Spencer Hastings’ Studying Guide & Tips

Set Up Your Study Space

• Before you begin, spend five minutes resetting your space! Make your bed, clear away yesterdays notes, and start with a fresh environment that helps you concentrate.

• Put your phone out of reach and swap your distractions for a playlist with instrumental music or rain sounds.

• Keep your desk tidy with only the essentials: notebooks, highlighters, pens, and a lamp with warm lighting.

• Spencer is incredibly organised, so be sure to keep a planner or calendar open beside you so you can see what you’re working towards and tick off tasks as you finish them!!

• Find your signature study drink, it could be an iced coffee, chai latte, matcha, or classic hot chocolate, and turn it into part of your revision sessions!

• Keep a large bottle of water on your desk too. Staying hydrated helps you concentrate, especially during long study sessions.

• You could also save your favourite cafe drink for library days or after finishing a big revision goal. This would help make studying feel like something to look forward to rather than dread.

• Unlike Spencer, avoid relying on endless caffeine to stay awake. If you’re tired on exam days, you may not perform as well on your test and it is WAY better to feel prepared and rested!

• To start, read through a topic once, then close your notebook and write down everything you can remember before checking what you missed.

• Turn key definitions, dates and formulas into flashcards and quiz yourself regularly instead of simply highlighting them.

• Once again, pretend you’re teaching the topic to someone else. If you can explain it in simple words without looking at your notes, you’ve probably understood it.

• Keep coming back to the same topics every few days. Revisiting information is much more effective than trying to cram it all the night before an exam!!

• At the beginning of every week, it helps to write down every homework task, test, deadline, and extracurricular in one planner so nothing catches you by surprise.

• Break big assignments into smaller, more realistic tasks. Crossing off three tiny goals is way more motivating than staring at one massive and overwhelming project.

• Colour code each subject with its own highlighter or pen, it makes your planner easier to read and helps you instantly recognise what needs your attention.

• Pack your school bag and choose tomorrow’s outfit the night before. A calm morning always starts with preparation the night before.

• After every 45 to 60 minutes of studying, step away from your desk for 10 minutes. You could stretch, refill your water, or just get some fresh air before coming back.

• Spencer’s favourite way to switch off was tennis, although any form of movement works!! Go for a walk, hit a few tennis balls, do some yoga, or dance around your room to your playlist.

• Resist the urge to spend your breaks scrolling through insta or tiktok. A real break leaves you feeling refreshed, not more distracted.

• Your brain needs time to process everything you’ve just learned, so try to remember taking breaks does not equal laziness!

• Change things up by switching your bedroom for a library or a cafe where you can actually concentrate. Changes of scenery makes revision feel so much more refreshing.

• Pack your tote like you’re heading to rosewood high with colour coded folders, highlighters, flashcards, your planner, and a notebook filled with all of your notes!!

• Order your favourite iced coffee or chai, put on classical music through your headphones, and challenge yourself to complete one full revision block before taking a break.

• Study with someone who motivates you, not distracts you. Having a friend who keeps you focused makes all the difference.

• A colour coded planner: Make sure you keep every deadline, homework task, and exam in one place so you’re always a step ahead.

• Sticky notes & highlighters: Perfect for annotating textbooks and marking important pages!

• Flashcards: Spencer would 100% swear by active recall. Keep a stack in your tote for revising on the bus, between lessons, or while waiting for tennis practice.

• A leather notebook: Somewhere for your brain dumps, essay plans, vocabulary lists, and random ideas.

• Noise cancelling headphones: To play classical music, piano playlists, or rain sounds which help create that focused, calm, rosewood library atmosphere.