HOW DO YOU REVISE WITHOUT GETTING DISTRACTED?

We love our phones, our tablets, our laptops, and our Smart TVs. And I reckon that I’m probably one of the worst. Each time a notification pings through, the temptation to look at the screen is just too much to resist.

This is my scenario:

I’ve got my revision schedule, I’ve prioritised my subjects and topics, I’ve got all the right books sitting around me, and I sit down to study. 

Ping.

“Jamie Smith and Olivia Krupa have their birthdays today. Wish them well.”

Well, I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t wish them a happy birthday. It’ll only take a second.

So, I message them. My A-Levels can wait for a couple of minutes. 

Although it feels impossible, wait until your break before you respond to any social media notification. . . 

After wishing Jamie and Olivia good cheer for their birthday, I notice that it was Jake’s birthday two days ago.

Did I miss that?

I click on his profile to see if I sent him a message.

He’s posted a hilarious video of people falling over in supermarket car parks. I know I shouldn’t find it funny; but I’ll just have a quick look.

At the end of a video, regardless of the platform you watch on, the screen is filled with enticing videos to watch next.  

Don’t do it.

I watch the video of people falling over. It WAS funny. And a video of cute cats pop up.

I love cute cats.

And before you know it, it’s time for lunch.

That probably sounds familiar. 

Our main tip: switch everything to Do Not Disturb mode.

Just think of all the time you waste, staring at your phone. Luckily, I discovered that my phone has a Do Not Disturb mode.

If you’ve got an iPhone, click on Settings, then scroll to Screen Time.

I was shocked to see how much time I spend, staring at the screen. If you’ve got an Android phone, there’s an equivalent Limit Screen Time feature.

I realised that I could configure my Screen Time app to limit the times and the duration spent on certain types of apps.

I KNOW that I’m addicted to Social Media: Facebook, Insta, SnapChat, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok. I’ve got all of them.

So:

I limited my Social Networking to ten minutes a day!

WHAT?!!!

Think about Easter.

My mum is really strict about how much chocolate I eat. Because, I WILL scoff till I puke.

But during Easter, it’s different, She lets me eat chocolate all day, every day if I want (I do).

And – without fail –  I always make myself feel sick by the end of the holiday.

Then I go back to school, and I’m only allowed chocolate twice a week.

And:

When I do eat it, I LOVE it. It feels like a real treat. I suppose it’s because my mum is rationing my chocolate.

So:

When I rationed my Social Media time, I made sure that every minute counted. I didn’t bother with cat videos – at least, not while I was revising. (I’m only human!).

I switched all my devices to Do Not Disturb mode during the hours I’d put aside for revision.

And FOMO was strong at first.

But I found that I could actually knuckle down and get my head right into my books. And I feel like I’m actually really prepared for my mocks this time. No repeat of my GCSE catastrophe.

And now, when I do give myself my ration of Social Media time, I really love every rationed minute of it.