Finding it hard to study!

Hogzy

Hey guys, Dont know where else to post this,

Anyways,
Currently studying for my FE1 Law exams and im having serious trouble studying. At the mo my routine is this,

Go to bed for around 11, Usually have the lamp off by 12 and fall asleep.
Get up for 8 have breakfast and shower
Start Studying at 9
Take 10min breaks roughly every hour and a half then take a lunch break at 1 till 2.

My problem is, after my lunch when i go back to study i seem to loose my drive. And i usually end up being so tired by 4pm that i just cant go on.
In the past i have used this routine and iv been able to study until 7 or 8 at night taking a 1hr lunch break and 1.5 hr dinner break and small breaks every hour or so. Now i cant do this anymore. Its really hampering my study.

What im thinking is that it might be the lighting in the room (Dark but i have a lamp on my desk that gives me light and im next to a window). Im getting enough sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.
I just dont understand why im getting so tired by 4pm!

Any help or suggestions GREATLY appreciated!

Hogzy

OrlaOrla

Hi tried to post a reply earlier but think something went wrong.

Have you considered what you are eating for lunch, eg red meat,dairy and bananas will all produce an amino acid called tryptophan I think its called and this will stimulate the production of a hormone called melatonin which regulates your body clock and can make you sleepy(production is also stimulated when it gets dark) so the fact that it gets dark early here at the moment could also have a part to play. Consider getting yourself a light therapy lamp which will simulate the effect of sunrise in the morning and stimulate your body to produce cortisol(another hormone which will promote alertness amongst other things).

Have a think about doing a bit of exercise once a day which will energise you,get a multivitamin and if you don't resolve this I would see a doctor. Best of luck and I hope it works out for you!

Hogzy

Thanks Orla,
It could be the natural lighting alright, although iv studied in the same room with the same lighting conditions for the past 3 years around this time of year and no probs.

Might pay a visit to the doctor and see if there is anything i can do! Time is precious!

Jo King

You are not getting enough sleep. The best thing to do is to go to bed and sleep for an hour or two after lunch. Intensive study with a lot of memory work is very tiring. You also need to excerise as well.

unattendedbag

12 hours a day of reading, memorising and studying is a huge strain on your brain. Naturally you'd be shattered at the end of it. Think of yourself as an athlete. Eat the right food during the day, get the right amount of sleep (more if necessary) and be physically fit. This way your mental fitness will increase. I know you have studied in this routine before but it may be that the content that you are studying now is more tiring on your mind.

Little Acorn

Hogzy wrote: »

Hey guys, Dont know where else to post this,

Anyways,
Currently studying for my FE1 Law exams and im having serious trouble studying. At the mo my routine is this,

Go to bed for around 11, Usually have the lamp off by 12 and fall asleep.
Get up for 8 have breakfast and shower
Start Studying at 9
Take 10min breaks roughly every hour and a half then take a lunch break at 1 till 2.

My problem is, after my lunch when i go back to study i seem to loose my drive. And i usually end up being so tired by 4pm that i just cant go on.
In the past i have used this routine and iv been able to study until 7 or 8 at night taking a 1hr lunch break and 1.5 hr dinner break and small breaks every hour or so. Now i cant do this anymore. Its really hampering my study.

What im thinking is that it might be the lighting in the room (Dark but i have a lamp on my desk that gives me light and im next to a window). Im getting enough sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.
I just dont understand why im getting so tired by 4pm!

Any help or suggestions GREATLY appreciated!

Hogzy

I think that just to rule anything else out,and avoid the risk of possibly missing something,I would advise you to have a checkup done with your doctor,and get your blood tested for thyroid,iron, and vitamin levels(especially vitamin b12) etc.-even if it just to leave your mind at ease it will be worth it.
I have a friend who was always getting tired easily and has to get vitb12 injections.
You could be anaemic lacking iron, or b12, or possibly folic acid.(more likely to cause anaemia in pregnancy)

I agree with OrlaOrla that it may also be the foods that you are eating that are causing you to lose energy. Could try adjusting/trying new things to see if it makes a difference.

I always find that fresh air wakes me up. Try a brief walk after dinner-maybe 20 mins or so,usually works for me.

As you are doing such a huge amount of studying,I would suggest considering a "cat nap" in the afternoon. I've heard before that sometimes a 20-30 minute nap,can recharge your energy far better than a long nap.

We were always taught in school and college that you shouldn't spend your whole day studying,as it's been found to be less effective than taking regular breaks to stimulate your mind in some other ways.
We were always told to take the time to watch our favourite programme,or spend hour at sport or hobby, or meet friends for even just an hour etc.(all in between studying-not just after)
I think my brain would just get very bored and tired if it was studying the same subject from morning until night,and would probably just refuse to function well!:-)-You could still maintain similar amount of time to studying,just spread it out a bit more,and still be in bed by 11.

