Intentional Study Breaks
Do you ever find it hard to get back to work after taking a break? When we feel tired or stuck during work, we often take unplanned breaks – checking our phones, and scrolling through social media. These types of breaks are difficult to come back from. Motivation may be low if we’re tired, and activities like checking social media have no clear stopping point, so it’s easy to lose track of time. Instead, take pre-planned study breaks for specific durations. For example, work for 30 minutes, then take a 5-minute break, followed by another 30-minute work session. Or work for 90 minutes, then take a 30-minute break, and repeat. Plan activities for each break that fit its duration, like eating an apple in five minutes. Remember to stay active during breaks and avoid screen time. Think of activities that will rejuvenate you. It could be something quiet and meditative, like coloring in an adult coloring book, writing in a journal, or listening to music. Or it could be something more active like cleaning your desk or going for a walk or a run. Check out the examples below and create your own go-to list of intentional study breaks.
5 minutes
- Stretch
- Make a to-do list
- Eat a healthy snack
- Meditate
10 minutes
- Dance in your room
- Make a hot beverage
- Draw, doodle, or color
- Daydream
15 minutes
- Clean your desk
- Listen to music
- Flip through a magazine
- Write in a journal
30 minutes
- Go for a walk
- Listen to a podcast
- Eat lunch
- Take a shower
1 hour
- Do a workout
- Read for fun
- Cook dinner
- Call a friend
Written by Julianne Reynolds, Associate Director and Learning Specialist for International Students, Weingarten Center
Notion: A Game-Changer for Penn Students
Notion is an all-in-one workspace that allows users to create a personalized digital environment to enhance productivity and organize their academic journey. In this blog post, we will discuss how Penn students can be successful by using Notion. We have even included a sample Notion page! You can duplicate this Notion template and begin customizing to make it your own. We have also included useful YouTube videos, links, and add-ons to make your Notion personalized for you.
Feature #1: Customizable Task Management
One of the key features that makes Notion stand out is its customizable task management system. As a Penn student, you have multiple courses and responsibilities to juggle, both academic and non-academic. Notion allows you to create individual pages for each course, where you can organize your lecture notes, readings, and deadlines.
Not only can you manage your tasks efficiently, but you can also prioritize them based on importance and deadlines. Notion allows you to set up a kanban-style board where you can move tasks from “To-Do” to “In Progress” and finally to “Completed”. This visual representation of your tasks helps you stay focused and motivated, as you can see your progress in real-time. By having a clear overview of your tasks, you can allocate your time effectively and avoid procrastination.
Feature #2: Note-taking and Organization
Notion offers robust note-taking capabilities. With Notion, you can create organized and structured notes for your classes. You can use headings, bullet points, and checkboxes to structure your notes and make them easier to review and revise. Additionally, you can embed images, files, and even audio recordings into your notes for a more comprehensive and interactive studying experience, helping you keep everything in one place. With Notion’s search function, you can quickly find specific information within your notes, saving you valuable time when studying.
Feature #3: Time Management and Productivity
Notion offers various features to help Penn students effectively manage their time and boost productivity. You can create a personalized calendar to track your classes, assignments, and extracurricular activities. By visualizing your schedule and setting priorities, you can optimize your time and accomplish more with less stress.
In Conclusion!
Notion is a powerful tool that can revolutionize the way Penn students manage their academic journey. By leveraging Notion, you can stay on top of your academic goals while staying true to your personal ones. Please use the template we have included in this blog post to help you get the most out of Notion – you can just duplicate the template and begin using Notion!
Some other resources:
- how to get started in notion *without losing your mind* | notion for beginners introductory video!
- Indify.co – Widgets for your Notion (weather, quotes, Google Calendar sync, countdown, etc.)
- How To Duplicate & Use Notion Templates (2023 Guide) How to import Notion template into your own Notion account
- Notion Website that can be used as a template! Notion website that showcases these three features discussed above. You can duplicate this page and use it as a template to begin your Notion journey.
Rocketbooks and Frixion Pens!
Looking for an easy way to upload your class notes to your computer or cloud drives? Sick of wasting paper? Want a neat and easy way to stay organized?
Then check out the Everlast Rocket Notebook and Frixion Pens! These tools were recently introduced to me by a student, and I wanted to make sure Penn students knew about them.
Photo from getrocketbook.com
This notebook is reusable, syncs easily to your cloud drive, and works with any of the Frixion pens! It’s perfect for someone who prefers to take and save notes electronically, but that is in a class that requires them to take detailed notes on equations, pictures, or diagrams that don’t always format well in a traditional electronic note-taking devices or applications. It’s also great for those classes where your professors do not allow electronics!
Photo from getrocketbook.com
How does it work?
- Using one of the Frixion pens, simply write in the notebook like you would with any others.
- At the bottom of the pages are icons where you can mark which cloud drive you want to send the notes to.
- Using your phone, open the Rocketbook App and take a picture of your notes.
- The phone and app will recognize the code at the bottom of your notebook page and will then send your notes to the proper electronic storage device.
- After you have saved your notes, use a damp cloth to wipe the pages clean.
- Give the pages a few minutes to dry, and then repeat the cycle!
Photo from getrocketbook.com
Any drawbacks to using these tools?
- The cost of the notebook on Amazon is $34, which is a bit hefty for one notebook. However, if this notebook is used properly, you won’t need to buy another notebook for a long time.
- The notebook only works with Frixion pens. One is included with the first purchase of a notebook, but after that you will need to purchase more. Conveniently, these pens are erasable and not only work with Rocektbooks, but also with traditional paper.
Do you use the Rocketbooks? Let us know what you think!
Do you have any tools you would want to recommend to other Penn students?
Let us know and we can feature your ideas on our blog!
Disclaimer: Our Tech Tuesdays features are not an ad, we just like to highlight tools we think will be useful for Penn students!
By Staff Writer: Kelcey Grogan, Learning Specialist and Research Fellow