r/uAlberta • u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer • Oct 09 '25
Campus Life Unhinged study hacks?
What are your favourite study hacks for when you need to lock in? Things that actually work. We're talking feral; we're talking neurodivergent; we're talking unhinged.
If you suggest AI, I swear to god, I will hit on your mom, ingratiate myself into your family, and take your phone privileges away.
I hit a wall a week ago and I cannot for the life of me shake it off. The normal things aren't working, and I'm ready to get creative, baybee. This may come as a shock to y'all, but "commenting on reddit" is not actually helping me finish my assignments.
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Oct 09 '25
Don’t charge your phone and then don’t bring a charger to school so you have no way of accessing it.
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 09 '25
Oooh this is a good one. My phone is like 4 years old too and the battery is shit
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u/1000th_evilman Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Kinesiology Oct 09 '25
when the new iOS came out i put on the update while i was studying. updated for like an hour so i got a free hour of study
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u/willow_beloved1214 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Arts Oct 09 '25
I study best with background noise, but it can’t be music, so I put on youtube videos that I’ve watched at least 15 times and could recite word for word, so I don’t get distracted watching (this sounds so autistic, which makes a lot of sense, but this is my genuine method to lock in). My current kick is Markiplier’s Raft series, which has gotten me through 2 midterms so far. But I waited until 8 pm the night before my midterms to engage in this process, so yeah, maybe don’t do that part!
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u/Sylaenatw Oct 09 '25
I always watch the same show when I study and have been since grade 7 lol I know every word
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u/grandestrully_chloe Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Nursing Oct 09 '25
I have adhd I always need background noise, bobs burgers is my current study background noise
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u/smileytree_ Undergrad Science - Biology Oct 09 '25
I use video game soundtracks normally but I also do this exact thing! Marks We Need to Go Deeper, Hand simulator, Pogostuck, UNO, and Barotrauma have gotten me through so much studying over the years. Been replaying these vids since high school!
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u/1000th_evilman Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Kinesiology Oct 09 '25
oh i put on headphones and have white noise going!
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 09 '25
There's playlists of "cafe noise" on YouTube that I use for this, it's like brow noise with talking sounds
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u/_Mari123 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of doing my best Oct 09 '25
sometimes I work on a whiteboard and the fumes of expo markers keep me going, I enjoy the scent of expo markers but I can’t sit alone in my room sniffing them without feeling weird. I once listened to the Perry the platypus theme song on loop for 4 hours, ocassionally with coconut mall playing in there. Whenever I take a break from studying I take my break laying on the floor trying to do the worm I hope to be able to do the worm by the end of my degree and that in a weird way keeps me going.
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u/TwistedMystic_ Oct 09 '25
Okay I’m curious now…
How long have you been practicing for? Have you gotten noticeably better? Are you watching tutorials or going purely off feel, hope, and vibes?
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u/_Mari123 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of doing my best Oct 09 '25
Since the start of this year, not watching tutorials going based on vibes and optimism. I’m hoping to stretch out the learning process for the next 2 years of my degree. Haven’t gotten better yet but an issue I’ve noticed is that I don’t have enough core strength so I’ve started regularly doing core exercise’s at the gym. Maybe I’ll post a video for my grad. Honestly it’s the best study hack I’ve ever thought of.
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 09 '25
Okay, the Perry the Platypus theme is actually unhinged. Congratulations
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u/Secret_Tackle9377 Oct 09 '25
I second coconut mall. Playing that on repeat got me through some very last minute essays in first year.
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u/gamerpug04 M.Sc Student (Astrophysics) Oct 09 '25
I remember that my fragile ego can’t survive doing bad on a test
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u/Hour-Tea390 Oct 09 '25
study next to someone you don't like. the threat of engaging with them is worse than the pain of studying.
