Hone your concentration

“It is difficult to concentrate.” This is a very familiar cry heard in every household all over the country whenever kids are doing their homework. Some days it is very difficult to concentrate. A-L Examination is round the corner. Whoever is planning to get good results must be very busy trying to concentrate on all that you have studied at least in the past couple of years. But you may just not be in the mood to study or revise mainly because you are unable to concentrate. Without concentration, you cannot achieve your goals.

Not only on studies, even on other important activities, it is very often heard that people are saying they find it difficult to concentrate. Some students claim that certain topics are difficult to concentrate on. Whatever the reason, there are some steps you can take to help you concentrate.

Homework the students get every day is increasing. Certain students are seen attempting to do homework till late night as they are frightened to go to school thinking that they will have to face punishments. If anyone finds it difficult to concentrate, the best thing for him or her to do is to get motivated without wasting time unnecessarily.

Get motivated

What do you do when you just can’t get yourself to do homework or examination pre-preparation work? You know it has to be done, but it is the last thing you want to spend your time doing. How are you going to get yourself motivated? Here are some tips to improve your motivation to study: 

Set goals for yourself

Goals does not necessary have to be big ones, in fact, the smaller the better. You must have a go with goals you know you can attain easily. For instance, a goal such as getting an ‘A’ on your next report card would be nice, but it is a major goal.

Set a schedule for studying and write it down on a piece of paper. The written word makes it harder to ignore which is the very reason why successful people always note down whatever they wish to achieve effectively and in order.

Once you have written it down you will do it, it’s harder not to.

Arrange to get together with a friend to do homework. Meet a study buddy in a chat room to work through material you are both studying. They’re counting on you as much as you’re counting on them, so you can’t let them down.

Another point you must concentrate on is to do the homework you dislike the most first. Also, if there is homework you find most difficult, do it first while your mind is still fresh. However, if you have a number of small assignments and one major assignment to work on, doing the small ones first will make it seem like you are making progress quicker.

Whenever you need help, you have your support at home. They are your parents. You must ask help from your parents when you are in need. If you do not ask, they will assume you either do not need help or do not want help. Some students have been seen trying to concentrate on studies without rewarding themselves.

Use rewards to mark your progress. You could watch a movie on Friday night if you get your Chemistry or Biology project completed by then, or you could take a snack break once you get the first thirty Physics questions completed.

Think positive. A majority of the students say that it is difficult to get higher grades however much they study. Studying hard will not give you the anticipated results unless you combine studying smart and studying hard. We have already covered this area in an earlier column. Find a way to turn your homework assignments into something that interests you.

If you have a choice of topics, choose something you have always wanted to learn about. If you have to do Zoology or Biology homework, think about how you could use it when you want to become a doctor. I do not say that all the above tips could work for you. Try them out. Time is precious when you’re juggling multiple responsibilities. Make the most of what you have got by using your time effectively, developing your concentration skills and dealing with distractions.

 Use time effectively

 In apparel factories, the first hour of the day is treated as the golden hour because all human beings are very fresh in their minds and could concentrate better at their work. Similarly students are brightest in the mornings.

But some are of course night owls. Some are sleepy and distracted after lunch. In other words, you could use your time effectively because your energy is at its peak in the morning. The quiet but upbeat contemporary music in the background keeps you energized.

It is always better to schedule study time during your peaks. Don’t waste time when you’re less mentally alert - use it to accomplish simple, routine tasks like housework or grocery shopping.

 Develop concentration

How long is your concentration span? Find out by recording your start time when you read from a textbook or other course readings. As soon as your mind begins to drift, record the time again. Try this several times until you can gauge your average concentration span. 

 Most people take nearly imperceptible ‘refresher’ breaks every few minutes. Even my son needs this refresher break but he does take more than 85 marks every time he faces an examination. If you try to stop this method, his performance will surely deteriorates. This is a practice he has adopted which does not say that all students should follow it.

One way to improve your concentration is by reading actively: try using a highlighter, making notes of significant points in a notebook which is popularly known as short notes, jotting down questions about items you don’t understand, trying to predict what will be on the next page and connecting what you’re reading with other things you’ve read.

Deal with distractions

We have touched previously on distractions when we discussed about studying smarter not harder. However, it may be useful to discuss a little bit once again from a different angle. Sometimes it seems that distractions are coming at you from all sides, and probably they are. Distractions may be internal - the wanderings of your own mind, or external or environmental. Learning to manage both types is essential. 

 When random thoughts intrude (‘It’s my sister’s birthday next week’, ‘we need cake’), don’t try to suppress them. Instead, quickly jot them down to consider at another time. Sometimes a memory or a thought that appeared to be unrelated to your reading wields interesting insights into the subject upon later reflection.

 Be aware of your optimal study conditions and use this awareness to reduce distractions in the environment.

Are you more relaxed with absolute silence, or with classical music in the background? Do you have enough light to read without straining? How is the temperature? Do you need a fan or an air conditioner to feel comfortable? Is your chair comfortable enough to sit upright, but so comfortable that it lulls you to sleep? Are there other people around? Have you established time and space boundaries with them that they respect? 

 Making the most of your study time means having more time for your many other activities.