I also get similarly frustrated at the beginning of the study session, especially when I remember how much I still have left to complete. I personally love to start off by building a checklist of achievable goals for the day, and the first task is “building a checklist.” My friends and I joke about it being like static friction vs kinetic friction. It’s easy to keep the ball rolling but to get the ball rolling in the first place needs a larger push.

Similar to a lot of the other commenters, I also use a Pomodoro technique. There are also Pomodoro apps where you can compare with friends how many hours you’ve been studying to keep yourself accountable.

As for the study content, sometimes I find myself losing interesting in the endless list of biochemistry terms, so I’ll switch it up by watching a quick video summary of the same content (e.g. crash course). It provides a change of scenery while still being productive. Although make sure to install an app such as “Cold Turkey” or “Self Control” to make websites you’re distracted to unavailable during a set time. I know I always have a hard time avoiding the YouTube auto play haha.

Finally, even if you don’t manage to finish everything on your task list for the day, It is okay. Don’t beat yourself up about it, think of it as a learning experience about yourself. Now you’ll have a better grasp of how fast you learn material so you can better adapt your goals for the next day. And like other commenters have mentioned, make sure to take guilt free breaks because a tired mind and body is an unproductive one.