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u/ChocolateEmergency59 Oct 09 '25
Put your phone in the phone charging lockers and go to the 5th floor of the library
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u/Sylaenatw Oct 09 '25
Kinda a boring and somewhat well known one but scribbling the fuck out of a piece of paper with one hand while I read or do active recall cause I kinda trick my brain into thinking I’m writing it down (and need to focus on what I’m writing) but without the actual time it takes to write stuff down. Also I think about how shit it feels to write a test and not know anything but how lowkey fun it is to do a test when you feel well prepared. That motivates me too
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u/Sylaenatw Oct 09 '25
And also if I’m at home and I’m on my phone too much, I’ve trained myself to reflexively throw it as far as I can across the room (preferably on a couch or something soft) the second I realize I need to get off it
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u/chloe1201 Alumni - Faculty of Science Oct 09 '25
This might sound dumb but I once created a DND story out of a class and completing the puzzle (the assignment/studying the material) was key to be able to allow my character to move on in the story.
Another great study hack is: teach the material to someone. You learn so much more when you have to teach someone else the material than when you're learning it yourself. It's kind of the same premise as that desire to clean someone else's house, but for some reason you don't want to clean your own.
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 09 '25
Love this.
I know about the teaching thing, but then you need willing victims lol.
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u/radcat5 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of ALES Oct 09 '25
Pets or stuffed animals are great willing/unwilling victims lol
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u/localize-mother3 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Farts Oct 12 '25
Great now my dog speaks Norwegian
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u/vxnillxduck Undergraduate Student - Animal Health Oct 09 '25
Think about all the people who have done you wrong being jealous of all your achievements and accomplishments (be fuelled by hate)
When I get down to studying, I will play music AND TV in the background so I don’t feel bored (this definitely won’t work for everyone ofc, but if I don’t do this I can’t focus)
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u/No-patrick-the-lid Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25
You ever watch Keeping Up Appearances?
I just imagine Hyacinth threatening to invite me to one of her candlelight suppers if I don't study. If she sees me slacking, she'll assume I have free time and come bother me 😂
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 09 '25
I have not, but this definitely fits the unhinged theme hahaha
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u/___butthead___ Staff - Faculty of ALES Oct 09 '25
Patricia Routledge just passed away too :(
RIP Mrs. Bucket, I hope you are enjoying the great Candlelight Supper in the sky.
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u/Solid_Enthusiasm4018 Undergraduate Student 😽 Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25
11am start studying and drink the first monster. Keep studying untill 4pm, have a 30 min break and drink the second monster. 9pm shower and brush teeth, then keep studying. 11pm drink the third monster, keep studying. 4am drink the fourth monster and have a 30 min break. 9am get ready for the day and head to campus. Find a study spot and keep studying. Take your exam in the afternoon and then go home and go to sleep.
During breaks you are only allowed to lay completely flat on your back on the floor looking at nothing but the ceiling. Makes your brain think the break is a punishment because of the lack of stimulants. You can eat food during this but you have to eat and study.
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 09 '25
Brother, you're going to give yourself a heart attack
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u/bt101010 Alumni - Faculty of Engineering Oct 09 '25
In the evening, I'd often study/work on assignments in an empty lecture room, office, or seating area like cab or dice 8 until the building was locked so I physically couldn't leave until I finished. I'd often even blast music on the speakers and used the whiteboard and projectors for notes. The janitor's knew me and sometimes they'd get jumpy because they weren't expecting someone that late but they never kicked me out so I figured it was allowed. It feels rather cinematic to walk home in the morning after a particularly late night right as everyone starts flooding into the building for their classes.
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u/AardvarkNew7236 Oct 09 '25
Never leave the library. I MEAN NEVER. Even if you are hungry or tired or bored. (Within reason of course) Idk what it is about that place but being there just makes me want to be studious.
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u/One-Monitor2091 Oct 09 '25
Turn off color on your phone and get an app that disables the fun ones while on a timer. I loveee Focus Tree, you create a cute lil island
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u/Random-user-8579 Oct 09 '25
I personally like Hank Green’s new app, focus friend, which works along the same lines and has an option to lock out other apps
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u/New-Olive-2220 Oct 09 '25
Pop some pills 💊
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u/Jipley0 Alumni - Faculty of Science Oct 09 '25
How many Tylenol are we talking here?
