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Do you have have problems concentrating? Believe it or not, you are not alone! The first thing we need to do – before we can discuss how to concentrate – is to define the term “concentration”. According to Princeton University’s WordNet, concentration means:
“great and constant diligence and attention”
This is interesting… If concentration is related to attention then that means that we should be able to improve our concentration by simply becoming more attentive, right? Now, here are a few suggestions on how to do just that:
Apply The 5 More Rule
Instead of just quitting the task all together, you tell yourself to do only 5 more things before you quit. When these have been accomplished you promise yourself again to only do 5 more things (such as writing only 5 more pages, solving only 5 more math problems etc). The keyword here is the word ‘only’; by decreasing the size of the task cognitively you feel less hesitant to abandon it altogether. There’s an Arabic proverb that says:
“If you Can’t finish it altogether – Then Don’t leave it altogether”
Treat Yourself Like A Child
What do you do when your little child has accomplished a task? Well, you praise the little fellow and give him/her a reward. Treat yourself in the same manner by offering yourself incentives when ever you’ve completed a task. This will improve your motivation which in turn improves your concentration. For more information on increasing your motivation, please refer to this post on our blog entitled; improve your study motivation.
Why wait? Do it Now! resources
Procrastination is without doubt one of the biggest enemies you will face as a student. The temptation to delay your studies will always be strong, to counter this your will to succeed must be stronger. Why procrastinate and do something tomorrow if the same task can be done today?
Remove All Possible Distractions
The sad thing is that we don’t always notice when we are being distracted! There are really two kinds of distractions:
Those that are visible, such as someone who is having a lengthy (and boring) discussion with you during your ‘offical study time’. Each and every “cell in your body” tells you that this is very disturbing.
The kind of distractions that are not picked up by ‘our radar’. This type is actually worse than the previous one. You can always tell your annoying friend that you’re busy but how on earth will you rid yourself from something that you’re not even aware of in the first place?
Examples of such distractions are (in no particular order); talking with someone on a topic that interests you, watching a movie while studying/working, listening to music and so forth. All of these things are distracting you from your studies even though you’re not thinking about it. The best way to avoid these types of distractions is by avoiding them from the start.
If you continue to have trouble concentrating once all distractions have been eliminated, you may be working yourself too hard. Exercise or take a walk to get rid of nervous energy. A lack of concentration is also a symptom of eye strain, so visit your eye doctor if you consistently have blurred vision or itchy, watery eyes. If a simple adjustment is in order, you can get contact lenses and be back to your old self in no time.
Make A Task List
I wrote about this in an article entitled how to do a to do list. A to do list is basically a task list that makes it easier to concentrate on your subject. It does this by making you think only about one issue at a time. Task lists are in some ways the opposite of mind mapping, since the latter involves scattering ones thoughts instead of collecting them. Although that’s a good way to initiate a project, it’s not very useful when it comes to actually doing the task in question.
About the author
Webmaster of www.study-habits.com & author of The Study Guide PRO, Abderisak Adam shares study tips, techniques and guides to the student community. As a student of civil engineering at Chalmers University of Technology he focuses on matters relating to engineering, mathematics and physics.
His chef d'oeuvre, The Study Guide PRO, can be purchased as a digital copy.
Hi. I never normally write on wall posts but u seem so desperate i wanted to help. Do u use yor travel time 2 study? That way u’d do 4 hours every day. Speak to your tutor or uni reps to explain situation. They might be able to help. You’re not the first & won’t be the last student with this problem. Other than this it might be time to look for accommodation closer to uni.Sorry i couldn’t give more advice. Hope this snippet of ideas has helped a little bit.
Hey there, I used to face similar problems several times. the funny thing is (which you will realize only if you talk to poeple) that those who live closeby to university campus will have a different reason for their falling asleep. I knew a friend of mine who moved closer to campus, but things didn improve. Something else would eat up the time set free.
The fact is work is like a gas. The more space you allow it to occupy, it will occupy.
You need to enjoy it. I am sure you wouldnt feel sleepy if it were a movie with a friend or somethng like that. SO just take it that way.. and I am sure you will be able to finish it off soon.
best of luck in your road to success.
Thank you very much guys.
thank you Vick,anupam,natalie,Light and ashish for your help.
