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How to Concentrate on Studies by Roger Lewis Fischel
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How to Concentrate on Studies |
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Education
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Concentrating on your studies is not always the easiest thing to do. There are always distractions. Friends want to go out, there is a show on tv, you can add many more things to this list. So how do you focus? How to concentrate on studies is a question that always arises. In this brief article, I share two robust tips that should help you focus better than ever before. Tip 1: Make a Study Schedule Study is not something to do when there is nothing else to do. You don't study when you get around to it. If you follow this path you are bound to fail. The key to successful study is to make a schedule and follow it. The sad fact is that, like New Year's resolutions, most people who make schedules slip into old habits in a week or two. Time Requirements Most experts agree that for each academic subject you should spend one to two hours a day, five days a week, studying. The further on you get in school, the longer the time will be. So if you are taking four academic subjects, you must set aside from four to eight hours a day for study. In this time, you should review your notes from the beginning and begin to internalize new material. It is important to not bunch your study-time into one segment. Your brain needs time to relax, to create new connections. Scheduling Ideas If you are a part of a study group, you must coordinate time with three or more people. Do this before you schedule time for your solo studying. Then, look at time you have in school to study. Carve out some of that time to study. At the beginning, schedule the maximum time needed for your subjects. Then, once you are sure of the actual time required, revise your schedule. Be absolutely certain that you can live with the schedule you create. If you can't live with it you will fail. Always remember that your schedule is not carved into marble, it is written in pencil so you can revise it. Do not be afraid to revise when necessary; just make sure it is necessary and not a ploy to quit your plans. Tip 2: Build in Breaks and Rewards This seems so simple it is far too often overlooked. When scheduling an hour for study, build in a ten-minute break. Remember you are doing heavy lifting for your brain, a task that requires a lot of energy. A ten minute break provides enough time to relax before you take up your work again. Along these same lines, do not schedule more than two subjects for study at a time. Break up the time so that your studying builds mental connections. I also suggest that you not combine two similar subjects in the same study period. Study history along side math, english along side science. In doing this, you'll face opposing mental challenges in your studying. On the subject of rewards it is important to build-in specific rewards for the completion of important study tasks. For example, when you complete studying a subject right before your break, treat yourself to your favorite snack. When you complete studying for a test, eat a bowl of ice-cream. Whatever you choose as a reward, make sure you do not skip over that reward. You'll be surprised at how this simple piece of positive reinforcement is one way to concentrate on your studies. Some Final Thoughts How to concentrate on studies is a perennial question asked by students. Today I suggested two simple, yet robust ideas to help you do just that. Making a schedule is one way to concentrate on your studies. Building breaks and rewards into your schedule is another. You should note that neither of these answers the question, how to concentrate on studies directly. Rather they are foundational to studying. Later we'll discuss ways to tackle what to do when actually studying. Dr. Roger Lewis is the owner of Effective Study Tips where he introduces parents and their children to the most effective study habits we know of. Dr. Lewis is a career educator teaching in both middle-school settings and in university departments of education. His specialty is in the teaching of reading methods for k-12 students. He is now retired concentrating on sharing his knowledge with a broader audience.
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how to concentrate on studies, effective study tips,
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