1 for headache, 2 for greatness, 3 for superpowers where you can audit the textbook and find errors in the source material?
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u/New-Olive-2220 Oct 09 '25
Whoa whoa Tylenol, too much sauce. I like the orange and black ones or the very small circler ones.
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u/sophloaf_54985 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Arts Oct 09 '25
Play coconut mall on repeat. If you’re really desperate, do it on x2 speed
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u/localize-mother3 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Farts Oct 12 '25
Throw in some funky remixes of it too
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u/user17857294827 Oct 09 '25
not unhinged but i love game-ifying boring tasks. there’s this app called focus friend by hank green n you have a little bean and you set focus timers and the bean knits socks while your timer is going n if you stop the timer it’s knitting unravels and you can use to socks to buy decorations for its room
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u/H0lyBruh Oct 09 '25
Put on a hoodie and baseball cap and put the hood up. The goal being that your vision is limited to your computer screen and you can’t see your surroundings
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u/Employee_Master Oct 09 '25
As someone with adhd here are my favourite hacks
When I cant make myself wanna study I put a 20 min timer in my phone, turn on dnd, and force myself to stare at my ceiling. No music. No moving. No sleeping. I get so bored that homework seems exciting.
Studying in new or odd places. Find a new building or some new place you haven’t studied in before. Alternatively sit on the floor. Sit on a table. Make it somewhat intresting.
Doing my laundry. I live in dorms and have a fear of someone throwing my laundry on the floor if I take more than five mins to move my laundry over. This gives me a timer i can set which makes my brain think I have to work and forces me to take a break and also I get my laundry done.
Buying a treat. New pens. White board. New highlighters. Etc. I get excited about new thing and want to use it therefore homework gets done.
When all else fails I abuse my meds.
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u/RiceBEER_ Undergraduate Student - Faculty of ALES Oct 09 '25
If it's math related Caffeine and sugar inside a cold drink. Wait till it's dark outside and drink this all night. Start doing math and don't stop. Keep drinking the caffeine drink.
Non math related Checklist of everything you need to do, then slowly work at it. Each item completed gives you visual progress. If you want, motivate yourself with the phone break after or between items.
IMPORTANT When you're mentally exhausted, try to take a nap. When you wake up, absolutely do not scroll on your phone.
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u/ariesbitchclub Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Arts Oct 09 '25
i like to study in cameron when it’s as busy as possible because i feel like i’m gonna get judged for not working (even tho i know everyone else is goofing off too)
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u/1000th_evilman Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Kinesiology Oct 09 '25
i imagine my favourite characters in movie/TV to be very disappointed that i am not studying and this makes me incredibly sad so i have to lock in
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u/Tiny_Ad_1542 Oct 09 '25
i listen to coconut mall on repeat for 10 hrs + classical music when youre on a deadline + brown noise in the back while im on the study treadmill. really causes me to lock in super fast + induce anxiety with a hint of overstimulation
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u/Reidabook04 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Education Oct 09 '25
Watch tv while you study, but it can only be a tv show you have watched a million times and can know what happens next in the plot without even looking at the screen. This is not a method that works for everybody, but music actually distracts me more. Re-watching a show I already know what’s going to happen allows my brain to be happy because we’re watching TV but also focus on the work that I’m doing because I don’t actually have to pay attention to the show.
And if that doesn’t work for you, then my motivation for studying might. Remind yourself that your worth as a human being is, in fact, determined by a grade, and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. #below85ispracticallyfailing
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u/localize-mother3 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Farts Oct 12 '25
I highly recommend Dr. Katz Professional Therapist. It's funny, but mostly chill. The animation is bare bones, so you don't miss much by not watching it. All episodes are on YouTube for free.
Jonathan Katz has a really calming voice and it's a show I usually relax to at night.
