Are you unable to concentrate and focus while studying?
If yes,
Do not worry…
Here are 23 proven tips backed by research to focus on studying:
1. Use a Calendar
When figuring out how to stay focused on studying, you may find that a calendar can be useful for you. Showing up for an exam and realizing that you studied the wrong part of the subject can be a horrible feeling. Sometimes, exams may be focused on a section that you did not prepare for. Rather than waiting until the last minute to study one part that is not even on the exam, why not study everything in a timely manner?
A calendar is a great tool for managing your time. With a calendar, you can create a study plan that will keep you on track. You can use the calendar to track when your exams will be and break up how much time you need to study. Figure out what your classes are. Then, you want to figure out when your exams are for each class. Finally, you want to organize your time with these subjects. You can schedule your time by modules or topics.
It is best to start a calendar at the beginning of the school year or at the beginning of a course. This will make it possible for you to complete every assignment, meet every deadline, and set aside time for relaxation so you don’t get burned out.
Start using a calendar at the beginning of the year or at the start of a course so you can avoid missing assignments, deadlines, and any important occasions which mean you’ll need time off from study.
2. Adjust Your Thermostat
If you want to know how to focus on studying, check out this next tip. When studying, you want to make sure that the temperature in the room is at the best level for concentration. At Cornell University, researchers found that when office temperatures were adjusted from 68°F to 77°F, typing errors decreased by 44%. Output also increase by 150%. Many researchers would support the fact that the most optimal temperature for working and studying is between 72°F to 77°F. If you can, try to keep the temperature in this range when you are studying.
3. Try the Pomodoro Technique
If you can’t focus while studying because the study sessions are too long, you may benefit from the Pomodoro technique. Using the Pomodoro Technique can be a great way to break up your study sessions into small chunks of time. Simply, give yourself a task to work on and use a timer. Once the timer rings, stop working and take a break.
You want to set a time frame that is suitable for you. Typically, you would work for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break. Once you have done this three times, then you take a 25-30 minute break. This will keep you focused. It will also prevent you from feeling burnout.
4. Practice Deep Breathing
A good way to get your brain ready for a study session is to do deep breathing exercises. When you breathe deeply, you are improving your brain’s function to focus and concentrate better. The researchers at Trinity College of Neuroscience have studied the correlation between breathing exercises and the production of noradrenaline.
Noradrenaline is a neurotransmitter that is involved in the concentration process. They found that regulating your breathing can perfect your noradrenaline levels. They also arrived at the conclusion that deep breathing exercises have a strong connection with a steady mind.
5. Use the Right Tools
If you want to take your study sessions to the next level, you can find the right tools to help you organize and focus on what you need to achieve.
You can use a to-do list to manage the tasks you need to complete. You can turn your goals and projects into lists. For example, Todoist makes it possible to create a daily to-do list by allowing you to set recurring tasks. So, if you have to submit an assignment every Thursday, you can set it as a recurring task. You can also collaborate with others on the lists. You can also see your progress and how productive you have been.
Schooltraq is another great tool you can use to plan your semester. You can organize all your homework assignments. Then, you can review them on any device. Trello is also great to use because it allows you to break large assignments into manageable chunks. You can organize these chunks into lists and attach due dates to them. You also get to keep track of your progress.
There are also tools to help with focus. Freedom Focus Sounds make it possible to listen to coffee shop sounds from all over the world. You can also listen to nature and office sounds. Pause prevents you from getting distracted by asking to Pause before you go to a new website. Limit lets you decide how much time you spend on a distracting website daily. Brain.fm chooses rhythms to help you focus as well as meditate and sleep.
If you want to build good study habits, there are tools for that as well. Streak is an application you can use to build good habits by allowing you to track the habit you are trying to build. As you increase your goal, your streak will get longer and longer. Seeing your progress in the app can help you to remain motivated. Coach.me also offers habit tracking, but it has another feature as well. You can hire a coach to motivate you. There is also a community of people that are also looking to achieve their goals. Habitica is a different type of habit-building app because you can get in-game rewards or punishments. There is also a community to keep you motivated.
Sometimes, noise can ruin an online call during a study session because you can’t focus while studying. To solve this problem, try Krisp. Krisp can improve your calls by eliminating background noise. You can use it with any communication application to help you concentrate better. If you need an application for collaboration during an online study group session, try Zoom. You can invite your study buddies to review coursework or just sit there as an accountability partner. You can also use Mural as an online workspace to collaborate with your study group. You can use a whiteboard or sticky notes to brainstorm ideas and plan. You can use Loom for video calls, but it also has a chat messenger feature.
6. Record Yourself When Studying
Having a friend as an accountability partner is one way how to stay focused when studying. Still, your friends may not be available to help you stay focused. Using your phone camera to record yourself can be another option.
It may seem strange to record yourself during your study sessions. However, when you record yourself, you are creating accountability. When you know that everything you do is recorded, it will remind you not to get distracted.
