How To Focus On Studying Better: 5 Top Strategies That Work For Me
This new article will show you everything you need to know about how to focus on studying better, particularly throughout the school year.
Honestly focusing during the school year can be really hard. There are many factors why it is hard for us to focus. But there are five common reasons why this is the case.
How to Focus on Studying Better:
1. Multitasking.
Although in today’s world it’s seen as a good thing to have the ability to multitask, it really does not help concentration. In fact, many scientific studies have dedicated it to studying productivity. Studies find that multitasking is bad and particularly for this reason: because we feel like we’re doing more, we’re not necessarily more effective. And this is extremely important.
The ability of the brain is optimized when fully concentrating on one task. When the concentration is scattered, brain power becomes very weak. Consider it this way: brain energy is like a can of frozen juice concentrate from the grocery store. If you drink the concentrate straight from the can, it is really potent, but as you start adding water, which will be another task or effect, the concentrate starts to lose its efficiency.
Once too much water is added, the concentrate becomes watery and unpalatable. This is how the brain works, too: As you add more and more outside influences to other tasks, the brain loses more and more of its ability to concentrate. The solution to multitasking disorders is similar to the stress factor in that it’s organization.
Let each task have a selected time in your day. Let’s say you meet a new friend at orientation. Let that time be your friend meeting time. Don’t consider moving in or the first day of class or anything like that. Let each specific thing you do be the only thing you do. That way your brain will not be overwhelmed by information and influence so it can be used to its full potential.
2. Boredom.
This will be one of the biggest challenges for many students. The human brain, irrespective of age, craves entertainment. That’s why advertisements are full of color and noise. It’s also why TV shows only last around thirty minutes to an hour. If they run longer, it is going to be difficult to keep the brain busy and entertained.
In the school world, it is simple for the brain to lose interest in homework and class. A brain that’s not entertained by the task at hand is a brain that will be very easily distracted. As one of the biggest challenges for the brain, the task of dealing with boredom can be daunting, particularly in terms of schoolwork. When it comes to boredom, one of the easiest ways to counteract it’s to break any task down into smaller chunks of time.
For example, let’s say you hate doing math. Instead of doing an hour’s worth of math homework, do it for 30 minutes. If that’s too much, try 15. However, the lowest amount of time you should work on any given project is about 10 minutes. Down there it is all too easy to spend all the time staring at the wall and doing nothing. But, briefly, to beat boredom, break up your homework into small time chunks. This will keep your brain more entertained because each task is a shorter period.
Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles to focusing, particularly on schoolwork, is boredom. The homework or class you are in is… literally, boring. You do not want to study it, you are not interested, but you might need it to graduate or to get your grades or to pass a class.
So how do you get past this boredom? Try to find ways to make it interesting. Break it into smaller parts. If you can, reward yourself after solving a few problems. Maybe after ten issues you can eat candy or go for a run or play a video game.
3. Fatigue
Lack of sleep or general fatigue causes the brain to grow tired and the brain, like any other muscle, functions less efficiently when tired. Therefore a tired body means you’ll have a tired brain which means you’ll have a hard time focusing.
So to combat this, it is a good idea to sleep as much as possible. Take it from someone who has just graduated from college: sleep is very helpful but also very easy to miss. So students, ensure you sleep because sleep is important.
4. Stress.
Stress occurs when something threatens our well-being. This can be good or bad.
It could be a deadline on homework, attempting to find a new job, moving to a new house or dorm room or that famous syllabus shock. But that could be making new friends, discovering a new city or finding new relationships.
Whatever the cause, when stress hits, it distracts your brain and makes it hard for you to concentrate. Honestly stress will occur no problem. If you’re a new student trying to go to college for the first time or if you’re a returning student who has all the knowledge of the workload ahead, stress will set in.
To minimize it, it is easier to take each step as it comes. Breaking things down into smaller parts rather than seeing all the homework because the first week, just consider what you must do on the first day.
Make a schedule and daily work. That way your brain does not feel overwhelmed with all the information coming in. Now obviously as we get into the subject of anti-fragility this is a good thing because with stress comes opportunities for growth, but you even have to have the ability to manage that stress successfully.
So if you can break things down and see just one part of the entire, it might be less stressful. Psychologically, it will seem easier. This will make it easier for you to complete the task faster.
5. Physical factors
This is a reasonably broad topic. Physical Factors can range from previously masked tiredness to mental or physical sickness or disability. If you break your arm, it will bother you while you try to write a paper.
If you have ADHD, for example, it can be difficult for you to concentrate in general. Physical factors play a much bigger role in concentration than many give it away. The solution to this problem is apparent: Take care of yourself. If you are worried about physical injury, watch out when playing sports or other physical activities. If you are often sick, sleep well, take lots of vitamins and eat a balanced diet.
If you have a mental or physical disability, take the medicine prescribed for you. Taking care of your body is inextricably linked with taking care of your mind.
Here are five ways to concentrate better this school year. I want to thank you for taking the time to read my article on how to focus on studying better. I actually hope that its content has been of good help to you. (NO)