Five Ways We Study for our Master’s Degrees in France
As graduate students in France, Jalen and I are no strangers to studying! Finding the most effective study methods for you and practicing them regularly is the key to passing your classes. Keep reading to learn the top five components of our successful study routines.
1. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity-boosting tool for time management. It consists of working for 25-minute intervals separated by 5-minute breaks. I find that using a Pomodoro Technique video while I study not only helps me stay focused, but also reminds me to get up from my desk and give my eyes and mind a rest periodically.
2. Studying with a plan
Each of my law classes is organized via an overarching plan, or detailed outline, that spans the semester. These plans lay out the sections, subsections, chapters, titles, subtitles, and paragraphs of the semester’s lectures, allowing students to take meticulously organized notes. To assimilate the information necessary for my demanding oral exams, I’ve had to learn to study with the plan instead of against it. Whereas during my undergraduate degree I often practiced concept-based, transcendental studying methods to make connections between all the material in a given class, I now use chronological, systematic memorization to commit the information to memory via the plan.
3. Online flashcards
Jalen‘s favorite way to study for his logistics classes is making and using online flashcards with Quizlet. This tried-and-true technique works well for three reasons. First, the act of making the flashcards serves as a preliminary round of studying, allowing him to identify and familiarize himself with all of the concepts he’ll need to learn. Secondly, making your own flashcards means maximum customization – simple notions that call for a quick definition and complex topics that require the memorization of ten important points can all be found in one custom deck of flashcards. Finally, the Quizlet app allows Jalen to take his flashcards anywhere. When he has a spare moment throughout the day, he can spend a few minutes looking over his flashcards, thereby breaking up hours of necessary studying into digestible study sessions.
4. Background Music
While some people prefer to study in silence, Jalen likes to listen to relaxing music at a low-volume. Listening to instrumental music helps him stay on task and puts him in the right mindset for retaining important information.
5. Digital Calendar
One tool that neither of us can live without is Google Calendar. Entering every deadline, exam session, and presentation date keeps our schedule organized and prevents us from ever being surprised by a test. When we have an assessment coming up, we also use our digital calendar to plot out daily study sessions so we don’t fall behind or overbook ourselves, ensuring that we always have adequate time to study.
If you’re a student in higher education in France, or in any corner of the world, let us know what study methods you use to succeed in a comment below!
Check out our video about our daily life as students in France!
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