can go back to their desk and commit to going over that next topic.

4. Get the topics you're dreading out the way first

If your teen is sitting down at their desk knowing they have to revise a topic they don't particularly like, their motivation might tank, and therefore, so might their productivity.

Maybe it's a topic they find really hard, maybe it's a subject where they don't like the teacher that much. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is they do need to study the topic, so the trick is to rip off the band-aid and just get it done as soon as they can.

Once they’ve done what they need to for that topic, they’ll feel relieved with a sense of achievement, which should fill them up with motivation to move on to the topics they find easier.

5. Try for at least 15 minutes before giving up

I know I have just said to take breaks when needed, but if your teen only sat down at their desk five minutes ago, well, in that case they probably just need to try a bit harder.

Studying is like exercise — you have to give yourself a chance to warm up before you get into it. I know I certainly found starting to be the hardest part of studying (and sitting exams), so it's no good giving up in the first 15 minutes. It might take your teen this long before they get into 'the zone'.

I want your teen find that study sweet spot where they're focused enough that they’re not checking the clock every 5 minutes, and before they know it two hours have whizzed by. It’s probably unrealistic to expect to get into a study session in the first 15 minutes. It might take a little while to find their focus.

Productivity thrives on productivity

The more your teen works on their productivity by implementing these tips, the easier they will find it to maintain productivity. It's like developing a good habit. Starting can be really hard, but once you get into the groove, it becomes way easier.

I hope this helps. Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Clare