Studying for exams is like any other task; you may find it easy in the short term but holding your concentration for extended periods can prove to be difficult. When your mind begins to wander, what you are reading may not register and it can be impossible to remember what you have just covered. This can waste very valuable time. You may even be too tired to study at all and need to postpone the work until a time when you are more refreshed. To make matters worse, you may be reading something which you find boring and, as a result, it won’t easily hold your attention.
The biggest cause of frustration at homework time though, and often why this work feels boring, is that students usually do not have a clear plan or structure set out to maximise their learning and efficiently cover the work in hand. Sticking to a good study plan will deliver the most satisfying results.
The traditional approach to study involves burying your head in books for hours at a time, but this often ends with very little achieved. On the other hand, the clever approach to studying involves being more organised and making the material more engaging and interesting to you. In this way, you can eliminate distractions and improve your concentration during study. Follow the tips in this section and you will discover how to develop better powers of concentration. Keep in mind that real and effective concentration is developed slowly. With proper preparation and a strong desire to do your best, your homework and study results will improve dramatically.
Physical environment - where you study makes all the difference:
- Establish a daily routine that suits your study habits and needs. Stick to it.
- Have a set place where you study – then you will always associate it with effective study. Keep it free of distractions.
- Your study place, if possible, should have a desk, a comfortable chair and good lighting and heating when required.
- Have your books and stationary on hand. Time spent looking for things is time spent not studying.
- Avoid clutter as this can cause chaos when you least need it.
- TV, friends and the Internet are the biggest distractions. Turn your phone off and log out of social networking sites. Look forward to these "rewards" during your breaks.
- Have your daily/weekly planner where you can see it. Check off completed tasks/study periods as you finish them.
Once you have created an effective and suitable study area that is free of audio and visual distractions, you are ready to start studying.
Tips for making studying easier:
- Schedule breaks. Take a 10 minute break after every 50 minutes. If this is too long take a five minute break after every 25/30 minutes. Everyone is different. Do what suits you but be disciplined.
- Do something different when you take a study break – leave your study area and walk around for a few moments, make yourself a cup of tea, etc.
- Better students are most productive when they organise their study time into specific blocks, with a short break between them.
- Break your tasks up into small, manageable sections. Keep track of your time so you can make sure you get the most out of it.
- Stick with a task until it is completed. Decide on an allocated time slot and don't leave your study place until the task is done.
- Reward yourself or take a small break after achieving a task.
- Have some nice treats for yourself as goals are achieved. This will help keep you motivated and encourage you on your way.
- Keep active while studying. This can be achieved by taking notes, asking yourself questions or closing the book and trying to recall from memory what you have done.
- Use study cards or brainstorms/idea maps. They will help you recall the essential information and are very effective revision.
Tips for keeping the mnd from wandering:
- When your mind begins to wander, ask yourself why?
- If you have been momentarily distracted then try and refocus on the task at hand.
- If you have reached your limit on doing a particular task, then switch to something different in order to keep yourself interested.
- When their concentration lapses, some students find it useful to pinch themselves lightly and bring themselves back to base.
- Draw an "X" on the corner of a page every time this happens and soon you will become more aware of your lapses in concentration.
- Keep a record of this and gradually your mind should begin to wander less.
- Remember to use whichever system works best for you. It's good to have a system; it will keep you focused and channel your attention to the areas where it's needed most.
- If you absolutely cannot focus on your study, then move away from your books for a while. Go for a quick run, or have a chat with someone in the family.
- When you feel relaxed and ready again, return to your study area. Remember that it's "mind over matter". You are in control of your own attention and focus.
- Everybody is different. Can you think of ways that could keep your mind from wandering and that would help keep you focused while you study?
Now that you've pinpointed some methods to help you stay focused, try and implement them in your day-to-day study routine.
Effective studying techniques:
- After each task or page you read, stop and check back to see what you can recall.
- Continually ask yourself questions to keep yourself on track.
- This constant testing helps highlight areas where you need to study further and reinforce confidence in areas you know well.
- Always do your homework for the most difficult/least favourite subjects first. By getting these out of the way, you will find everything else comes easier and is more enjoyable.
- Concentrate on one thing at a time. Don't try to multitask.
- Use page markers and dividers to keep everything organised and easily accessible.
- Take notes on what you read. Update notes learned to flash cards.
- Ask yourself: Am I getting the best use out of my time right now? If not, why not? Make changes so that your time is being used as well as possible.
How am i doing?
It’s important to regularly ask yourself how you are getting on. You can think of this as checking in with yourself, and a way of making minor corrections if needed.
- Visualise what it is you wish to achieve from working hard; your end results, your desired college place, etc.
- Decide whether or not you are on course to achieve this goal and what changes, if needed, can be made.
- Don't be too hard on yourself. Old habits can take a bit of time to change. Reward your successes and work on changing what you find hard to do. Your time is very valuable – so use it wisely.
- Keep a trusted friend/family member up to date on your progress – let them know when you have achieved an important goal.
Remember:
Success breeds success – even little ones.