The 5 weirdest study tips which will actually help you concentrate this semester

Christmas and exams are over, and it has now dawned on us that lectures and seminars are an actual thing again. Unfortunately, this means reading, essays and assignments, some of which we should probably actually do. At the moment, doing any work may seem like a massive ball ache; however the following tips may make concentrating and getting it done that lil bit easier.

1: Listen to Garage

Usually, when one thinks about how music can trigger concentration, it is often assumed that genres such as heavy techno or classical would be the most appropriate. However, according to a study done on 118 High School students in the US, UK Garage was the genre that induced the highest levels of concentration. Interestingly, however, Garage only worked for those students who considered themselves to be extroverted whereas those who believed themselves to be introverted, preferred complete silence. That said, it's a good excuse to listen to Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude on loop for 3 hours and not be judged.

2: Wear the clothes that smart people wear

This one takes a bit more balls. As stated in a study done for the Journal of Social Psychology, wearing clothes which people associate with intelligence, such as a lab coat, can induce concentration. Not only that but wearing a lab coat can also make you more meticulous in your work, so not only are you concentrating longer but also, apparently, producing better work. Although this one is not for the faint-hearted, I imagine with the amount of funky clothing being seen in Eddy B these days, some people would probably think a lab coat was relatively fashion forward.

3: Watch YouTube videos of other people being productive

This one may seem a little counter-intuitive, considering watching YouTube videos is more commonly associated with procrastination. However, from personal experience, I can actually vouch that this one works. In recent years there has been a growth of YouTubers who specialise in 'Study With Me' videos, where they film themselves doing a full day of work, while simultaneously providing study tips and explaining what they are doing. Since it would be incredibly tedious to watch an 8-hour video of someone just working, the videos are all sped up, and the extra info is provided through voice-overs. I don't know why, but watching other people be super productive just triggers you to want to do exactly the same. See below for one for one of my personal favourites.

4: Wiggle yo' toes

According to science, if you train yourself to associate a movement with a subsequent action, doing said movement at any time can automatically induce said action. Therefore, it has been suggested that if you wiggle your toes every time you feel yourself drifting out of concentration, your brain will be trained, so that in the future if you wiggle your toes, the focus will be automatically induced. And the plus side is nobody can tell you are doing it – unless you are one of the people who take their shoes off in the library. But don't do that. That's gross.

5: Eat some walnuts

Okay so maybe skip this one if you are allergic to nuts, but a study done in 2007 found that those who introduced walnuts into their diet are more likely to have high levels of concentration and ability to remember larger quantities of info. Apparently, walnuts can also, in some cases, even reverse the ageing of the brain, meaning you can maintain your newfound high levels of concentration for longer! Woop!

So that's me done. I hope some of these tips were interesting and useful and if they weren't, then at least I hope it was helpful for procrastination. Have a great 2nd Semester everyone – over n out.