Urghhh, Can not study!

[CommanderMadi]

I can not study, I am losing all focus and concentration. No specific reason, I just sit and study for about 15-20 minutes then go do something else like watching a sitcom, check my internet stuff, my e-mail inbox, etc.. Can not focus..



Any vital and sure way/ways to stop that and focus for more few hours on my study?



Thanks for all advice in advance.

 

[Cranos]

I get distracted easily by computer, tv and stuff like that so what I do is go to one of my college's libraries. There I can concentrate myself a lot more easily.

 

[CommanderMadi]

That's a good idea, but it won't work properly for me as I live far a bit from the college

 

[Durandal]

That's actually not anything unique. 15-20 minutes is the average length of a human attention span. Going off to do something else after that period isn't necessarily a bad thing, actually. Where the problem comes into play is limiting that 'off' time, and getting back to work. If you're watching TV, on the Internet, etc. I'd recommend setting an alarm. You can go in shifts, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Something like Facebook, forums, etc. don't really require constant attention, so after the alarm goes off, you can minimise them and get back to work. Memory retention actually tends to work better with an approach like this, and you get a 'reward' for focusing for that block of time, which gives an incentive to work as much as possible to get a good bit of work done in that 20 minutes, so you can enjoy the 20 minute break, and eventually stop restricting your time on the leisure portion.



In the end, it's all about personal willpower. If worse comes to worse- having an environment with little to no stimuli other than the work at hand forces you to stay focused on the work.

 

[Ashley]

If the problem occurs more often than it should, I would turn everything off and go find a place where I won't be distracted by things like forums, favorite tv shows, etc. They say that if you find yourself doing a good job with studying, you should reward yourself with a little treat every now and again. I can't remember what those rewards were, though.

 

[Corleone]

If the problem occurs more often than it should, I would turn everything off and go find a place where I won't be distracted by things like forums, favorite tv shows, etc. They say that if you find yourself doing a good job with studying, you should reward yourself with a little treat every now and again. I can't remember what those rewards were, though.

Exactly. I wouldn't set a timespan and go by that, I'd go by what you've studied and actually pertained. After you believe you've studied enough, quiz yourself and see if you truly pertained what you studied. Once you're satisfied you've reached a good stopping break, take a break, but avoid the computer/anything else that'll take your attention away from studying. I usually just get up and stretch and then sit back down and study. Sometimes I'll get a drink or something to eat if that's bothering me, because studying on a full stomach helps.



Lastly, get all your chores done, that way you're not worried about managing your time. Get everything you need done done before you begin studying, and that'll help you forget that you have to do this, this, and that, so you're completely focused on studying and studying alone.



Goodluck!

 

[Cranos]

That's a good idea, but it won't work properly for me as I live far a bit from the college

Well any quiet spot with little distraction would do.



As for the 20min studying, 20min break idea, who has so much time during exams? 0_o If I did that kind of system I wouldn't even be able to learn half of the material I need to know.

 

[Jazzy]

Tips on How to Stay Focused when Studying: Link http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Tips+on+How+to+Stay+Focused+when+Studying-a01073869412

 

[Durandal]

Well any quiet spot with little distraction would do.



As for the 20min studying, 20min break idea, who has so much time during exams? 0_o If I did that kind of system I wouldn't even be able to learn half of the material I need to know.

Well, it worked for me, when I actually did study - most of the time I just knew the stuff. It was kind of weird. Like I got it the first time. People say my memory capacity is frightening, though.

 

[CommanderMadi]

Thank you guys for all this advice

Really much appreciated

 

[Cranos]

Well, it worked for me, when I actually did study - most of the time I just knew the stuff. It was kind of weird. Like I got it the first time. People say my memory capacity is frightening, though.

Your university system must be completely different from mine. We need to know 2000p books and we hardly have any class so here it's impossible to just know it.

 

[CommanderMadi]

Your university system must be completely different from mine. We need to know 2000p books and we hardly have any class so here it's impossible to just know it.

What do you study, Cranos?



I study Political Comparative Systems, Political Thought, Researching Methodology, The History of Economics in Egypt, Statistics and Mathematics

 

[Cranos]

What do you study, Cranos?



I study Political Comparative Systems, Political Thought, Researching Methodology, The History of Economics in Egypt, Statistics and Mathematics

My major is Sociology. My courses for this semester are Sociology, Political Science, Statistics, Communication Science, Introduction To The Methods And Techniques Of Research and Society: Facts & Problems.



It's my first year so it's a lot of general, dry material.

 

[Durandal]

Your university system must be completely different from mine. We need to know 2000p books and we hardly have any class so here it's impossible to just know it.

Not quite - I've had to tackle quite large books, too...but people also complain I 'read too fast' for them, too...so I think I'm just lucky. Not to mention I was in an accelerated programme, too...so take that and scrunch it into a month more or less.

 

[Cranos]

Not quite - I've had to tackle quite large books, too...but people also complain I 'read too fast' for them, too...so I think I'm just lucky. Not to mention I was in an accelerated programme, too...so take that and scrunch it into a month more or less.

Ahh that sounds handy... I don't have that, I'm going to have to study 10 hours a day for the next 3 weeks if I want to pass.

 

[Durandal]

Ahh that sounds handy... I don't have that, I'm going to have to study 10 hours a day for the next 3 weeks if I want to pass.

Sounds brutal...though I guess in the end, we do/did about the same amount of work, because I'd have to spend anywhere from 20-80 hours on campus, in-classes, or co-ordinating projects for classes. It made a full-time I.T. job look easy.

 

[Cranos]

Sounds brutal...though I guess in the end, we do/did about the same amount of work, because I'd have to spend anywhere from 20-80 hours on campus, in-classes, or co-ordinating projects for classes. It made a full-time I.T. job look easy.

Could be, it's not like we have no classes but it's only like 12-18 hours a week and we don't have a lot of projects/papers.

 

[Ashley]

Exactly. I wouldn't set a timespan and go by that, I'd go by what you've studied and actually pertained. After you believe you've studied enough, quiz yourself and see if you truly pertained what you studied. Once you're satisfied you've reached a good stopping break, take a break, but avoid the computer/anything else that'll take your attention away from studying. I usually just get up and stretch and then sit back down and study. Sometimes I'll get a drink or something to eat if that's bothering me, because studying on a full stomach helps.



Lastly, get all your chores done, that way you're not worried about managing your time. Get everything you need done done before you begin studying, and that'll help you forget that you have to do this, this, and that, so you're completely focused on studying and studying alone.



Goodluck!

I never have been good at quizzing myself. I had special needs when I was a student, so as far as studying went, everything had to be done just so so that I can at least attempt a psasing grade. I was more apt to do better if I had a study guide in front of me, then I at least would have some insight to what would be on the test. To some of you guys, a study guide may sound like cheating, but when you have a learning disability, and you have troulbe studying out of the text book as I did, you don't really have much of an option.

 

[Durandal]

I never have been good at quizzing myself. I had special needs when I was a student, so as far as studying went, everything had to be done just so so that I can at least attempt a psasing grade. I was more apt to do better if I had a study guide in front of me, then I at least would have some insight to what would be on the test. To some of you guys, a study guide may sound like cheating, but when you have a learning disability, and you have troulbe studying out of the text book as I did, you don't really have much of an option.

A lot of schools/professors, etc. find study guides perfectly acceptable; I wouldn't really consider it cheating.