5 ways to make studying exciting through gamification

It’s very rare that someone genuinely likes studying. And I don’t mean just studying the fun, easy subjects. I mean a person who actually enjoys studying complicated and boring subjects (like physics!) That’s really unfortunate though, because when studying is boring, you’re less inclined to actually do it. However, I’ve compiled a list of methods you can use to make studying more fun. Try them out to see if they help you study more often!

What is gamification?

Gamification is when you add game mechanics into non-game environments. It’s been proven to make studying more fun and enjoyable, as well as increasing the time you spend studying. Because gamification makes studying less boring, you’re more likely to study more often, and for longer, since one of the barriers (the dullness of it) has been removed.

Race against the clock

This is probably the simplest way to gamify studying, because all you need is a timer. Think of how long the task usually takes you, then take a couple minutes off, and set the timer to that length of time. This way, you’ll have just barely enough time to finish the task. The timer causes you to become more motivated to finish the task quickly, and it prevents you from dragging your feet to get it done. As well as this, it causes you to finish the task faster than you would have normally, which gives you more time to do fun stuff (like play Minecraft!).

Rewards

Rewards are my personal favourite way to motivate myself to study. I usually tell myself that the more questions I finish, the longer I can watch TV for. You can even combine this with the previous method! Think of a suitable reward, then tell yourself that if you finish the task before the timer goes off, you can get the reward. Also, if you keep giving yourself rewards after studying, you could condition youself to like it more.

Apps and websites

Although phones are usually a distraction, they can be pretty useful for gamifying studying. There are many revision apps and websites out there that incorporate more exciting elements. Quizlet has video game-like modes, Duolingo has rewards, and Kahoot is just self-explanatory. The best part is that most of these apps rely on active recall methods, so it’s even more effective!

Study with friends

The effectiveness of study groups is pretty controversial, because they can quickly get you sidetracked. It’s pretty easy to get distracted while studying with your friends. However, study groups can make studying a lot more fun, as it creates a communal aspect. As well as this, you can explain concepts and help each other understand the material. If you think you can resist the temptation of just talking to your friends and getting side tracked, then maybe you should try this out.

Make it look good

I feel like most people in online study communities already do this, but it’s still worth metioning. By making your work look nice and aesthetically pleasing, you’ll motivate yourself to study more often. This might not exactly be gamification, but people like things that look good. If you make flashcards or notes that you think look good, you’re more likely to return to them and keep studying!

Though gamification comes in many shapes and sizes, it’s been universally accepted that it’s very beneficial to studying. If you’re still not motivated to study, you might want to consider reading this post about easy ways to increase motivation.