7. Figure Out What your Learning Style Is
The three types of learning styles are visual, auditory, and tactile. Once you have figured out what your learning style is, you can find the most productive way to tailor your study habits. There are quizzes you can take to figure out how you learn. Think about how you absorb information.
If you are a visual learner, you may enjoy reviewing notes that are colorful and catch your eye as a way how to focus on your studies. You may want your notes to have drawings so you can understand them better. If you are an auditory learner, you may want someone to explain the concepts you need to learn in order to understand the subject. A tactile learner will want to try out what they are learning to grasp the information.
We all fit into more than one category. The best way for us to learn how to focus on studies may vary on the subject matter we are learning about. Finding out the best way you learn a specific subject should be explored early on when coming up with a study plan.
8. Create a Study Environment that is Conducive to Studying
If your desk is untidy, you can’t focus while studying. If you keep your study area neat, you are likely to feel less confused and in a brain fog. You can decorate your desk in ways that can inspire you.
Putting up a vision board or mood board in your study area to remind you of your goal and dreams is a great way to start. Whenever you start to feel overwhelmed, you can look over at your vision board and remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing. This will keep you motivated.
Adding a plant to your study area can make you feel fresh and clean. Studies have shown that a plant in a work area can make you 15% more productive. When choosing a place for your study area, choose a place that is quiet. Avoid hallways and places where people or traffic might disrupt you.
9. Know that It is Okay to Say No
You do not need to give up your social life to be a student. However, you may need to cut back on certain things. If you are someone who likes to eat out with friends every day, you can perhaps cut that down to once a week. Not only will it save you some time to study, but you will also save some money. Rather than go to the movies every week, why not go every two weeks? If, during one of your study sessions, a friend calls you and asks to hang out or go shopping, tell them that you have to study. You can also let them know what time is more convenient for you.
10. Limit Your Distractions
In order to study effectively, you need to focus deeply. In today’s world, there are so many distractions. Getting social media notifications from our phones every fifteen seconds makes it really hard to get into that deep focus mode. Trying to multi-task on social media, television, and studying can be very difficult.
A study from the University of London found that when we break our focus to check on something, like notifications, it can take 23 minutes to refocus on what we were doing before. Therefore, it is important to reevaluate whether the things you are doing during your study time are appropriate and if it is really helping you.
One thing you can do is inform your friends and/or followers on social media that you are taking a break from social media for a while to focus on your studies.
11. Map Out Your Study Topics
If you prefer to learn visually, you may find mind mapping to be an effective way to concentrate better. It is a great way to study because your brain will make associations with the information in a visual manner.
First, you want to outline the main subject. Then, you want to use sub-topics, keywords, and important pieces of information to branch out. There really is no right way to make a mind map. It does not need to be perfect. It is simply another form of note-taking. It does not have to be linear.
You can also use mind maps during study groups. You can jot down everyone’s information and knowledge on a big piece of paper. This can be a good start to your study session.
12. Incentivize Your Study Sessions
If you have been studying for a while, you may start to feel like there is no point in what you are doing. Your brain may feel cramped as a result of all the knowledge you are taking in, especially if you do not see the end in sight. The best way to deal with this is to set goals and reward yourself for accomplishing these goals.
It is important for you to reward yourself. If you do not reward yourself, it may be difficult to push through during those difficult study sessions.
Having little coupons for yourself to redeem treats for your hard work can be a great tool. Every time you have completed a goal, take one of the coupons and redeem your prize. Lining up rewards is a great way to give yourself something to look forward to and sets you up in your quest on how to concentrate better.
You do not want your goals to be too easy, but you also do not want to make them so difficult that you cannot achieve them and feel super stressed. You want your goals to be a mixture of general and specific. For example, for general goals, you may decide to “study for four hours every day”. A specific goal may be to “review yesterday’s notes from a specific subject today”. For example, during our biology tuition lessons in Singapore, we frequently reward our top students in quizzes with a small prize!
13. Make and Review Flashcards
Flashcards are a cheap and easy way to review the information you have learned. They can help us make connections when studying. Flashcards are also so versatile because you can use them for almost any topic. They are great for math concepts and scientific formulas. You can also use them for art or when reviewing the literature.
Making flashcards can also be useful in reviewing the material in your lecture notes. When making your flashcards, you want to make sure they are small enough for you to carry around. You also want the notes on the cards to be clear so you can review them quickly.
14. Use Worksheets
Incorporating worksheets into your study sessions can be a fun way to break up the monotony of studying. Grading your worksheets can also be useful in finding out how much you know and what you have learned. It is also a great way to figure out where you are lacking and what you may need to study more.
Limit your worksheets to cover a subtopic of the subject you are studying for. Trying to make a worksheet with all of the semester’s topics may cause you to miss certain things you have to know. You also want to create a worksheet that you can navigate easily. Leave space for long answers.
15. Make a Cheat Sheet
A cheat sheet is basically note that are a quick reference. When preparing for an exam or test, creating a cheat sheet is a great way to review those little pockets of information you have a problem remembering. It can help you when you are concentrating on studying.
