Help! How to focus on studies?

[Deepak]

I have a serious problem, exams are approaching fast (next month), whenever I sit to read my books, I get sleepy after reading for few minutes. I can't sit and read for hours and hours like you guys do. I can't resist PS2 and watching TV. I know what I should be doing but somehow can't do.

Any suggestions and ideas? How do you guys study?

 

[sytaylor]

I find looking up the information I should be studying from google, and reading it from various sources tends to help. For some reason I can read for longer from a screen without getting tired and changing music tracks perdiodically distracts me enough to keep my attention... strangely

 

[JF_Aidan_Pryde]

Get yourself a totally different environment.

Go to the library.

Go to your university's labs.

Go to a noisy cafe or take away store.

Anything that works for you. For me, there's no perfect solution. But when I'm prone to distraction, suffering from "compulsive pressing on internet / outlook" etc, I try to find a new environment.

If I have to fight sleepyness, I go to a McDonalds that's open 24 hours.

You should try to get 'into' the work. Once you're 'in' so to speak, your curisoity drives you and you just want to know how to do so and so. From there on, distractions are much less potent.

 

[Leto]

It's funny how I can read about subjects thoroughly and intensively on the internet that I would otherwise not give a damn about and then hardly be able to read 5 pages from study books.

Internet forums are especially bad at pulling you in, theres so much to read and check for replies to your replies all the time

 

[_xxx_]

You have to resist PS2 and TV. No other way. Also, try getting more sleep.

On weekends, go out and have a really great party.

 

[Druga Runda]

beer,

once you have a few pints, you won't be thinking about focusing to study anymore, you will know that you know everything.

Just remember to drink a few before the exams, so that you don't forget that you know everything. 8)

 

[zurich]

This is actually a really good question.

I've felt my studies have suffered greatly in the past 4-5 years because I simply can't focus my attention while reading/studying. I'm "all ears" during lecture and, generally speaking, am very attentive and take great notes, but when it comes time to open the text book I usually flake out and run to the gym Even when I do force myself to sit down and "
"study," I find myself either falling asleep / glossing over pages and not actually "reading" (I often have to re-read paragraphs 4 or 5 times) / getting distracted by something like the state of my nails! :?

Apparently there is a school of thought that says that video games / internet use can cause this over a long period of time, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was true. I haven't even been able to read a book in a very, very long time, yet hardware reviews and newspaper articles don't pose a problem.

Sigh.

 

[Crusher]

Pay someone to hit you with a hammer every time you take your eyes off your book.

 

[Nite_Hawk]

Take notes. Write down a summery of every single paragraph you read from the book and if you don't know what the last paragraph you read says, re-read it until you remember it well enough to write it down. It's slow and tedious, but if the book actually says something you want to remember, it's a good way to remember it. Personally, I found that it really just took forcing myself to sit down and read as best I could (going to another location like a library as was mentioned in previous posts does help some). Over the years, either my classes became more interesting, or I got better at it (maybe both?) because it did get easier to do. Toward the end of college I actually was learning a lot more from my books than I was during lecture. In some cases it actually made more sense for me to skip lecture and spend the extra time reading my text books as it was the only way I could get everything I needed to done (Note: It worked well for me, but ymmv!)

Nite_Hawk

 

[Sage]

This is actually a really good question.

I've felt my studies have suffered greatly in the past 4-5 years because I simply can't focus my attention while reading/studying. I'm "all ears" during lecture and, generally speaking, am very attentive and take great notes, but when it comes time to open the text book I usually flake out and run to the gym Even when I do force myself to sit down and "
"study," I find myself either falling asleep / glossing over pages and not actually "reading" (I often have to re-read paragraphs 4 or 5 times) / getting distracted by something like the state of my nails! :?

Apparently there is a school of thought that says that video games / internet use can cause this over a long period of time, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was true. I haven't even been able to read a book in a very, very long time, yet hardware reviews and newspaper articles don't pose a problem.

Sigh.

i have the same exact problem! it's been YEARS since I've actually finished ANY book. if you find a solution let me know!

 

[MuFu]

I've struggled with the same thing for ages, to the point that I catastrophically failed two years of uni and developed an eating disorder related to feeling guilty about it (!). Now I'm fine, and after years and years of BS advice and unconstructive yet comforting, "stuff I want to hear" from mates, the only way I've ever been able to get over it is say to myself something like...

