TSR members give their tips on staying productive even when you really can't be bothered
You know you have to revise because you have goals – you might want to get good exam results or go to university, and then get a job you enjoy and generally live a happy and fulfilled life.
But that stuff is all just so far away! You sit down to start studying but then you fall into a trance-like state and come round four hours later to find that you’ve fallen down an internet rabbit hole, and you’re now on the Wikipedia article for the list of inventors killed by their own inventions with no memory of how you got there.
Great – and now the whole evening has passed you by and you haven’t even done any of the revision you were vaguely planning to do. Guess you can try again tomorrow…
Well, at least lots of other people have this problem too, and people who have already studied for (and passed!) exams whilst being lazy have some knowledge to pass on. And for most of this stuff, you won't even need to change out of your pyjamas.
Watch videos
Ahh, YouTube. You can literally lie in bed, not moving, ingesting entertainment through your eyeballs and still learn!
You could also take a look at these six amazing apps to help you revise.

Mindmaps and flashcards
Make your notes as short and colourful as possible, and they might be able to hold your attention for at least a couple of minutes.
Here's where you can find great free revision resources to help you make flashcards, quizzes and more.

Make use of your walls
If you can’t escape revision, some of it’s bound to go in, right?!
Past papers
You can’t fully escape having to actually practice answering questions, but if you just do it a tiny bit at a time, you might be able to get through a whole paper.
Here's more about how to use past papers to ace your exams.

Treat yourself
One of the biggest pitfalls of revising is setting yourself too daunting a task, deciding you’re never going to get it done so what’s the point of even trying, and going back to the comfort of playing games on your phone.
More on TSR
- How to study effectively for your exams
- Procrastination-busting ways to stop stalling your revision
- Students who got A*s at A-level explain study, learning and revision tips everyone can follow
- Students who got grade 9s at GCSE explain study tips that everyone can follow
- Read even more revision articles on our revision and study help hub