Your words motivated me a lot so I will do my best.
please,please sleep go away
All the best guys
Hi,
I feel a little embarrassed to ask again another advice but I don’t know who else to ask so I am writing here with the hope that someone would give me some help.So I am a good student I study, try to do my best. In exams I get good marks, but the problem is that I get panicked when the prof ask me a question about the lesson and I have to respond in front of the entire class I don’t get panicked because I don’t know the lesson this is not the reason because if I have to write it I can do it perfectly.When I am alone in my room I can say the lesson normally but in class I say the lesson with a trembling voice and this make me feel extremely sad I don’t want other think that I am a weak person I don’t want to.I have been crying all day yesterday because of this fact and I am still crying right now please help me. What can I do not to feel scared during the lesson for nothing. Please please write me
I hope someone give me a little help please
Use the school’s Library !
why ?
so that you see your friends studying . I am sure that it will motivate you . How can you not study if your friends can ?
I am sure that there are other students who are in a situation you are in now or even worst but who do not complain .
Wake up !!!
By the way ,your body can learn things easily .
just start it and then you will see it improving .
As far as I know , there is only one reason that makes you a failure . i.e excuses (do it or leave it ).
good luck !
thanks i hope this will really work.
I m 3rd year eng student.i cant control my thoughts when i m studing.various thoughts come in my mind n i m getting disturbed……….what should i do ??????????
hope, maybe you are an introvert person…comfortable learning alone & scared to face the crowd…check it out at personalitycafe forum. There are good articles how to prevent fear of speaking in public.
hi i am a 8 th grade student. just now i got failed in 8th.i am suffring from mental and physical pressure. what is my problem is that i use to make people laugh by tellin them that i forget things but after some time it started main problem in my life and why i dont know if fell very lazy while studing i hav a deep problem in memorizing things when i read a sentance while studing really i go in some other world or i skip one line or jump upper line or the lower line i really fear frome maths wht my support is my dad he didnt said anythin to me whe i failed . what i also feel that god has not given me somethin what he has given to other people take me as the seriously any one who u are plzzzzzzzz help me jay
stand in front of a mirror. then, imagine that you are in the classroom and your professor asks you a question. Try to answer/say a sentence in front of the mirror. Practice this…
thanks Joshua I really hope it works
this was a great idea
I study while listening to songs and sit on the computer chair right next to the computer. My cousin has recently shifted in with us as she is attending university in my city. She would come and start facebooking and playing poker thus completely diverting my attention from studies. I have tried talking to her but she refuses to listen and goes like go study some other place. I cant even have the internet connection cut off since at times she has to do her assignments. She doesnt have her own laptop. I am used to studying in my room like this. What do I do? Please help because my o levels are less than a month away.
You have to change environment. Period.
If you feel you can no longer study in your normal environment you have to relocate to somewhere quieter where you can concentrate on your studies. I’d recommend the either the library or studying in campus, either way you can’t continue studying under the prevailing circumstances.
hi i need some help.this is the most imp period of my career.i want to study,but thr are some problems in my life because of which im not able to concentrate.in my college days i used to enjoy studies,now im not able to do so.now i dont want to talk with anyone.so my family is worried about me.i think it is a kind of depression.im having this problem since two years.should i consult psychiatrist?time heals everything,but i dont have enough time now.i dont want to give up cause i know i can do this.sometimes i feel like a failure.if i take any decision it will creat problem for my family.im totally broken inside.how can i gain back my confidence?is their any way to concentrate when you are not happy from inside?
umm.. my exam is in 14days… and i still havnt done a proper revision.. i hav to go through 2 books… i get distracted very easily… wen i finally decide to study.. i think of the things i could b doing while not studying.. and then i end up using my computer again. i can’t seem to memorize the chapters properly too… =.=”
heyy buddy actualli , the problem with u might just be that u r thinking to study all the time, make a time table , and work accordingly , study onlii 3 to 4 hrs a day , and keep ur work updated , and ya , plz when u study , concentrate and keep distractions aside
I am first year m.c.a. student.I can’t control my thoughts when i am studying.Various thoughts come in my mind and i am getting disturbed……….what should i do ??????????
please give me some soluton.
It could be because of a number of different reasons…
First of all, where do you study? Always make sure you find a good suitable place to study.
