Dear Students,
Welcome back! I hope spring break offered you a chance to have some fun and recharge. As we dive back in and work to finish the semester strong, I'll share with you a strategy that might help you get on a more consistent study schedule, if you ever struggle with that.
A habit change can start with something small. I completely changed my approach to fitness several years ago when I read about research showing that just a few minutes of exercise per day can have profound positive effects on your health. I used to think that exercise required going for a grueling run or spending an hour at the gym. Knowing smaller doses of exercise can have a meaningful effect helped me get into the habit of finding at least a few minutes to exercise, even when I'm busy or tired.
This bite-sized approach can be applied in other domains as well—like school work. Short study sessions can be very useful, especially if you do them regularly. And it's a lot easier to find the time and the energy for a bite-sized study session than a long one. These bite-sized sessions can also be a good way to trick yourself into doing work you don't feel like doing. Tell yourself you're going to work for 3 minutes. It's easy to get started if you think you'll only be working for 3 minutes. More often than not, after 3 minutes you'll realize the work's not so bad, and you'll decide to keep going.
Don't get me wrong – you're not going to make the Big 12 Champion Longhorn Basketball Team if you're only practicing a few minutes a day. And your classes will usually require more than a few minutes of work per day. That said, small efforts that are regular and sustained over time can have big payoffs.
Best,
Dr. Drew
Joke: The optimist sees the glass as half full. The pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The chemist sees the glass as completely full: half in the liquid state and half in the gaseous state.
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