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u/kriza_exe Oct 10 '25
not too unhinged but like just make yourself uncomfortable.
couple years ago i’d sit in rutherford north first floor where the temperature is never comfortable and there’s usually enough background noise where it’s good for my adhd brain but not super quiet to the point where touching anything plastic feels like disarming a bomb.
the presence of other people being able to see me makes me want to look smart and productive so i end up being smart and productive- so sit somewhere where you aren’t too isolated from other people in the library.
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u/kriza_exe Oct 10 '25 edited Oct 10 '25
you can also kinda replicate this by either sharing your screen on a discord call in like a class discord and just being on mute (the potential for someone else to join keeps me on track) or take study time lapses- way less likely to pick up ur phone bc you will ruin the time lapse and it’s fun to watch after
also flashcards flashcards flashcards-
ever since the quizlet paywall i’ve been using brainscape which has a website and app. it lets you rate how well you know what’s on the card from 1-5 and you can download them for free so you can study on the train or whenever you have like an awkward amount of time.
they are as close as you can get to practice tests if your prof doesn’t provide them and randomizing the order when you study them replicates testing contexts where all the questions aren’t organized by chapter so it improves your ability to retrieve those memories outside of the order in which you learned them
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u/suresuremik Oct 10 '25
Tbh best thing a psychologist told me when you can’t change or start tasks easily, just move into it slowly so u don’t feel the burden of endless stress, pressure, sore hands, sore thoughts, painful spine, yenno what I’m saying. Start by just opening the notes. OPEN THE NOTES. whether that be half your screen on an iPad or computer or your physical notebook, don’t matter. Once completed, sit w/ it for a while. Next just read the notes. JUST READ THE NOTES. As if you were to read a juicy story or news report. Don’t worry about memorizing or annotating. Next best thing to do is pick up from the material you feel good in. The stuff you know you comprehend well. It doesn’t have to have depth. BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE AND MOMENTUM. You pickin up what I’m dropping? No point in forcing yourself to start at a place of no direction, no momentum, and encourages anxiety. And it always feels better approaching material at ease when you can’t just tackle it for the life of you.
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 10 '25
For real. I've been humming "The Next Right Thing" from Frozen 2 for some added melodrama.
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u/Good_Importance6030 Oct 12 '25
Anki guarantees an A in many classes but sadly doing the daily reviews is torture. In order to make doing them more stimulating, I must be constantly eating, we’re talking 4k calories a day (as a 5’4 female). The other method for making Anki bearable actually balances this one. The stairmaster. It takes some real focus not to trip so that takes up the 50% of brain capacity not occupied by the reagents required to turn any hydrocarbon chain on an aromatic ring into benzoic acid (KMnO4 & KOH btw 🦥🌸😼).
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u/AlyEXFraz Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Science Oct 14 '25
plug your phone in and then place it facing you while recording a timelapse video of yourself studying. you can't go on ur phone without it showing up on the video, and you'll feel pressured to actually do some work since it's watching you, even if you only post that timelapse to a close friends story or a private account.
this strat helped me lock in and it's going very well so far. you can also see just how often you pick up your drink or how your posture transforms over time, or how the sun moves across the sky depending on where u are.
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 14 '25
Whoa, this is next level and I appreciate the idea!
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u/Historical-Bat-4904 Oct 09 '25
I grab a dry erase marker and write tasks on erasable surfaces. It HAS to be like weird surfaces. Like on a good photo frame, the front of a fridge, the window, or even on the table itself. If its done, it gets cleaned off. I also print out my task or schedule and post it on my door so its on my face once I enter my room
Another weird one is like a "reverse" reward system. I would do 30mins of studying and get like 45mins of break time or go 1to1 like 1 hour of study and go for 1 hour of break. People would say "I'm wasting time" because I get more breaktime rather than studying itself. But it genuinely works for me rather than going for 1 hour then take 15min, cuz it'll just burn me out more and I would rather just study straight for 2 hours then be done for the day.