Secondly, be sure to focus on your main goals with pursuing this education. It’s easy to be drifted away when you forget what you wish to achieve. Remove all possible distractions and then do what you have to, force yourself to study.
thanks to give me solution
hi! i got a few problems and i need some help!
my end of term exams are coming up and i just can’t concentrate enough. I am a good student and always get good grades but all of a sudden i can’t focus and so spend less time than usual for studying.. and i forget things.. if someone asks me question i can’t give the answer evn if i had studied that thing a few minutes back.. it feels as if my mind is blocked or something..
another problem that i have started to face recently is when i read a text book,, i miss out some of the words and its like some other words appear and take their place.. but when i read the same thing again,, i get a completely different meaning out of it cuz of the words that i couldn’t ‘see’ before..
the worse part is that during a recent exam i read some words of the question wrong and lost marks..(even though i double checked all of the paper and couldn’t figure out later where the hell did those words in the question come from when they were totally different during the exam!) ,,
also,sometimes when i study, most of the stuff just goes over my head and i can;t recall much of what i study..
so is it becuz of lack of concentration as my parents say so ?
and what should i do about it??
i am worried ,, please reply soon, i can’t mess up my finals cuz of these annoying problems..
meemee.
i wonder is there something that can like make you think about multiple things at one time and would allow you to think in depth about the two even linking it together that way we can study and have distraction ?cos sometime i feel like i can do it but sometime i fail utterly so if anyone got a training method for this feel free to share think will help people alot not just me aha
its same every where esply when its engg. students. switch off your cellphone and then set a target say a couple of pages and then only you are moving from your place. Read even if nuthin’ gets in head…after 2 or 3 days you will get be able to concentrate…it works for me
ritely said.
move on from past….and feel the present …you will be able to concentrate
get eye glasses , or get new ones !!! i had that problem , you may have it too… hope you well!
My problem is so different from rest of them.I am married and have a kid.I want to join to work which I didnt do past 2 years.
But whenever I need to study I am easily distracted with some work or my kid or something else.I get good sleep and am not stressed.
But these days I want to be independent what maybe the reason but still I cant sit in front of the books and prepare well for an interview.
Can anyone please help me,I am in need of ur help badly to be independent for my own reasons.
hello everyone
i have a problem,typical.I started school with a lot of energy, i studied from day ONE and i mean ONE like i was in exams . after 5months of hard work and sacrifices and stuff i had enough, but i had some left so i pushed myself for another two months , but that was it for me , the problem is i don’t remember what i studied i remember like forty% and i had enough so i don’t have the energy to do it all over , and oh yeah exams start in twenty days only which is really bad and not enough , what should i do other than kill myself? thank you all. PEACE
sanjay
your problem is really repeated to a lot of ppl even if not as much in some point or another we’ll all get distracted , i can give you some advices hopefully they’ll help you:
1. Don’t talk to people while going to get water or so cause it’ll definitely open up space for conversations and i mean by you.
two. write down aside if u wanna do something after wards even between subjects. this technique is also used by ppl who can’t sleep easily and keep thinking about things they want to do .
3. remove distractions of course like the admin said
four.stick to you time line , if you say u need 15 min between subjects don’t take 16 .
that’s all i could think of now hope you all the best .PEACE
jay
you have a computer for sure there are millions of little tricks you can do day by day and trainings to help you boost up you memory and believe me they work.so if it’s a memory thing it won’t take you more than two weeks or so to get the training in all your activities , and like the admin said most of us don’t remember things cause while doing them we didn’t pay attention like the famous key thing , just pay more attention and take it easy ..
PEACE
you know HOPE .. the problem you have most ppl have really .. on thing is for sure if u are afraid that you’ll do bad and ppl would laugh at you .. believe me you’ll do bad you ‘ll do bad And ppl will laugh at you
LOOK 1st you should take a breathe between lines when you answer.
second. you can buy up some time by asking the teacher slowly to repeat the question asked but it’s a double edged weapon so try not to use that unless you really need it..
3 know that all the students have nothing more than you to have the right to even judge you
four imagine yourself the only one with the answer to that question . good luck . PEACE
Alex
you need to be more serious
but you also need to make punishments for yourself if you don’t study and stick to them .. if u can’t ask someone to do so by simply idk take away you computer for two days maybe , and the things you think you can do instead of studying .. you can write them down aside and do one on each break that way you’ll study and do the other things too. PEACE
Whenever you get free time in your colleage spend that time in your studies. Specially Make schedule on your holiday like sunday…study 6 hrs on that day it will cover all ur weekdays.
