Study Smarter: How to optimize your study habits through science-based protocols. By Ashique Prince, University of Leicester

University demands discipline and perseverance to succeed in academics. Courses can be demanding in terms of the amount of work and cognitive load; however inefficient study habits can hold you back more than you think. 

For law students, high rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout was documented after the COVID-19 pandemic. Before law school, depression rates were 8-9%; after the first semester, 27% (Pryal, 2023). Although the pandemic was officially over in 2023, the cohort effect lasts. The cohort effect occurs when a common (temporal) experience or event is shared by a vast population. Many law students in the 25/26 cohort experienced disruptions to their graduations and first year of university. This can have lasting behavioural and cognitive impacts (Prado-Gascó et al., 2020. 

There is an ongoing burnout crisis among students. Students are struggling with low levels of resilience, weak academic routines, procrastination, avoidance, difficulty with attention, and screen addiction (Chen et al., 2023). 

This article aims to review research that will reveal actionable steps to students that are struggling with any of the afflictions. Note that this article is not aimed at providing legal or medical advice; rather it is a source of information for students to make informed and actionable steps to ensure progress and success in their academic lives. 

An understanding of the root causes of burnout can be beneficial in improving and implementing actionable steps toward progress. Lower levels of psychological resilience (PR) can be a factor that interferes with motivation, persistence, and attention. This can act as a catalyst leading to avoidance and disengagement from academics (Gong et al., 2023). 

If you are a student with low levels of PR, it is essential to understand how you got to this point. Students often reach this stage through a cycle of chronic academic stress, perceived lack of control, unrealistic expectations, lack of recovery, and continuous worry (i.e. work, grades etc.,); moreover this leads to a decline in overall wellbeing. This cycle manifests behaviours that lead to emotional exhaustion, detachment from work, reduced academic efficacy, skipping lectures, distractions, and decline in overall motivation (Salmela-Aro & Read, 2017). At this stage, one can feel trapped and unable to recover, as felt by a large population of students. 

Procrastination is a major affliction for many students. Students voluntarily delay academic tasks knowing that it can result in consequences. For example, pushing off studying for a test, late assignments, or avoiding studying all together are characteristic of a procrastinator. This issue is not simply “poor time management”; it often reflects behavioural patterns tied to motivation, emotion, self regulation (Steel, 2007).

Approximately 80-95% of students report procrastination at one point. The ranges can differ depending on individual circumstances. Some students may be at more risk than others. Hence, procrastination is extremely prevalent among university students (American Psychological Association, 2010). 

One explanation for procrastination is that it is a failure of self regulation. Emotional impulses guide decision making; consequently one seeks short-term reliefs while avoiding tasks at hand. Moreover, task aversiveness and motivation plays a major role in regulating procrastination. Tasks perceived as boring or stressful (i.e. writing an essay or studying for an exam) get postponed because they feel relatively unpleasant. This also leads to fear of failure and anxiety as students delay tasks temporarily to avoid unpleasant feelings. Hitting failure as a threshold can be beneficial in improving your ability to handle cognitive load. However, as students fear failure and idolize perfectionism (i.e. the perfect circumstances, or quality of work), they end up further procrastinating (Steel, 2007). 

Another important factor to consider is time perception. In terms of deadlines, motivation arises when deadlines approach; hence students will delay work until there is a sense of urgency. This aligns with the temporal motivation theory (TMT). TMT is a psychological model studied by  Piers Steel & Cornelius J. König (2006) identifying the reasoning as to why people procrastinate.

The four key variables studied are: expectancy (believing if you can really succeed or not), value (is the task enjoyable or meaningful?), impulsiveness (how easily you get distracted or seek more stimulating tasks), delay (how long until a deadline approaches). These factors influence procrastination in an individual; for example, as delay decreases (deadline approaching), motivation increases. Hence, a sense of urgency is required for completing work. 

Another reason students struggle with academics is due to lowered attention spans. For example, large projects and course work over the term is intended to build planning and execution in students. However, as students start to procrastinate, and often relying on AI models such as ChatGPT and CoPilot, it reduces frontal lobe engagement (Ophir et al., 2009). The frontal lobe is meant to plan long term goals and execute, if the brain is not receiving adequate cognitive loads, it will eventually lead to lowered attention spans and less brain activity (Storm & Stone, 2015). Cognitive offloading can result in reduced brain capabilities which then affect motivation and attention. 

Note that attention is limited. Many students wake up and use their phones first thing in the morning. Consuming short form videos (i.e. TikTok’s and reels) is linked to addictive behaviours and decreased attention control. Consequently, users have difficulty controlling their attention and sustaining focus for tasks. The effects can become increasingly detrimental depending on the intensity of addiction. This behaviour often stems from needing stimulation (Ye et al., 2025).

Consuming exceptional levels of “brain-rot” will literally result in your “brain rotting”. When your brain gets overexposed to high-frequency dopamine hits, it becomes desensitized. This means your daily tasks can become boring and mundane. You can struggle from intense boredom, which can be a rather pressing issue on its own.