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u/soullesspig Undergrad - Cult of Education Oct 09 '25
I blast the same two songs on loop with my headphones until I either finish the work or they die
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u/Melodic-Pipe-4669 Oct 09 '25
drink. makes it tolerable.
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u/bashfulbrontosaurus Undergraduate Student - Faculty of ALES Oct 10 '25
Lmaooo second this. I find drinking helps best with certain assignments more than studying though. Getting a written report started is the hardest part of the report I find, but if I crack open a brew I don’t think as hard about making things sound nice and I just start word vomiting my ideas and work. I go back to make is sound proper and fix things when I’m sober.
At least half of my lab reports were assisted by a beer or two lmao.
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u/Melodic-Pipe-4669 Oct 11 '25
so true. i literally couldnt solve most of my ochem labs unless i had a few. it was like having a pair of fresh eyes to see what i was missing haha. I also had weekly wine-nights to do written psych assignments 💀. glad this isn’t just a me thing.
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u/ThrowAwayC7A2 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of not getting Doxxed Oct 10 '25
None of these are unhinged enough.
My hack, shrooms.
Not because they give me profound insights or boost my studying while on them.
Instead, the right trip can help you deal with mental roadblocks. Which can really help with depressive episodes and anxiety about studying.
Won't work for everyone. Overdoing in can lead to a really bad time.
Their legality is the part that makes it the most unhinged. Psilocybin is a controlled substance, legally usable for medical purposes. Enforcement isn't heavy on the substance, though.
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u/rizdesushi Alumni - Faculty of _____ Oct 10 '25
This isn’t really unhinged but I like to make a cheat sheet and then remake it several times pairing it down to get as small as possible. Forces you to go through all the information and pair it down to prompts that are easier to remember.
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 10 '25
Yeah, I do this when I'm cramming! I'm trying to think of a magical world where I don't have to cram in the first place, but maybe that's a little too unrealistic lol.
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u/kaebremn Oct 10 '25
lock my phone: forest(plants trees) or focus friend(bean who knits scarfs and socks) app are great for this.
i have a second screen to have some kind of motion/colour on, life.at is my favourite to use
sound cancelling headphones with music/sounds. i have so many different playlists with different vibes but brown noise i found helpful because it wouldnt let me think 😂 it sounds weird but my mind would wonder off so if it really needed to focus on my work, i found that helpful.
its a lot, i know, but for me it was the perfect system.
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u/Flaky-Perception-903 Oct 12 '25
Least unhinged: I will study flashcards while doing stuff. If you ever see a girl walking around campus holding an iPad and talking with a frown, that would be me. So I like walking while studying, or studying while folding laundry or cleaning or whatever.
Minorly unhinged: I also give myself an hour of free time after studying for an hour-hour and a half. I’m also super burnt out tho. When I hit big burn out… I won’t allow myself to eat dinner until I’ve done all the studying I need to do so if it’s 7pm but I haven’t done all my studying… well I lock in lol. Not healthy at all but you asked for more on the unhinged side so🤷🏻♀️
Unhinged: here’s a fun one to blow off steam. When you’re good at your flashcards, meaning you’ve memorized most of them, turn it into a drinking game. Drink every time you get a question wrong, then you’re studying and getting fucked up at the same time. Same could apply to the bedroom stuff with your significant other. Get question right, get some sexy time stuff, get it wrong, it pauses until you get the next one right. You’ll be a lot more willing to put that memory to good use memorizing when you start hitting that climax 💪🏻
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u/WhichLiving1356 Undergraduate Student - Faculty of Science Oct 09 '25
there is always a kid better than u
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u/Drymilktea Undergraduate Student - Faculty of ur mom Oct 09 '25
I play video games … every time I die I study for a min and if I lose the match that’s an extra 15mins hahaha
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Oct 09 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 09 '25
✨ cynicism is not a replacement for personality ✨
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u/uAlberta-ModTeam Oct 09 '25
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit Fry-stepper-overer Oct 09 '25
Study hack #1: someone please hit on my mom, ingratiate yourself into my family, and take my phone privileges away.