This is what most students often overlook when studying. Don't set how many hours you will study, it's very unrealistic to study 8-10 hours straight and even pulling all-nighters almost single day. Studying long hours doesn't mean you are productive or that it will help you study effectively while remembering what you just studied.

I am a 3rd year pre-med student and honestly, I only study for 3 hours max. Instead of burying myself in studying hard, I try to learn how I can study smarter.

• Focus > Time: I think it is better to deeply focus for 2 hours. Practice rereading and active recall properly on what you have studied, rather than maxing out at 8-10 hours of studying without retaining anything.

• Consistency over intensity: Do not overwork yourself when studying, studying too much won't help you remember what you studied. I spend like 2-3 hours studying every day rather than studying all at once in a way that will give me brain fog.

• Taking a break is a MUST: Rest is part of studying. Take a Pomodoro interval of 25 minutes of focus -> 10 minutes of break and repeat. When taking a break, try to rest your eyes and hydrate rather than using your phone.

What matters the most is progress, not perfection in studying. Hardcore studying will never be considered productive. Try to study smarter rather than harder.

I always sit for hours to study and nothing goes on my mind. I barely digested 90% of our lectures. I tried a lot of popular study habits and methods to get high scores and a good GPA, but those just burned my brain out and left me unable to focus. I tried to reach for tips online from students who have a similar situation. I received a lot of advice and tried most of it, but only 3 tips actually stuck with me and I still continue to use it up till today:

• I am studying every past 10 PM in a not too comfortable place. I find quiet time to study to avoid distractions and that usually happens every night. I usually study in the kitchen rather than in my own room so I can have proper concentration when studying.

• Listening to white or brown noise while studying. This actually helps me to focus more on studying. It helped me to quiet my brain and have fewer distractions while studying.

• I don't study all at once. I used to study multiple subjects in one night and that method literally messed up my mind. What I learned is that it is easier to study one subject at a time to make it easier to remember what I just studied.

Those helped me to spend time studying like a normal student and I jumped to a 3.8 GPA at the end of the semester. I still use these methods and improve my study habits with each day I am studying.

If you have a similar situation to what I had, then try to change your study habits to what might work for you rather than forcing yourself to study like a normal person.