Note that functional decay or impairment is what is prevalent in these cases (He, Turel, & Bechara, 2017). A reduced grey matter volume is observed in the prefrontal cortex and structural deterioration linked to impulsive control can be noted. Overuse of digital platforms in the long run can cause weaker executive function; consequently, worsening attention. 

Short form video addiction leads to weaker executive attention and self-control. This diminishes your ability to plan and do work (Yan, 2024). This paper is not focused on screen addiction; therefore, this is a compressed representation of recent research in the field of neuroscience and psychology in relation to screen addiction. 

Now that we understand some of the major issues faced by students and the underlying cause and effect narrative, it is imperative to explore some actionable steps. Some of these steps are inspired by Andrew Huberman’s (neuroscientist) podcast covering health science research. 

Using the “20-second rule” can be helpful to remove triggers for procrastination. For example, focus on making unwanted behaviours harder to access. Start putting your phone away in another room or install apps like Opal (this is not a sponsorship) to enforce screentime limitations. This prevents impulsive habits that derail your progress (Rosen et al., 2013). 

Another tool to use is the “5-minute method”. Procrastination is often linked to emotional avoidance; hence starting yourself off with just 5 minutes of work helps you bypass the limbic friction (mental resistance). Dopamine cost decreases once you start the tasks, so most students end up continuing the work. But it's important to realize that five minutes is better than zero. Take that first step toward beating bad habits (Sirois & Pychyl, 2013). 

Another applicable step is to utilize the 90-minute ultradian rhythm study block. According to sleep research, your brain enters natural cycles of high alertness for approximately 90 minutes. Establish a protocol in which you can study for 75-90 minutes without multitasking. Follow it up with a break (i.e. walk, stretch, sunlight etc.); consequently this maximizes prefrontal cortex efficiency and reduces wasted time (Hayashi et al., 1994). 

Another method revolves around using dopamine anchoring to increase motivation. Pairing effort with internal rewards (internal praise or achieving an internal target) can result in release of dopamine (Salamone et al., 2016). This raises dopamine levels when you engage in “hard work”. This can help you become a student that enjoys the process. Learning to appreciate the journey (process) while moving toward your destination (goal) can be a satisfying endeavor for a student. 

Overall, building a daily structure can be helpful in terms of improving academics. For example, aligning yourself with the circadian rhythm can be beneficial in establishing routine. Studying at the same times every day, getting sunlight every day at the same time, and establishing sleep hygiene can facilitate the process. Make rules for yourself; for example, make a rule to do 5 minutes of work first (overcome the limbic friction), then check your phone. This small action can compound over time and help transform your academic performance.

Using accountability partners or having public commitment can also be helpful. For example, using social dopamine systems can improve consistency. Regularly attending your tutorials can be an adequate way to achieve this. Make sure to do the work and engage in discussions to further your understanding. Always keep yourself accountable. 

In summary, academic performance is not simply the outcome of intelligence or willpower. It is governed by a plethora of factors such as persistence, discipline, and biological and psychological inclinations in relation to motivation. Understanding the underlying cause itself is an actionable step toward regulating habits. Moreover, implementing the tools can help facilitate identity transformation.

Patience is virtue; therefore be patient with yourself and allow these habits to form. The initial stages can be hard; however, with deliberate practice, active remodelling of your behaviours, and putting yourself in supportive learning environments can be ideal for your progress. These shifts can help you develop lifelong skills (i.e. self regulation, self mastery etc.); hence optimizing your academics and wellbeing. 

References

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Cachón-Zagalaz, J., Zagalaz-Sánchez, M. L., López-López, D., Santamaría-Vázquez, M., & González-Valero, G. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of university students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 566900. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.566900/full

Chen, C., Shen, Y., Zhu, Y., Xiao, F., Zhang, J., & Ni, J. (2023). The effect of academic adaptability on learning burnout among college students: The mediating effect of self-esteem and the moderating effect of self-efficacy. Psychology Research and Behavior

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Gong, Z., Li, J., & Wang, Y. (2023). College students’ learning stress, psychological resilience, and learning burnout: A cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry, 23, Article 470. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-023-04783-z

Hayashi, M., Masuda, Y., & Hori, T. (1994). Ultradian rhythms in performance, self-evaluation, and mood. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 79(3 Pt 1), 963–978. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7870505/

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Pryal, K. R. G. (2023). Front-line faculty and systemic burnout: Why more faculty should attend to law students' mental health and the inequities caused by faculty who opt out. Legal Writing: Journal of the Legal Writing Institute, 27, 199–221.

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Salamone, J. D., Yohn, S. E., López-Cruz, L., San Miguel, N., & Correa, M. (2016). Activational and effort-related aspects of motivation: Neural mechanisms and implications for psychopathology. Brain, 139(5), 1325–1347. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27189581/

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