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In this blog post, I’m sharing my all-time best tips for staying productive as a college student (that I’ve learned over the past four years of being in college)!

College is hard, and I know from personal experience - the motivation to do homework is soooo not always there.

Personally, I’m always looking for advice on how to stay disciplined and get sh*t done when it comes to school, so I thought I’d share some of my personal favorite tips here with you.

Let’s get into it!

How To Be Productive In College: 12 Hacks

#1: Use A Stopwatch While You Work

My first tip for how to be productive in college is to use a stopwatch while you work to see how long it takes you to do certain tasks.

I usually just Google “stopwatch” and use the one that comes up.

Using a stopwatch helps me see how long it takes me to do tasks that I’m getting distracted on that probably should take me a lot less time!

I can then note what I was doing or what was different about my environment that was kept me from focusing, and determine what I can do to fix it next time.

Using a stopwatch is a great way to help you be a little bit more aware of the amount of time it takes you to complete tasks, especially things that should be quick and easy but aren’t.

#2: Figure Out Your Music (Or No Music) Preferences

Next in my list of productivity tips is to figure out what kind of music helps you focus.

This is going to be a little bit different for everyone.

I know I find it extremely difficult to focus whenever I play my favorite songs or any songs that have lyrics because I end up singing the lyrics while I study.

For me, instrumental tracks like lofi or coffee house work the best.

I recommend playing different types of music while you work to see which ones allow you to focus the most.

Keep in mind, you might be someone that can't focus while music is playing at all and prefer a different type of white noise or even complete silence.

Here are some Spotify playlists I love using when I work:

#3: Play White Noise

This next tip for how to be productive in college is related to my last piece of advice.

If music doesn’t work for you, you might want to try white noise instead.

Try looking up “white noise” on YouTube or Spotify and trying a bunch of different tracks to see what you like the best.

If you’re not sure where to start, some of my favorites are rain, campfire noises, a fan, and oceans waves.

Again, everyone will have different preferences! The key is to find what works best for you.

And again, if white noise is still too distracting, try working in complete silence.

Here are some white noise tracks I listen to on a regular basis:

#4: Straighten Up Your Workspace

My next productivity tip is to clean up your surroundings.

I'm a strong believer in the saying “a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind” and I definitely find that to be true within my own life.

When my desktop is cluttered or if there's stuff all over the floor, I find it almost impossible to focus.

I feel much more put together and motivated to work when my physical space is organized, decluttered, and neat.

Try to straighten up your surroundings a little bit each day, either the night before or in the morning before you start work for the day.

This way, it never gets too messy, and you can start your school day off on the right foot.

Lately, I've really been enjoying cleaning the night before and waking up to a nice clean room!

#5: Stick To A Study Schedule

This next tip is one you may have heard before, but I truly believe in it and definitely wanted to include it in this list.

Try to stick to the same study schedule or at least a similar study schedule every day/week.

Start around the time when you feel most motivated.

For some people, that's early in the morning, but for others, they're just too tired!

For those people, starting at 10 or 11 might work better, and they might be more productive that way.

Whatever feels right to you is the way to go!

#6: Set The “Vibes” In Your Workspace

Let me explain: make sure your workspace is somewhere that you feel comfortable in.

You can do this in a lot of ways.

You can focus on your physical comfort by making sure that you have a comfortable desk chair.

Another example is making sure your computer screen is at least eye-level or higher so that you're not hunched over and hurting your neck and back all day (hack: use a computer stand for this).

If you don't have to go anywhere, dress comfortably! But avoid wearing pajamas, because your brain associates them with sleep.

Be sure to set your thermostat at a temperature that's comfortable for you. It can be hard to focus on studying if you’re always too hot or cold.

You can also set the vibes by decorating your space in a way that showcases your personality or with things that help you focus.

I do this by adding plants and fake greenery in my workspace, lighting candles while I study, and using my starlight projector.

All of these are things I find relaxing, and I’m more motivated to study when my workspace looks really aesthetically pleasing!

Other things like music and white noise can help with this too.

#7: Use To-Do Lists And Planners

My next tip for how to be productive in college is another common one, but another absolute must in my opinion.

