A focused individual engaged in self-study as part of an effective CAT preparation strategy.

With the new CAT Prep year beginning, a lot of you must be thinking about short- and long-term courses for your CAT preparation strategy. Maybe you’re thinking of enrolling in online CAT coaching classes or wondering if you can go it alone with some diligent self-study. 

Before we move on to self-study tips, if you haven’t already, take out a couple of minutes and have a look at Takshzila’s wide variety of CAT preparation online courses, designed keeping in mind each student’s learning style. If you have questions regarding online CAT classes, self-study material, sectional test series and Live online classes, don’t hesitate to write to us. 

Now, on to the main topic for today – how do you build study habits that can sustain for a long time? Between college studies, project work, professional work, internships and personal life, it can be hard to accommodate studying, that too for a specific, timed goal. 

Well, where there is a problem, there is also a solution nearby. Let’s have a look at these self-study tips below and find something that works for you

1. Eliminate Distractions

You might read the word ‘distraction’ and straight away think of your phone. Surprisingly, it is not the only distraction you need to fight against. Studies show that aside from your phone or social media to be precise, there are actually quite a few more elements that directly impact your focus and concentration. In the order of importance, these are – 

  • Social media – any little ping on your phone, even if it’s non-social media related, will prompt you to pick up the phone and you will most likely check one or two apps before (and if) you put the phone down. Airplane mode to the rescue.  
  • Family & Friends – they might not mean to, but even a little pop around the door to ask what you’re doing or what you want for dinner can  break the flow. Informing your cohabitants to avoid disturbing you for a period of time usually helps. 
  • Sports and hobbies – your favourite team has a match? Well, there goes your concentration! Instead of anticipating the match and avoiding study, why don’t you look at the match as a reward for studying? 
  • Disorganisation – without realising it, sometimes a messy room, a cluttered desk or even an unkempt appearance can cause disruption. Check if you prefer neat and clean spaces or a slightly messier surrounding for an optimal study environment. 
  • Being hungry – hunger and thirst are great motivators for distraction. Protein-rich snacks, a glass of fresh water and similar light but energising snacks go a long way in maintaining focus. 
  • Noise – just like unorganised spaces, noises, especially those that are unwelcome and/or out of your control can hamper concentration. Invest in good quality noise cancellation headphones to avoid this. 
  • Anxiety – not a lot of us pay attention to our mental fitness while studying. Burdening our mind with a lot of information can be stressful, and can also lead to longer phases of anxiety. Speaking to a mental health expert can help you figure out the best way through. 

2. Engage With the Material

Study material can take many forms – practice questions, theory and notes, test series and so much more. As you start getting into your routine, see where you do your best work, and make a conscious engagement with that type of study material more. Luckily, today, you have a great range of mock test series, online live classes, self-study videos and other brilliant resources to rely upon. So, you can literally choose your style of study and find a support system around it. 

3. Space Out Your Studying

Often aspirants don’t realise that statistically, a 40-minute focused study time is more efficient than pulling an all-nighter. Instead of blocking hours upon hours of your days and getting exhausted in the process, choose the time you can study your best and block that. This can be multiple times a day, as long as your efficacy remains similar. 

4. Eat Smart Snacks

Just like we said in the ‘distractions’ section above, hunger can be a deterrent to smart studying. Solution? Smart snacks. Look into when you experience an energy slump, and replace heavy snacks with too much carbs/fats with those that contain fibre and protein. There is no shortage of such snacks today. And remember, fresh fruit is the best snack out there, it’s available all season and is more affordable and more nutritious than any processed snack you can find. 

5. Find the Light

You know how during winters your mood dips? It’s because days are shorter, generally darker and greyer. The same applies to indoor and outdoor spaces. Direct daylight plays a significant role in keeping our energies up and our attention focused. Find a spot that can give you ample light to study, or light your space up with warm, glowing lamps if you prefer studying at night. 

6. Try Out Different Environments

Speaking of spaces, the study desk is not an island. For most of you, family homes, PG accommodations and other similar set-ups would be home. In that space shared with others, creating a small corner that is just yours is great. But if not, then keep trying places indoors and outdoors that feel good for studying. This can be a café, a balcony or a terrace, a spot in your house or at the library. Don’t be afraid to try many places and even change up the environment every once in a while. 

7. Exercise Before Studying

By this we don’t mean put in a full HIIT set or drop down and give us 20. Instead, we mean stretching for 7-8 minutes, doing beginner level yogasana or just some aerobic-style movement to get the blood pumping. The adrenaline+dopamine burst you will get from this 8-10 minute movement will last you an hour or so in full-focus studying. Try it! 

8. Get Enough Sleep

Goes without saying that with all of the above, the key element that is present is rest. Adequate, relaxing, energising and restoring sleep – there is nothing quite like it. Give yourself a routine for bedtime, including going to sleep at the same time every day, waking up around the same time, and, here’s a secret, allowing yourself to indulge in short naps during the day. Punishing yourself by not allowing naps and then ending up not doing much else, is so much worse than just taking a short nap and waking up happier and refreshed. If your body is asking for rest, it needs to rest. 

We hope that these tips and ideas brought you some comfort and some insight into the crucial task of designing a self-study schedule. Start incorporating some of these into your study plans and gradually, you will see that some or more of these ideas are meant just for you! 

For more such articles, check out our blog that is updated every two weeks. And to find out how we can help you achieve your CAT 2024 goals in different ways, give us a ‘hi’ on our socials, or simply write to us at hello@takshzila.com.