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I’ve finally got a routine down and all my classes and extracurriculars are picking up and this semester looks like it’s gonna be a great one. My Day Designer is filled with assignments, football games, and weekend trips and I AM SO EXCITED. With all of these extracurriculars, I think it’s even harder for me to put time aside for studying which means that the time I do spend in the library, I have to make it count. So, I need to stay off my phone, clear my laptop of social media notifications, and really just be able to dive in to my school work.

So, if you’re interested in how I keep my mind on biochemistry and off of J.Crew Factory’s website, keep reading for my guide to a Rocking Study Sesh!

1. Go to SelfControl, now.

Sometimes, you need to take drastic measures when studying~ aka downloading an app that’ll keep you off of Facebook for however long you tell it even if you shut down your computer or delete the app. LOL, didn’t I say it was a bit drastic. Also, don’t get sneaky and try and take out your phone instead. I put mine in a pocket in the deep depths of my North Face book bag and make sure to zip that sucker up. Technology is a no go in the library.

2. Tunes are critical.

Your study playlists can make or break you in the library. If you’re just doing some chemistry problems or filling in a religious studies worksheet, you can opt for some lyrics and upbeat backgrounds. But, for the major study grind, I’d recommend Spotify playlists like Study Vibes and Acoustic Concentration to keep you focused and ~AWAKE~. No snoozing on my watch.

3. Time yourself and take breaks.

I’m not a Pomodoro kind of gal, but I definitely see the benefits of taking lots of breaks and switching up what you’re working on. But, I have to read 20-30 pages for each of my classes ~every class~, so switching every 25 minutes would get me no where fast. So, I’d lengthen my work times to 1-2 hours and then take a break and switch classes. Also, this is a good place for me to recommend speed reading classes your freshman year. SERIOUS LIFE SAVER. You WILL be reading a textbook in your college career and chances are it’s for the class that you don’t like at all.

4. Snacks. ALL THE SNACKS.

Okay, not ALL of the snacks. You really just need some protein packed and filling ones. My legit favorites are the Kellogg’s® Special K® Protein Bars {my go to flavor is the Strawberry one}. If you find me on campus and tell me to give you food, I will probably hand you one of these-if I haven’t eaten it already.

I am super excited to team up with Special K to talk about all of their yummy snacks. Not only am I fan of their food, but I also love the messages that they send out to women of positivity and inclusion; check out more about the brand here. I love that I can find them at basically any of the grocery stores in Chapel Hill. Kroger once again did not disappoint; I found all of my favorite Special K snacks in the same aisle.

Also, can we just talk about how this Kroger is super hip. Like this DAIRY sign is so much fun.. I’d have a photoshoot in here, right in front of the milk. LOL, not actually. I don’t think.

This protein meal bar can keep me from getting hungry for hours which is great because I won’t have to spend the time nor money on a bagel from the Union or a meal in the dining hall #expensive. I literally will find these bars everywhere: my purse, book bag, gym tote, etc. I also love that they are a healthier alternative to a candy bar!

My love for Chocolatey Special K is so real. I love to eat this for breakfast before a long day in the library or throw a cup of it in a Ziploc bag for a midday snack during hour 8 taking over a small table in my local coffee shop. Seriously, there is a snack in the lineup for everybody. I even got to try out the pastry crisps and they are perfection for knocking out that afternoon sweetness craving I know you get. Pair it with a fruit smoothie or grapes, and you’ve got the perfect brain boosting team! Find other Special K fans in the social hub here.

5. Take a study buddy.

So, here’s where I get to shout out my Phi Sig bros for taking the cloudy, depressing library experience into something I ~kinda sorta~ look forward too. NOW CAVEAT: do not take friends who love to express themselves through sound and language. We love ’em, but this isn’t play time; it’s go time. I just need a friendly face to smile back at me when I’m on hour 5 of physical chemistry reading and I still have 90 pages of history reading to do. Team work makes the dream work, am I right?

6. Schedule everything.

And I mean physically write it down or type it up. Having a schedule makes me 100x more productive. I use a little app on my Macbook called memo and leave them permanently on my home screen. It holds everything from to-dos {which I also keep on my momentum home screen}, assignment dates, and meeting times. I typically plan out a full library day in one of the squares so I stay on task. Here’s my current agenda and I promise it looks worse than it is!

You can change the colors of the text boxes. All of mine are bright neon and match my current photoshoot pic very well. I legitimately plan out my entire afternoon from when I finish class to going home and catching up on my Grey’s addiction that I’ve had to take a weekly hiatus from. Raise your hand if you’re obsessed. K good.

Essentially, I love love love being productive and getting a ton of stuff done.

So, to recap:

The library can be a scary and unforgiving environment. I’ve seen more tears here, than anywhere else on campus. But, you can rock this study sesh if you come prepared.

1. Have all of your supplies packed and ready to go before it’s time to leave.
2. Get your caffeine, or even better get a good night’s sleep.
3. Ear buds x3 packed and ready.
4. Take breaks frequently, but not excessively.
5. SNACKS ~ especially my favorites from Special K.
6. Spotify kills the study playlist game as well and check out mine here.
7. Study buddies save lives.
8. Control yo’ self when it comes to checking your twitter feed and insta follower count.
9. Put a little pressure on yourself to get stuff done. Positive stress can be good for you.
10. Have fun~ lol jk.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that you’ll be prepared for your next journey into the amazon that is your local college library! Good luck to all of you; I know that midterms are right around the corner.

How do you like to prepare for a productive and long day? Tell us on social media or down in the comments how you #NourishWhatsNext and drop by Special K’s site to check out more great products!

#NourishWhatsNext Special K at Kroger

 

xoxo,