Have some sort of way to stay on top of your work tasks. You might think that you can remember at all, but very very few can!

There are so many different ways that you can do this, and different methods work for different people.

Some of the best ways to keep track of your assignments and meetings are by using a physical planner, writing to-do lists, or using digital planning tools like Google Calendar, Asana, GoodNotes, and Notion.

Like with many other points on this list, if you're not sure where to start, try a couple of different methods and see which one works best for you.

For me, I like physically writing things down and checking things off on a paper to-do list.

But for others, a digital calendar or project management tool with automatic reminders might work best.

If you’re looking for some cute printable planners and to-do lists (or ones to use digitally) be sure to stop by my shop because I have a ton!

#8: Don’t Study In Bed

Here's another one that seems obvious. I totally get it - sometimes it can be really tempting to do homework in bed.

You've heard it before, so I'll keep this brief.

Your brain associates your bed with sleep and relaxation, so if you work and sleep in the same place, it can be really confusing.

I’ve done this more than I'd like to admit, and I would fall asleep for several hours at a time and waste half of my day!

If you're getting so tired while studying that you feel like you need to sleep, try setting an alarm for 15-30 minutes and closing your eyes.

Or try having coffee, going for a walk, or doing something else to wake up your brain like a puzzle.

If those don’t help, evaluate your nightly sleep schedule.

Personally, I sometimes have a hard time falling asleep at night, so I take melatonin, which helps a lot.

Be sure to talk to your doctor so they can help you figure out what’s best for you when it comes to sleep.

#9: Work Outside Of Your Dorm or Apartment

This may take a little bit of experimentation before you find somewhere that works for you.

Two common places to start are your campus library or a coffee shop.

If this doesn’t work for you, keep in mind that maybe that one specific coffee shop was too loud or too busy, or not loud enough.

Maybe the view outside the window was really distracting, or you kept running into people you knew and stopped to chat.

But once you actually find a spot that has the perfect vibes and ideal level of noise and foot traffic for you to focus, it can really do wonders for your productivity!

#10: Use An App To Lock Your Social Media Apps

If social media is a big distraction for you, you might want to try using an app that locks your social media apps when you study.

Unfortunately, this one isn't super relevant for me because a lot of my classes revolve around social media marketing and I need it for school, but if you don't use social media for class, this tip can help a ton!

Since I don’t use apps like these, I found a great article with some suggestions for you to eliminate those social media related distractions and boost productivity.

#11: Have Separate Login Accounts On Your Computer For Leisure & School

The next productivity tip is from this video by college lifestyle YouTuber Keegan Acton.

She recommends having separate login accounts for school and for your free time.

This is totally genius and I wish I had found her video sooner! This is also a fantastic way to promote a healthy work-life balance and separation of school and relaxation.

On your school account, only have apps, bookmarks, files, and tabs open that relate to class.

On your leisure account, try not to have or do anything school-related.

Have fun with this account and personalize it so it’s decorated in a fun and relaxing way that showcases your personality!

Watch Keegan’s video where she talks about this:

#12: Place Your Phone Out Of Reach While You Work

My final productivity tip for college students is something that has helped me a ton.

I love my phone, but it is probably my biggest distraction! If you can relate, try placing your phone out of reach while you study.

You can put it across the room, or even out of sight and in a different part of the apartment if that's what works for you.

Outro & Closing Thoughts

I'm ending this blog post on productivity with a message that may seem counterproductive, but it’s equally, if not more important:

Remember to rest, take a break, and place your mental health at the top of your priority list.

Try to remember that you're only human, you’re not a robot, and there’s only so much you can get done in one day.

Taking regular breaks will leave you feeling recharged, refreshed, more motivated, and you’ll be even more productive in the long run.

But remember: your value as a person is not determined by how productive you are.

Being productive is great, but life is all about balance, so try to balance being productive with regular periods of rest and acts of self-care.

Thanks for reading “How To Be Productive In College (12 MUST KNOW Hacks For Busy Students!)”

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How To Be Productive In College (12 MUST-KNOW Hacks For Busy Students!)