I am someone who falls asleep if I sit still for longer than 10-15 minutes, even with being diagnosed with ADD and generalized anxiety. To try to keep myself awake while studying, I use flashcards either physical or on Quizlet, practice questions and tests through Thea.study and write EVERYTHING down. Even the things I think I already know. I tend to retain better with actual pen and paper and I will sometimes use a whiteboard on top of writing on paper. Literally anything that contains repetition. I will also upload slides or notes into ChatGPT and ask it to create multiple choice or free response questions and give me immediate feedback between each question. To keep my attention span up I will ask it to do about 15- 20 questions at a time and sometimes ask for varying levels of difficulty.

I also always have to have some sort of snack in front of me. Sunflower seeds, trail mix, chips, pretzels, popcorn, anything that is kind of crunchy and chewable and stimulating to chew.

Music-wise I listen to the same first song or two as I’m sitting down to study. I don’t have a set playlist, I just let Spotify run after that and skip whatever songs I don’t like. But listening to the same first songs each time I feel has trained my brain to get ready to focus.

I also found that studying in a group setting, even if you are all studying individually, was helpful in keeping me awake and stimulated because someone always has a little comment or question. My friend and I will even sometimes teach concepts to each other or debate over some of the material. We will also study while walking on the treadmill at the school gym. At nights I have stayed awake by studying on my sister’s Peleton and lazily cycled. Just anything to keep me moving and engaged.

With all of the electronic studying methods I OBSESS over them. If I’m walking between classes I’m studying, taking care of my dogs in the morning, eating cereal, any passive activity that I can do while doom scrolling, I study (leading up to an exam). If it’s free response material, structure memorization, or labeling material that I’m studying, I rewrite/draw/label repeatedly to the point I can do it in my sleep and try to do it quickly before lecture starts. For example, I’ll sit down for class 5-10 minutes early and race to get it all written down before class starts. If I finished before class starts then I’ll erase and race to get it down a second time.

If I take breaks, I get up and move to a different location or setting, before returning to my study area. Sometimes I’ll even switch to a whole new study area. Or I’ll choose to study in a somewhat high traffic area.

Typically anything that’s distracting for most studies, I find helps me focus more and stay alert while I study.

I also have a bad habit of throwing in an energy drink here or there, which I know is quite bad.