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Easy Tips to Help Any Student Focus When Studying

Easy Tips to Help Any Student Focus When Studying

If Students Can Focus for Long Periods of Time Playing Video Games,

They Can Also Learn How to Focus Their Attention When Studying

This is a very common concern these days. Let me note that the solution to lack of concentration is usually a much easier solution than most realize. Some people can focus on virtually any task for a long period of time, but most people have difficulty focusing over time. Let me offer a simple solution that will work for most people.

5 Simple Tips for Effective and Successful Study Sessions:

To focus when studying, you need 

  1. the right place (lighting, sounds, beverage or not, suitable desk/table/chair),
  2. the right time (morning people may hit the books by 6 a.m.; night people do better in afternoons and evenings),
  3. the right demographics (with friends or not, around other people—say, in a library or cafe, alone),
  4. the right beginning that helps you to transition into focused study time (prayer, meditation, certain music, a personal ritual/routine, etc.),
  5. and study periods whose length of time works for you.

I think the first three are clear. #5 warrants a bit more attention here. Your length of study time needs to be in chunks of time that work for you. For some, 20 minutes is the longest time period they can focus when studying. Others can study for 4 hours straight. It is important to understand that studying is like exercising. You can build up your “study stamina” similarly to building up stamina when exercising. 

If you can only stay focused for 20 minutes, then do that. Then get up for 5–10 minutes. THEN dive in for a second round for 20 minutes. Over time, you will be able to gradually lengthen your focused study sessions. Like most skills, it does boil down to practice, practice, practice.

Finally, the problem with being interrupted requires attention to your own personal routine that you use to return to focused study after being interrupted. Many use headphones and music to tune out other noise. I find that listening to Baroque music on headphones helps me focus. Some begin with prayer or a meditative moment. Each person just needs to experiment to find the right routine/ritual that helps to transition from the everyday world and into a focused study time and with effective study habits. 

Study Strategies
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