Expert Psychological Counselor Özgür Akoğlan, Manager of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Educational Institutions and Guidance Services, shared important tips for students to make the most of Ramadan.
Plan energy and time management correctly!
Özgür Akoğlan stated that efficient studying during Ramadan requires correctly planning energy and time management while fasting, and offered the following recommendations to students:
“Make a time plan. The 1-2 hours after sahur is when the mind is most alert. Dedicate these hours to difficult subjects or problem-solving. Focus on challenging topics when your mind is fresh. Since energy levels may drop in the afternoon, engage in passive studies such as light revisions, reading, or watching video lessons. You can continue studying by refocusing 1-2 hours after iftar (for light digestion). During these hours, subject explanations or test solving can be done.
Consider sahur and iftar times!
Özgür Akoğlan also suggested adjusting study hours according to these meals, taking into account daily energy fluctuations, and continued:
“Study in 25-minute work + 5-minute break intervals. Don't forget to do breathing exercises or light stretching during breaks. Study by taking notes, summarizing, or explaining. This increases focus. Allocate hours when your energy is high to challenging subjects. If you can't explain a topic simply, it means you haven't learned it. Study the topic. Write it as if you're explaining it to a child. Identify deficiencies and study again. Repeated study of what you've learned on day 1, day 3, and day 7 helps retain information for a long time. Visualize complex topics (for example, by drawing branching diagrams for biology subjects). If you don't want to start studying, ‘Just try for 5 minutes’ and you’ll often find yourself continuing to study even after 5 minutes have passed.”
Suggestions for physical and mental alertness
Akoğlan explained that light exercises and breathing techniques also increase efficiency while studying during Ramadan, saying, “Walking for 10-15 minutes after iftar speeds up blood circulation and facilitates focus. Dedicate 5-10 minutes a day to reduce stress and calm the mind.”
Nutrition and sleep patterns are important…
Akoğlan stated that consuming protein (egg-cheese), complex carbohydrates (whole wheat bread-oats), and fiber-rich foods (fruit-vegetables) during sahur will maintain energy throughout the day, and added that heavy and fatty foods should be avoided at iftar.
Akoğlan also emphasized the importance of paying attention to sleep patterns, suggesting that sleep interrupted by sahur should be compensated with short 20-30 minute naps during the day.
Balance of worship and motivation
Akoğlan stated that the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan should be balanced with study discipline, and positive affirmations such as “I will spend this month as productively as possible in terms of both worship and education” will increase motivation.
Akoğlan noted that there might be days when students struggle to stick to their study plans, saying, “Some days plans might go awry; what's important is to make up for it the next day. Perfectionism should be avoided.”
Group studies increase efficiency
Akoğlan stated that students can increase their motivation by doing online or in-person group studies after iftar, and emphasized the importance of active learning techniques.
“Instead of reading for long hours, take short notes, draw diagrams, and repeat what you've learned out loud,” said Akoğlan, adding that studying with clear goals will also increase success.
