It’s Wednesday . You’ve been stressed out from the week’s workload; assignments, huge reports, tests and you still haven’t caught up in class. You’ve finally tried to overcome the reluctance of sleeping in. You’re at your desk now and want to get some studying done so you don’t feel like you’ve wasted the whole day but all things are against your favor.
First, you see a notification from your friend and you have to maintain that Snapchat streak so you reply her. You’ve replied her snap and it’s finally time to study but as you’re about to put down your phone you receive a notification on Instagram, it’s a new meme/skit. You’re so cracked up you decide to look at others – 30 mins have gone by and you don’t realize it….
Besides “You cannot come and kill yourself” right? You look at how much you have to do and then you just mentally give up. Next thing, your snap story says “Got so much studying to do” but you’re still on your phone complaining to everyone about the amount of work you have to do before you the weekend is over…….and it goes on…….and…….on…….
Distractions come every day, every minute. How do we deal with them?
From observations, I have gathered 4 forms of distractions I assume are relatable to you:
Technological distractions
Friends
Your environment
Moving around to get stuff you need (textbooks, pencils, highlighters, etc)
1. Find the Best Study Location
The environment you choose to study is very crucial. If you want to avoid distractions, you would want to choose a place that is far from people or things that can distract you.
I usually study in my room but last year, I was actually forced to go to the library at least 3 times a week because I started tutoring a first-year student there. Most times, I would stay behind after tutoring to study. I found out that I accomplished a lot more while studying there. Also, I had weekly study group sessions so I actually went to the library a lot during that period.
I’m not saying you must study in the library. Just choose a place that is free from people you know or things that you know personally distracts you.
2. Eliminate Technological Distractions
Phones. Laptops. TVs.
In this day and age, it’s so hard for students to disconnect from these things but that’s what we need to do to focus. DISCONNECT!!!! when it’s time to study.
You can do this by keeping your phone on silent, turning off notifications, putting your phone off and putting it in another room. It’s time to study, your books need your attention. Also, you can use the StayFocusd Chrome Extension to block you from visiting distracting sites (like Facebook, Twitter, etc).
On a second note, you could use the school’s laptop when studying as it is clear of all your social media accounts login details. This makes it difficult for you to open them.
Lastly, I believe you’re smart enough to know what to do when it comes to TVs. Switch the thing off!!
3. Get the stuff you’ll need for study
When studying in my room, I don’t always gather the stuff I need for studying. This results in me standing up almost every time or shifting my books here and there to find a paper I need.
However, when I decide to study in the library, I am mindful of what I need during that study session (I mean, who wants to walk 15 mins back to dorm for a paper I forgot?).
Ensure you have all the materials you need for that study session to eliminate moving around and reducing willpower.
4. The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique was invented in the early 90s by a developer, entrepreneur, and author named Francesco Cirillo. He named the technique “Pomodoro” after the tomato-shaped timer which he used when he studied as a university student. It is a studying technique that enables you to focus on a single task with extreme focus.
The process of this technique:
Choose a specific subject you want to study for
Set a timer for 25 mins and work on that subject alone
After that, take a 5 mins break and switch subject
Note: This is the standard technique but you can tweak it to suit your needs. I can’t really work with the 25 mins thing because I feel it’s too short for me to understand (Yes! I’m a slow learner). So, I use 1hr 30 mins to study a subject, take a 15 min break (to play my guitar, of course) and then I switch to another subject. Sometimes, I don’t switch, I remain on that same subject but I make sure to take breaks and avoid mental breakdowns (They’re real, trust me).
5. Selecting the Right Study music (or noise):
It’s debatable whether it’s more productive to study with or without music. It all boils down to your preference. I’m gonna tell you what I do in different scenarios, it’s up to you to choose what helps you. Remember it’s all about creating that atmosphere for optimum focus.
Last year, I discovered a strict study playlist for myself. For serious studying,
Awesome!!! You made it up to this point. Good for you.
Final Words
Remember: You need to take deliberate actions to eliminate distractions and focus on studying.
I hope these tips I have provided will help you to study with optimum focus.
-BLESSEDWITHBESTT
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