Written by: Abby Han

After researching how physical activity can improve cognitive skills and attention, I decided that for this week’s experiment, I would go on a 2 mile run after school everyday to see how it impacted my work efficiency.

I usually take at least an hour nap after school to serve as a mental break from school, but with this week’s tactic being physical activity, I had to substitute my after school nap for an after school run. The first two days were embarrassingly terrible as I had expected. I was super sore, and my body was clearly not conditioned for physical activity. Although I was exhausted, I did not feel my usual fatigue that I usually have after my after school nap. I felt unexpectedly energized and alert, most likely because of the adrenaline rush that came from the run. The remaining days were exponentially better as the week went on. Although the transition of getting myself to run after school was borderline excruciating, I felt that the run allowed myself to clear my head after school and get my blood pumping. I would always get a sudden surge of refreshed energy. This tactic was helped me by reducing the amount of time wasted napping after school. Although having a nap is nice, the run did not leave me feeling groggy and fatigued, and instead it helped me be more energized and alert.

My final thoughts are that going on runs definitely helped me feel more energized and focused on my homework. However, I think the effects can vary from person to person. Many factors, such as what you’re doing as your physical activity and how long you are doing the activity, can affect how helpful this tactic is for you.

My rating out of five stars:

★★★☆☆

Written by: Abby Han

As I was researching study habits to try out, I came across a method which includes working in 52 minute increments with 17 minute breaks in between. There was a study done in a workplace where employees attempted this method and reported higher levels of focus and efficiency. By staying focused and intensely working on one task for a certain amount of time, employees were able to get more work done than they otherwise would’ve. I decided to try this trick to see if it would maximize my working efficiency.

For the first couple of days of the week, I kept track of the time using the timer on my phone. Although keeping track of time on my phone was more convenient, I have to admit that having my phone out was a bit of a distraction. I couldn’t help checking my phone during the work time.

What worked best for me was keeping track of time on a timer on my computer and leaving my phone in a different room to keep the distraction away. Working in long increments at a time helped most on tasks that require a lot of writing, such as editing my HI or writing my English Supervised Writing. Although, when it came to quick assignments, such as textbook work for math or a simple worksheet for ESS, I found it difficult to maintain working efficiency as I switched between subjects. Taking short seven-minute breaks in between working on different subjects really gave my mind a break. These breaks not only helped my working efficiency, but they also helped me work for longer, because my mind didn’t feel as strained compared to when I used my old study habit of grinding out on all my homework for four hours straight.  

All in all, I would say that this study tactic works best for long assignments, such as the HI, essays, and big projects. The main takeaway is that in order to maximize study efficiency, take away any distractions. Most importantly, put your phone in a place where you can not easily access it. Getting rid of these temptations will help to increase the amount and quality of work you get done.

My rating out of five stars:

★★★★☆