@ RosesOfPeace
The problem with u is that u have spent more time in preparing for your syllabus n lesser time for revision …
atleast u sholud allocate 45 days for revision n next 5 days for memorizing the things tht u feel like u can forget in exam ..
another thing while preparing for some exam is to split ur preparation in different phases
like let say in 3 phases
Phase 1) Make a concise reading of each chapters (keep on reading) . in this way it will take less time to complete the whole syllabus.. ( As a source use ur class notes)
Phase 2) Then stick with ur books n use ur notes like a reference. Mark the doubts from ur book that u can ask next day from ur teacher. Underline the important sentences or paragraphs. Try to solve as many back question as u can from book ..(but dont expect to do each n every thing, consider it like if knowlodge is an ocean, u jst cant swim the whole !!).
Phase 3) Read those paras tht u have underlined in Phase 2. memorize the important stuf like formulas or constant values.
make a seprate chart for such notes.
then start revising the whole syllabus..spend 45 days atleast
If u r an engineering student then folow the Practical + Threotical Approch …
Dont feel sad or stressed for the delay in success , as ‘ Wonders’ takes time to build then ordinary structures..
Hard Work Always gains..!
Gud Luck for Future Ahead..
Good advice!
Hi
I am doing a job along with a study in MBA. but my final samister near of my door, and i am not abale to concentrate whenever i am in leave. how to concentrate ……? please help me….
chill ths is a prob evry1 faces.revise agn w/ a loota breaks in b/w dont watch tv or fiddle w/ de comp
read a nocel or meditate . try 2 keep yer lyf boring .n duh keep revising.
hello.I am a student of class 12th(cbse).i am very moody and can study well only when ii have the interest.i get interest rarely and i study only prior to my exams.though i manage to get good marks,i am afraid about other competitive exams.please suggest me what can i do to create interest and spend more time in studyin.pls help me out.
Hello,
I appreciate the honesty and what seems like good intentions.
If you truly want to change the way you study you’ll have to reexamine how you deal with your studies. Studying only one or a few days prior to an exam is not a good idea! Not only does it become difficult to pass but even if you do pass you won’t remember much of what crammed in.
If it’s difficult in the beginning I would recommend you to only study a small amount of time everyday. The fact that you are studying everyday means a lot even if you only reading a little.
hey im also looking 4 a solution although i am a medical student i cant concentrate wt can i do?
hi i am amedical second year stuent i cant focus on my work wts wrong wz me?
pls reply………..
hi..
im a high school student..i wasnt that much of a great student from the start..but lately my grades if dropping so fast..i cant concentrate at all..i try but i cant..n when i memorize sumthing..i forget it when i panic ..n i panic all the time! i dont know what to do..my grades r really low now..my confidence has gone away..i dont even feel like studying anymore..
hello.I am a student of class 12th(cbse).i am very moody and can study well only when ii have the interest.i get interest rarely and i study only prior to my exams.though i manage to get good marks,i am afraid about other competitive exams.please suggest me what can i do to create interest and spend more time in studyin.pls help me out
i am unable to concentrate on studies in the first place. whenever i sit for studies i am just not able to get into it i read for 5 min. and come out from my bedroom. i know that i have to study and perform well and make a good future but i am just unable to. i get distracted by television and i am unable to sit in front of the books continuously. please help me out
i manage to get good marks but i am afraid what i would do in competitive exams. i am in 11th state board(hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh) i get mood very rarely. and i have lots of books too for practice but i am unable to concentrate on doing them.
record your notes as a voice clip and listen to it when you are traveling from home to school. Time is very precious.. try to utilize maximum of it.
M a CA student.its being a great problm 4 me to concentrate on study.when i start to study i just fall asleep.ny one..HELP!
I try to read with a lot of concentration but when I open the books all my concentration will be gone…Please motivate me!
Marisha, you need to identify what’s causing you to lose your focus. Make sure you map it out and then decide to deal with it at a later time. Don’t try to read while thinking about other issues at the same time, it simply doesn’t work. Always deal with these other issues either before or after your reading session but NEVER while in it.
Here’s a tip; why not compile a list of questions pertaining to the chapter you’re currently reading and promise yourself that you won’t leave until you are able to answer those questions without looking at the book? This will ensure that you’ve read an adequate amount before you call quits. Everyone wins!
Take care Marisha!
Abderisak Adam – Author of The Study Guide PRO
That’s some excellent advice! You only have 24hrs/day, always important to optimize it as much as possible.
Take care!
Abderisak Adam – Author of The Study Guide PRO