You're tired? Oh BOO-FUCKIN-HOO. Stop pissing about and get a grip!

Going to the library etc might help, but there's absolutely nothing to stop you studying in your room except a lack of self discipline and increasing self pity.



Use the things you want to do as a reward, not as an escape route. Pee into the wind, my friend.

 

[Sage]

you're full of shit, MuFu!

















































unfortunately, you're also probably correct...

 

[London Geezer]

Your hormones are kicking in, there is not much you can do about it, even if you isolate yourself in a TV-less, PC-less environment, you will find ways to do something else rather than study, if whatever you're studying doesn't catch your attention.
Give in to your hormones. U'll feel happier.















I AM joking.

 

[zurich]

I've struggled with the same thing for ages, to the point that I catastrophically failed two years of uni and developed an eating disorder related to feeling guilty about it (!). Now I'm fine, and after years and years of BS advice and unconstructive yet comforting, "stuff I want to hear" from mates, the only way I've ever been able to get over it is say to myself something like...

You're tired? Oh BOO-FUCKIN-HOO. Stop pissing about and get a grip!

Going to the library etc might help, but there's absolutely nothing to stop you studying in your room except a lack of self discipline and increasing self pity.



Use the things you want to do as a reward, not as an escape route. Pee into the wind, my friend.

Only problem is that I remember the days where I was a normal human being who could read books, study, etc.

 

[JF_Aidan_Pryde]

I've struggled with the same thing for ages, to the point that I catastrophically failed two years of uni and developed an eating disorder related to feeling guilty about it (!). Now I'm fine, and after years and years of BS advice and unconstructive yet comforting, "stuff I want to hear" from mates, the only way I've ever been able to get over it is say to myself something like...

You're tired? Oh BOO-FUCKIN-HOO. Stop pissing about and get a grip!

Going to the library etc might help, but there's absolutely nothing to stop you studying in your room except a lack of self discipline and increasing self pity.



Use the things you want to do as a reward, not as an escape route. Pee into the wind, my friend.

LOL -- sounds very similar. I failed 3 / 4 subjects of my first session in university from similar problems. Although now I've recovered, those marks don't get erased. And now I'm having a heck of a hard time getting employers to look at my resume. Most dismiss me on my crap marks outright. And the crapped marks really doesn't help for further uni studies either. How are you dealing with this?

 

[Deepak]

What techniques do you guys employ? I 've noticed that if I play music in background then I concentrate better.

 

[Jabbah]

I'd second what Nite_Hawk and MuFu said.

Failed my first year in spectacular style from too much partying and thinking the exams would be easy as it was "only" first year Didnt quite learn my lesson for the second first year and just scraped through due to a lack of self drive and finding distractions etc. Luckily first year marks were not counted in the final degree mark so got away with that. Then as MuFu so eloquently put, I got a grip and forced myself to sit down and do the work. That and a revision technique that worked for me got me through the next 3 years doing a lot lot better.

The technique I used was similar to what Nite_Hawk described. Go through your notes and texts, condense them down and summarise them. I do several passes of this till I end up with a list of key points to remember. Then work backwards and try and recreate what youve condensed down. If you cant do it, start again. Reading is not very good on its own as you dont take in very much, you need to write it down too.

I used to think music helped me to concentrate, but then once I was able to sit down and revise without any problems, I found the music was only distracting. Your brain will probably be trying to learn the music at the same time. However I know some people who listen to certain tracks for certain areas of a subject and then try and think of that track in the exam to help remember stuff through association. I guess whatever works for you.

Whatever you do, goodluck.

 

[_xxx_]

What techniques do you guys employ? I 've noticed that if I play music in background then I concentrate better.

Sure, I always needed it as well. There was always some kind of "controlled distraction" needed, complete silence is awful for learning in my case.

 

[RussSchultz]

I hear a girlfriend always works wonders for studies. That or smoking a lot of ghanga


/don't listen to me

 

[Sage]

I hear a girlfriend always works wonders for studies. That or smoking a lot of ghanga


/don't listen to me

I don't really have enough money to buy either of those at the moment...