High School Study Tips: 7 Ways to Romanticize Studying

April 22, 2024 by Valerie Kirk

5 min to read

An online school student on the couch wearing headphones taking part in an online lesson

Between attending high school classes, working or volunteering part-time, and participating in fun extracurricular activities, your schedule is packed.

Finding time to study is hard. Getting motivated to study is even harder.

If you are wondering how to make studying enjoyable, it may be time to romanticize studying.

How to Romanticize Studying

Not sure what romanticizing studying even means?

To romanticize something means to take steps to make it more attractive or interesting than it really is. When you romanticize something, it becomes more appealing and becomes something that you want to do.

Learning how to enjoy studying may seem like a pretty tall order, but it’s definitely possible with the right tricks and a positive mindset.

Here are seven ways you can romanticize studying to help you stay motivated and focused on learning.

1. Create a Visually Appealing Study Environment

Transform your study space into a place you want to hang out in. Add vibrant colors that make you feel energized. Decorate your space with artwork and posters that inspire you or bring you joy when you look at them.

Fill your study space with things that showcase your accomplishments, such as certificates, medals, and congratulatory notes. Seeing your past accomplishments can keep you motivated to achieve more.

You can also make your study space more comfortable. Add a bean bag chair or a fluffy throw rug and move studying to the floor. Buy candles or oils in scents that make you feel calm and relaxed.

If you can’t make physical changes to your study space, make changes to your study tools, adding fun backgrounds to your device and using brightly colored notepads and pens.

2. Find a New Place to Study

Have you ever noticed that when people are studying in movies, they are usually in a café, a beautiful old library, or in a park on a beautiful day? The movies really know how to romanticize reading and studying. Why can’t that be you?

Follow their lead and find a nice place to study. If the weather is warm, go to a park when it is time to hit the books. You could even just put a blanket in your backyard or just open the windows to let the breeze in. Fresh air can be invigorating – and can help you stay motivated to study.

Coffee shops are also perfect environments to study for a few hours. They usually offer free wi-fi, comfortable chairs, and quick access to delicious snacks. Open your computer, put on a pair of headphones, and get an iced latte. Studying at the coffee shop sounds almost fun.

An online school student uses a tablet to romaticize reading and doing homework.

3. Make a Study Playlist

If you have a playlist for exercising, driving, or even just getting ready for school, why not make a playlist for studying? Music helps calm your brain, pushing out other distractions.

Think about the music that gets you motivated or that makes you feel good. Add those songs to a study playlist to get you started. Then add music that is calm and that can help you focus – think smooth jazz or classical. If you aren’t sure where to start, search for music that helps people focus or music for studying in your favorite music app.

4. Remember Your Why

With everything you have going on in your life, it may be easy to forget why studying for a particular test or subject is even important or necessary. All of the classes you take in high school matter for your future goals, whether that is going to college or trade school, jumping into the workforce, or taking some time to see the world. Add inspirational quotes about your future to your study space or write them on your study materials to remember why studying is important. You can also add pictures of what you want to do after high school to keep you motivated.

Those things remind you of your why – you have to study now to achieve the goals you have for your future.

5. Form a Study Group

Things are always more fun when your friends are involved – even studying. Invite your friends and classmates to a study group, which can be done both in-person and virtually. Study groups not only make studying more enjoyable, but they can also help you learn the subject. If you have questions or are unclear on something, your study partners in the group may have the answers. You can also work through difficult subjects together to raise your collective awareness.

Just be careful to ensure that the others in your study group are all on the same page and that they are committed to studying. Study groups can turn into social hours that can put you behind in your studies if people aren’t invested in actually studying.

An online school student at a cafe forms an online study group to help romanticize studying and learning.

6. Practice Mindfulness

Being mindful involves being aware of your present surroundings and feelings. When you are aware of your feelings, you can acknowledge them and let them go, freeing your mind to focus.

Engaging in mindfulness activities like meditation can renew your focus and make you more productive. Practicing mindfulness can help you study. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are a few guided mediations for teens.

7. Make a Study Routine

Humans naturally crave routines; they can help us feel safe and secure. For example, when you have a bedtime routine, you are more likely to fall asleep faster.

Apply that same concept to studying. Make a routine to help your mind focus on what comes next – studying. Your routine could include getting a study snack, doing some stretching exercises to work your muscles, and even just sharpening your pencil. You could also write down study goals in a journal before you study as part of your study routine. This adds the benefit of getting a mental boost when you achieve your study goals.

Additional Study Tips

Finding ways to romanticize studying can change your mindset about something that you may not feel inspired to do – yet. Learn more study tips from Connections Academy online high school students and find other articles with tips to help you navigate high school on the Connections Academy Resource Hub.