Productivity Series : Part 3–3 steps to study complex and boring material
By: Anju Gopinath
Tags: Study, Productivity, Online Study, How To Study, Study Notes

Photo by Mahrael Boutros from Pexels

Note : This is Part 3 of the ‘Productivity’ series. You can also check out

the other articles from this index page(Part 0).

Studying can become extremely boring when you have to read complicated material. The worst case scenario is that you start procrastinating till the exam. And we all know how that usually turns out.

Photo by Min An from Pexels

The trick is to make it easier for your brain to study the difficult topics.

Photo by meo from Pexels

Here are a few pointers:

This is the most important point. If you are reading a complex topic(research paper/chapter of a book etc.), first, skim over the introduction, the titles, any images and the conclusion. The second stage is to start reading the first portion after the introduction.

i) If you don’t understand it , do not waste too much time simply reading and re-reading it. Find any other portion at random and read it. Repeat this over and over. But, if you are simply too bored to continue any further, leave this subject/topic and try again the next day. Meanwhile, study something else. The next day, you will find that whatever you thought was incomprehensible suddenly became much easier to understand. Repeat this over many days. Conquer the mountain little by little.

From Pixabay

ii) At the same time, find the core terms and concepts which may not be explained in the material, read more about it and make notes. Read textbooks, watch youtube videos and read any online article that you can find on the topic. Make elaborate online notes( covered in the next point). Pepper your notes with diagrams, flowcharts , videos etc. When you attack a topic from different dimensions ( in this case, different view-points) with the help of colorful and vibrant notes, your brain will soon find it very interesting.

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Over a span of many days, you will find that you can actually understand the material. This is the only trick there is to it. Any material can be simplified if you give it enough time and break it into small pieces .

The takeaway is that nobody dislikes subjects. In reality, people just haven’t spend enough time simplifying it.

2. A good file management system is very important.

Github dashboard — folders for many subjects

GitHub dashboard — resources for a particular subject

i) I maintain a GitHub repository subject-wise. Here, I store the links to all the study materials I find online. .

ii) I use Google docs for maintaining online notes for a topic I am studying . Online notes consume much less time to prepare than handwritten notes. Also, you can edit them very easily, unlike handwritten notes. All this is in addition to your class notes.

iii) You should include flowcharts in your docs wherever necessary. A visual representation with connections between different modules will stay etched in your brain and you will be able to make logic connections faster.

3. You can learn more in less time with better focus. While some people can focus without much difficulties, it is not the case for other people. In such cases, one can try out the Pomodoro technique where you study for 25 minutes and then, take a break for 5 minutes. Hence, your brain gets refreshed after every break, and your grasping power remains high.

The app I use(left). The app interface(right) — I can set multiple timers.

Above is the screenshot of the app I use. As you can see, I can set multiple timers. This is of convenience when following the Pomodoro technique.

The Note app on my phone

I also keep the ‘Note’ app open in my phone.

And if thoughts of any errands happen to pop up in my head during my 25 minute session, I make a note of it in the app. Then, I do it in the 5 minutes break or later, when I have time. Striking out the completed tasks gives a sense of satisfaction.

I also utilize the 5 minute break to write articles. I have noticed that doing a completely unrelated task, preferably a favorite hobby, gets my brain refreshed and I am all set for my next Pomodoro session.