Set fixed times for preparation and follow-up - preferably directly after the lecture while the knowledge is still fresh. This way, you won't accumulate too much learning material. Good preparation will also allow you to participate more actively in seminars and follow lectures better.

It is best to start your learning phases with short units (45-60 minutes) and allow yourself regular breaks. Your mind remembers so much more than after hours of cramming.

Sort your documents right from the start! Whether digital or on paper, clear structures save time and make exam preparation easier. Be sure to mark any points you still have questions about so that you can discuss them in seminars, tutorials or with other students. In most cases, your professors and lecturers will also give you an indication of which material is particularly relevant for the exams.

Learning groups or learning partners help to maintain motivation and clarify questions from different perspectives. You can also take notes of lectures and seminars together as a study group.

Tip: If you have the opportunity to take notes on a laptop or tablet, it is often worth creating a shared document (e.g. Google Docs).

Set yourself small milestones (e.g. "Chapter 2 today") rather than overwhelming yourself with tasks that are too big. Small successes motivate you in the long term and don't let you despair over tasks that are too big.

Exercise, fresh air or short relaxation exercises keep you focused and reduce stress. But even small treats, such as your favorite candy, a delicious drink or a weekend getaway can increase your motivation enormously.

• Turn off all notifications on your PC and phone: switch your smartphone to flight mode or "Do not disturb". Or turn off your phone completely or put it in another room (e.g. if you are studying at home). You should also hide your browser tabs and notifications and mute or pause your email inbox. You can check your messages after the study phase or during breaks.
• Tidy up your desk: Did you know that the average person spends 76 hours a year looking for lost items at work? So it's better to tidy your desk first and then get started.
• Make a note of all distracting thoughts for later: This will free your mind from the nagging thought that you have forgotten something. You should also save articles and videos that you want to watch later (e.g. using Pocket).
• Take regular breaks to refresh your brain: you can go for a walk, for example, to stimulate your creativity, increase your concentration and brighten your mood.
• Work in different environments: Change your learning environment and work in a café, library or park, for example, to boost your concentration and creativity. Indoors, you can also sit by the window.
• Make yourself comfortable: A room that is too cool or too warm (outside of 21 - 25°C) reduces productivity by 5%. The pleasant scent of lemon or lavender increases your concentration and reduces errors by 54%. And if you sit by the window, you stay focused 15% longer.
• Live healthily: Just 1.5 hours less sleep reduces your alertness by 32%. Eating healthily and drinking enough can increase your productivity by 20%. Exercise also helps you deal with stress better. Regular exercise makes you more alert and gives you more mental energy.
• Buy houseplants: Because houseplants actually increase creativity by 45% and general well-being by 47%, while improving your ability to concentrate.
• Use headphones: Listening to ambient music or white noise improves your concentration by 35%. Headphones can also block out distracting background noise.
• Try meditation exercises: Meditation teaches your brain to block out distractions and focus for longer. Just 5 minutes a day can have an effect.
• Look at photos of cute animals: It actually stimulates our brain when we see photos of nature or cute photos of animals. This increases your attention span and helps your memory.

• Cancel meetings: If you can't cancel a meeting completely, limit yourself to short stand-up meetings (approx. 15 minutes) or set at least one whole day a week as meeting-free.
• Learn to say "no": Especially when working in groups, you should be careful not to take on too many tasks at once. Pay attention to your choice of words: "I won't do it" is more effective than "I can't do it".
• Declutter your inbox: To avoid wasting time searching for emails, it makes sense to create folders and sort your emails accordingly. Unimportant emails should be deleted or sorted away immediately.
• Track your time: How much time do you spend each day on which tasks? By tracking your productivity, you will get an accurate picture of your daily work habits and can improve them.
• Give up social media: For some people, it helps enormously to completely avoid social media during productive phases. You can also try setting yourself a daily time limit for your social media platforms so that you have more time for your important tasks.
• Group similar tasks together: Similar tasks can usually be completed in one go. This saves time and helps your productivity.
• Get rid of bad habits, e.g. with the help of a "stop doing" list.
• No multitasking: Not only does multitasking make us less efficient, it also lowers our IQ by 10 points. This means more mistakes that have to be corrected later and therefore even more wasted time.

• Sort your tasks: Try sorting your tasks daily into the categories "must - should - would like to". This method will help you to achieve your immediate and long-term goals and avoid burnout at the same time.
• Select the three most important tasks: It's best to write them down on a post-it note so that you can keep them in view throughout the day.
• Complete at least one task: Ask yourself the question "If I could only do ONE thing today, what would it be?" and complete it first.
• Don't check youremails straight away: Many people tend to check their emails first thing every morning. However, one unexpected email can overturn an entire daily schedule. Therefore, try to work for a few hours before checking your emails.
• Shorten your to-do list: Regularly ask yourself the question "Will this task help me achieve a goal?" If not, cross it off your to-do list or delegate the task to someone else.
• Creative tasks first: Use the fresh perspective in the morning to complete your creative tasks. Paperwork, meetings and follow-up tasks should be completed afterwards.
• Prepare your to-do list for tomorrow in the evening: List three points that you want to start your day with. One of these items should be something you enjoy doing.
• Sort your remaining tasks: You can sort your remaining tasks according to Stephen Covey's prioritization matrix ("important and urgent", "important but not urgent", "urgent but not important" and "not urgent and not important") or you can create your own system (e.g. a colored traffic light system with "red = important and urgent", "yellow = important but has time" and "green = not important").

• Divide large tasks into smaller ones: Big tasks can be daunting and often lead to procrastination. Therefore, divide your large tasks into many small tasks or work on a large project for just 30 minutes and then stop. 30 minutes a day can lead to significant progress pretty quickly!
• Try the two-minute rule: David Allen's two-minute rule says: If it takes less than two minutes, do it now. Yes, right now. Ticking off small tasks on your to-do list increases motivation.
• "Eat the frog": You probably know the feeling of dreading a big task? Then tackle this task first thing in the morning! It gives you a sense of accomplishment and boosts your motivation!
• Find your 'biological prime time': this is the magical hour when your energy, concentration and motivation are at their peak. Schedule your most important tasks for this time slot.
• Make your progress visible: tick off your tasks or keep an anti-to-do list. An anti-to-do list contains all the tasks you have already completed. Celebrate your successes!
• Strike a power pose: Think Wonder Woman or Superman - feet wide, hands on hips, chest out, chin up. The right body language can boost confidence, reduce stress and help you to focus fully on something.
• Eat some chocolate: This releases dopamine, a hormone that increases motivation. Chocolate also releases chemicals that have a calming effect and stimulate the brain - ideal for concentrating and getting things done.
• Be happy! / Be happy! A good mood makes you 12% more productive, so have a joke with your friends, watch a funny cat video or talk to someone important on the phone.