Blog Post #2:
Big Topic Question: How can we improve our study habits?
I was inspired to research this question from watching many study vlogs since I was young. For example, I love learning new ways to study effectively from TED Talk, Harvard student Helaine Zhao, and Forbes-recognized entrepreneur Elise Pham. Furthermore, my grandparents told me that studying more instead of sleeping is productive. For example, they were taught that sleeping more than 4 hours a day instead of studying meant that they would not get accepted into their dream university. However, Mr Chang taught me that sleeping at least eight hours a day can make us study more effectively. I hope to learn more about how sleep contributes to our healthy study habits. In addition, I would like to research whether naps are as helpful as sleeping when studying. I also study more efficiently in the library, so I would like to find out how comparing ourselves with others affects our study lifestyle.
Subquestions:
1)What are the time management techniques that increase our productivity?
My friends and I are feeling burnt out with the final months of high school. For example, they told me that they are feeling sleep-deprived from studying even after a restful spring break. I hope to encourage them to study as if we are preparing for a marathon. I hope to go into med school, where I will need to study a lot, so I hope to find efficient techniques that will make my med school days more joyful and pleasant. For example, I want to research whether the Pomodoro technique is efficient for all tasks. I also want to figure out if studying in the morning or at night is better because I find I work better at night. This will help me answer my topic question because time management techniques can help us study more material.
2)How can sleep improve our productivity?
I find that my productivity drastically decreases. When I do not get at least 7 hours of sleep. This makes it hard to push through a week with many exams back-to-back because I need to keep on studying despite being tired. I hope to research if quick 1-hour power naps are beneficial for studying or if it just make us groggier? I am also planning to go to Queen’s University, where I will be living alone, so I need to start advocating for my sleep while studying. I also love sleeping and studying, so I hope I can easily find a good balance between becoming a medical student. This will help me to answer my topic question because sleep impacts our motivation, which will impact how much information we retain after studying.
3)How does comparing ourselves with others positively or negatively affect our productivity?
I always used comparison as healthy motivation for studying. For example, I love studying in the library because it motivates me to study harder. However, I also know that people believe comparison should be avoided due to excessive stress. I want to research how to only get the positive benefits of comparing ourselves with high-achieving students. This question will help me to answer my topic question because I want to make sure that we can use comparison as a motivation to get better marks on exams.
This big topic question will have implications on a global level because we all need to study to learn about our passions. I hope to help the global population find the joy of lifelong studying. For example, Albert Einstein wrote, “Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most asset you’ll ever have is your mind and what you put into it.” This also applies to my school community because as we become older, we need to advocate for our educational journey for post-secondary education. I hope to help the global community have all the techniques to further their studying journey and accomplish all their dreams. Education should be accessible for everyone.
ALL SOURCES ARE PEER-REVIEWED:
lparsons. “8 Time Management Tips for Students.” Harvard Summer School, 14 Oct. 2022, https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/8-time-management-tips-for-students/.
Top Time Management Tips for Students | Undergraduate Programs | University of Waterloo. https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/missing-manual/high-school/top-time-management-tips-students. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Mander, Bryce A., et al. “Wake Deterioration and Sleep Restoration of Human Learning.” Current Biology, vol. 21, no. 5, Mar. 2011, pp. R183–84. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.01.019.
“Sleep On It.” NIH News in Health, https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/04/sleep-it. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
“To Cram or To Sleep; Are Students Focusing on The Wrong Sleep Habits?” Office for Science and Society, https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/contributors/cram-or-sleep-are-students-focusing-wrong-sleep-habits. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Thank you,
Sarah Kim