Last year, for my IGCSE’s, I promised myself I wouldn’t watch TV regularly in order to focus on my studies. Everything worked out well in the end, but I didn’t exactly keep my promise. I ended up watching 3 full seasons of ‘2 and a half men’ – a show I don’t even watch by the way.
With exam season right around the corner, i’d thought i’d offer some suggestions that could help you during your dreaded exam months. If you’re like me, you have to watch TV no matter what. Quitting is not an option because, let’s face it, it doesn’t work. What you need is self-control. This is generally proportionate to how much you care about your exams. The more unprepared you feel, the more control you will have (this will be extremely evident the day right before the exam, procrastination is a b*tch).
There are two ways you can go about this, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
1. The Top 5 Method – pick five of your favorite shows out of the lot and focus on those only, nothing else.
If you can manage to figure out which 5 you care about the most, the rest are simply irrelevant.You won’t be itching and going crazy reading tweets on other shows because you’re in the loop with those closest to your heart.
2. The Quick Escape Method – cut out all drama shows and watch only comedies. It’s quick, easy, and very rewarding in a stressful atmosphere.
Comedies last on average 20 minutes and that is the perfect time for a study break or to grab a meal. The fact that you can watch while performing other tasks makes you less guilty about not studying. When your brain has turned into mush after a few hours of studying, doesn’t Modern Family sound like the perfect glass of lemonade on a hot day?
The Quick Escape method will probably let you log in more TV time (depending on the number of comedies you watch), while the Top 5 is much more concentrated. What’s important is that you do not stray. If you need to watch more, whatever you do, do not watch any of the shows you usually watch. Stick to old episodes/reruns or just starting a random new show you will not care about (i.e 2 and a half men). Once you start a show already on your schedule, you will have to tune back in every week which can be disruptive. I never used to watch 2 and a half men, and I just started on a random episode. It had no hold over me, and I was able to just watch it whenever. You need that because the TV shouldn’t control you, instead it should be vice versa.
It is fall, so a truckload of new tv shows are being dumped on our laps. Do not start any of the new shows. They are very unimportant in the scheme of it all and an added advantage is by the time your exams are done, you’ll know which are really worth watching from the reviews. Another tip is to be prepared for spoilers. Whether you like it or not, it’s going to happen, just don’t let it affect you that much. Accept it and move on. Whatever you read, it’s nothing like actually watching it happen. So when you do catch up after exams are over, I promise it’ll be okay.
That’s all the tips I have for now. I hope they are helpful, and most importantly, GOOD LUCK FOR YOUR EXAMS!
P.S: how great does Adam Scott look this season on Parks&Rec??! I know right!
TechnoCastle 