In order to review the information on your cheat sheet quickly, color code topics, bold your subtitles, and write text that is concise and to the point. A cheat sheet is a great tool that you can use when doing your worksheets or reading extensively. You can just look at your cheat sheet whenever you are confused about what you are reviewing.
16. Write your Notes in Your Own Words
When you process information by writing it in your own words, you are embedding the knowledge into your memory. This can allow you to remain focused. When you are reading, it is important to take notes. You can also rework your notes by reorganizing them. This will help you to make new connections.
Even if you have a study guide, you still want to write the notes from the guide in your own words because it will help you better understand the subject. In order to paraphrase in an accurate manner, you will need to understand the original material.
17. Keep Yourself Motivated
Motivation is an important part of remaining focused and concentrating on studying. However, you cannot just pick up motivation at the store and douse it on yourself. You have to put in the effort to remain motivated. You can tap into your motivation by creating a list. The list should entail why you want to complete your studies. Complete a list that has all the reasons a specific exam will help you to achieve your goals for the future. Whenever you feel unmotivated, you can review this list and get back on track.
You can also look for quotes that inspire you. You can write letters to your future self about what you are doing now and why. You can use these messages to decorate your study area. When you feel like you are just about ready to give up, you can look at these quotes and messages to renew your motivation.
Click here and our blog to keep yourself motivated for better study.
18. Find the Right Routine
You want to set a routine when studying. There is no one right routine to follow. Everyone has to look at their own lives and figure the best routine for themselves. The best routine is the one you can stick to.
Choose a routine you find comfortable. This means figuring out when you are most productive. If you are not a morning person, do not choose your study sessions for the morning. The quality of time spent studying is better than the quantity.
19. Read as Much as You Can
It may seem impossible to read all the recommended readings. However, they can be useful in trying to accomplish focused study. It is hard to know what information will stick to you. Adding extensive reading to your study arsenal may help you come exam day. It is also a good way to change up your study routine so that you can remain focused.
You can make fun bookmarks for your reading material. This can also help you to mark the pages that have the information you find most useful. You can write words on the top part of your bookmarks to use as a quick reference when reading.
20. Study in Groups
People who thrive in social situations may find that group study is the way how to focus on studying. When studying with friends, you may find it useful for reviewing each other’s notes. Perhaps you missed something that they got or vice versa. However, you need to make sure your study group is focused on studying. If they want to goof off or you are not getting what you need, you may have to find a new study group. For example, having group lower secondary science tuition lessons can be beneficial.
A study group can also make studying more manageable. When studying alone, you may feel isolated. Having your friends with you when studying can help you feel less alone. You can send them invitations to form a study group as a means to get them excited about forming one. The more people there are in the study group, the more ideas and notes can be shared.
21. Keep Track of Your Progress
A good way how to stay focused when studying is to track your progress. This will help you maintain a positive mindset because you can keep track of how you are progressing when studying. You can keep track by having a checklist of the subject that breaks down the different areas of study.
You also want to make sure you are not only focusing on one aspect of the subject and skipping other parts. A checklist will help you to avoid that because you can check off the things you have studied, and you are able to track the progress you have made. Once you have finished reviewing everything on the checklist, you can review the subject areas that you are not so strong in.
Checklists are a great way how to concentrate while studying. You can make a daily checklist to help facilitate your studies. A healthy breakfast can be something to add to the list. Reviewing reading material can also be something to add to your daily checklist.
22. Give Yourself a Test
Now, that you have followed your routine, completed your worksheets, read all the recommended reading, and memorized your flashcards, you may be thinking if there is anything else you can do. The next step is to find out if you really know all there is to do well on your exam.
Testing yourself is a great way to find out what your weak points are. Answer all the questions at the end of the chapters in your textbook. You can also redo old exams and quizzes.
When you review old exams, you are able to see your weak points. It will also help you to get in the exam mindset. You will feel good when you prove to yourself just how far you have come and that your studying is paying off. Make a report card for yourself to see how you are doing on your practice exams and quizzes. This way you will be able to quickly see what you need to work on.
23. Set Aside Time to Relax and Exercise
Although studying hard is an important aspect of student life, so is downtime. Although you should practice self-discipline and remain motivated, eventually you will start to feel tired and lose focus. Scheduling time to look at social media, review random questions on Quora, or just have a cup of tea may be just the pick-me-up you need to stay focused during your study session. You can also use your downtime as a reward for completing your study session. This can help you remain focused on your goals.
Exercise is also one way how to concentrate while studying. Exercising regularly is not only good for the body, but it is also good for your brain. Research also points to the fact that when you exercise you can increase your time to focus up to three hours. This is because exercise increases blood flow to your brain. You can also improve your mood and sleep quality by exercising regularly. Exercise is a natural stress reliever, and it can reduce anxiety. When stress and anxiety are reduced, you can improve your cognitive function. If you exercise regularly, you also reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s and you slow down your brain aging process in the long term. Experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week or 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly.