You sound very dedicated and hard working,so I hope some of the advice in this thread helps.Good luck!:)

(If all else fails,try "Cup a Soup" to beat that 3pm slump:
http://cupasoup.com/documents/MrCliche_30.wmv
-just kidding,love those ads,and the one with "mr.busy guy"
http://cupasoup.com/documents/FakeBusy_30.wmv

LegacyUser

ive recently studied for 2 different courses. The first course i studied all day, taking breaks like yourself but was still knackered. Studying like that can be so mentally tiring.
For the second course, i decided to make sure i got some fresh air every day. I know it feels like wasted time, but i felt so refreshed afterwards, my brain less foggy and i also slept better.

Recent research shows that running can even improve brain power.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7022900/Running-could-help-jog-memory-and-help-brain-grow-says-Cambridge-study.html

I went jogging, but even a brisk walk would do you the world of good.

cafecolour

I've read that the 'afternoon lull' - ie 2-4 in the afternoon when you feel sleepy, is actually a normal part of our biological clock. Ie we're almost designed to nap.

So nap. Set an alarm so its only a 20-30 minute nap at most (longer than that and you'll go into deep sleep and just feel groggier).

Then do a short burst of exercise - a 20 minute jog or brisk walk, or, my favorite - a three set rotation of body weight squats/press-ups/sit-ups - ie do about 10-15 of each, wait 30 seconds, repeat again. Do three sets of those and your brain will be active again.

Also every hour of two make sure you take 5 minutes and do some quick stretching.

Hogzy

Greatly appriciate all im getting above guys... I really do.

Think im going to 'experiment' with different routines, Im gonna take the dog for a walk in half an hour or so today and see if that reboots me some bit. If its a no go then tomorrow i might take a 1.5hr lunch break, sleep for 45 mins after i have my lunch then only take an hour dinner break. I rarely do much after dinner just 'tighten loose nuts and bolts', with my days work if ya know what i mean.

Gonna pay a visit to the pharmacy tonight and pick up some vitamin tablets aswell. I know im not getting enough vitamins in my diet, i just cant be with what im eating. Im finding it tough to eat healthy food as i try to cook quick stuff to give me more down time during my breaks.
Gonna leave a window open in the room aswell just to keep the air circulating. Unfortunately i dont have time to go to the doctor this week but im going to try and make an appointment for next week sometime.

Hopefully ill be able to cut out the cups of coffee aswell. Hate having to rely on caffeine to stay alert. Jesus another 7 weeks of this. AM I MAD!

Cheers guys for the advice

Peggypeg

Hey,

Really just wanted to say WELL DONE! I mean wow, that is a hell of a lot of study! I studied Media Law last year as part of my degree and that one module was enough to have me in tears so I can only imagine how much harder it is if Law is all your studying. So yeah WELL DONE sweetie. And don't worry too much about feeling a bit groggy in the afternoons, I usually feel like that after lunch, especially if I eat alot.

Good luck with the exams!

sunnyside

Are you doing all 8 exams?

Hogzy

Peggypeg wrote: »

Good luck with the exams!

Thanks, Its not oo bad, I did law as my undergrad so it all clicks. Studying first time round was a pain though

sunnyside wrote: »

Are you doing all 8 exams?

No just doing 4, Constitutional, Tort, EU and Criminal. Stupidly picked the 3 largest subjects to do, Bad advice from the faculty staff at my last college.
Feeling extremely bogged down now!

sunnyside

Hogzy wrote: »

Thanks, Its not oo bad, I did law as my undergrad so it all clicks. Studying first time round was a pain though



No just doing 4, Constitutional, Tort, EU and Criminal. Stupidly picked the 3 largest subjects to do, Bad advice from the faculty staff at my last college.
Feeling extremely bogged down now!

I couldn't study full time.

From my experience some days I just can't study, there's no point trying to fight it, you won't take anything in. Just leave it for a while, leave the house, go into town, have a coffee, go to the cinema....There will be other days when you get twice what you had hoped done.

Bonito

1. Increase air circulation in study area.
2. Have water to sip on.
3. Foods like grapes, bananas, red meat to keep levels steady and peaked so you have full attention.
4. When you hit the slump don't fight it off, you need a rest.
5. Your body actually sleeps in intervals of an hour and a half then resets so if you can afford an hour and a half nap during the day you'll wake as fresh as a daisy rather than waking up groggy from the middle of a "sleep interval"
6. Make sure study positions are comfortable and not working against your body's natural postures.