by Maxwell Payne

Created on: March 30, 2009   Last Updated: April 09, 2009

Don't get burned out when studying.

As a current graduate student, I've spent my fair share of time researching, studying, writing, and sometimes getting buried in large amounts of school work.

Study burnout can happen to any student from high school students to doctoral students. Burnout happens when you get to the point that no matter what you do, you can't seem to process any more information.

Fatigue may set in, you might become distracted, or you just can't cram any more information into your brain at this point. Study burnout can happen while writing a paper, doing research, completing assignments, or actual studying.

The following tips and ideas will help you avoid burnout and get the most out of your time spent doing your work.

Don't wait until the last minute.

I swear I've written some of my best academic papers at 4 am the day the paper is due. But the truth is, waiting until the last minute to cram for a test or work on a big paper or project can hurt your grades. A caffeine fueled all night study session might take all night, but how much information will you actually remember for your big test?

If you are cramming to study all the time you won't retain as much information if you are tired. If you are working on a paper or project you might overlook typos and other errors which could cost your points on your grade.

Space out your schoolwork, if I have a big test coming up I try to start some preliminary studying at least 2-3 days before the actual test. Sure the night before I may study for hours as well, but I'll try to get enough sleep the night before rather than stay up all night.

At the very least, plan ahead and try to use a planner to write down when you'll work on what project. Especially in Masters and Doctoral programs, assignments and projects can be ongoing or be one right after the other. Make sure you keep track of what is due when and you'll be better able to plan time in advance to tackle assignments.

Take breaks often.

Sitting in a desk chair at home or the library or staring at a computer screen for hours can suck the energy out of you. Whether your break is just getting up and walking around, going to the bathroom, or playing a few rounds of Mario Kart with your roommate, any break is better than no break.

I had a roommate in undergrad who used to keep a mug at his desk at all times. He would fill the mug up with water to drink while studying. When it was empty he would go get a refill and after a few mugs of water he would have to use the

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