Many students have difficulty concentrating while studying, especially if they have to study material they don't like. During school, studying may be a less enjoyable activity, but don't let this be an obstacle. With persistence and the application of effective study techniques, you can still study even the most boring subjects with great concentration.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparing Before Studying
Step 1. Find the most suitable place to study
In order to concentrate properly, make sure you choose a place to study that is free of distractions by finding a neat, quiet, and comfortable location.
- Study in a quiet place, such as in your bedroom or in the library. If you want to study while breathing fresh air, find an open area that is quite quiet and has an internet connection if needed.
- Everyone likes a different learning environment. There are students who find it easier to concentrate in a quiet place, while others prefer to study while listening to the sounds of nature.
- Believe in yourself.
- To find out the best learning environment, experiment with studying in different locations, with friends or alone, while listening to music or without music, etc. This method helps you determine your ability to concentrate and study productively in different environments.
Step 2. Prepare the necessary study equipment
In order to study with high concentration and good results, prepare all the necessary equipment, such as notebooks, textbooks, study guides, blank paper, stationery, etc. Also prepare snacks, such as fruits or nuts and water.
Put all study equipment in an easy-to-reach place so you don't have to get out of your seat to pick it up
Step 3. Tidy up the study area
Remove unnecessary items and tidy up the study area to reduce stress and improve concentration. Things that don't directly contribute to your ability to concentrate will distract you.
Throw away food packaging, unused paper, and other objects that are no longer used
Step 4. Turn off electronic devices
In addition to cell phones, first turn off electronic devices that are not needed while studying, such as music players and computers (if you don't need to use a computer while studying).
Laptops or computers can distract you, making it difficult for you to concentrate
Step 5. Study on a schedule
Make a study schedule and apply it as best you can. That way, you will get used to studying at a certain time so that the goals you want to achieve are more easily realized. Notice if you feel more energized (so it's easier to concentrate) when studying during the day or at night? You can study more difficult subjects when you have a lot of energy.
Once you know when you feel more energized, make it a habit to study during those times to improve your ability to focus and concentrate on what you need to learn
Step 6. Invite a friend to study together
Sometimes learning feels more fun when done with friends. Besides being able to discuss by exchanging opinions, you are able to understand certain subjects from different perspectives. Friends will also remind you to keep studying on schedule and concentrate on the tasks that must be completed.
There are students who think that friends will distract. When looking for friends to study with, invite students who are responsible and genuinely want to learn. Choose students who are actively participating in class to keep you motivated to keep up
Step 7. Incentivize yourself
Before studying, think of something you would like to give yourself as a reward for studying success. For example, after memorizing historical records for 1 hour, invite your roommate to chat about activities since the morning, preparing dinner, or watching your favorite TV show. Incentives are a source of motivation so that you are able to concentrate on studying for a certain period of time and become a way of rewarding yourself for being focused on studying.
To complete more important tasks, set a bigger incentive as a reward for studying hard
Part 2 of 2: Maintaining Concentration During Study
Step 1. Determine the most appropriate learning method
Every student has a different learning style. So, find out the most appropriate study method to keep you focused while studying. For that, experiment and choose a learning style that allows you to concentrate well. Basically, the easier it is for you to process and interact with the material being studied, the better your ability to understand the lesson and focus on the task at hand. Some students can learn well just by memorizing material in textbooks, reading notebooks, or doing practice questions, but other students need to do the following:
- Make note cards. If you want to memorize words, terms, and concepts, make notes using small card-sized paper and then read them over and over again to memorize them.
- Draw. The material to be studied can be in the form of structures and diagrams. To make it easier to remember, copy the original structure and diagrams so you can visualize and draw them yourself.
- Creating a reading outline. The reading frame helps students understand the main ideas of the material being studied including detailed supporting information. In addition, the reading frame can be used to visualize and assemble the information needed when students have to remember details while taking an exam.
- Understanding information through elaboration. Elaboration aims to explain that the material being studied is something that is true. This method is the same as providing an argument to prove the importance of a fact or statement. This method can be applied to discuss various concepts so that you are able to understand the material being studied by analyzing and explaining its significance.
Step 2. Be an active learner
Focus on the information being discussed while reading a book or attending a lesson. Instead of just reading or listening, question the information and challenge yourself. Ask questions about the material being explained, find the relationship between the material and everyday life, compare it with other information that you already know, use the information as a discussion material, and explain the newly obtained material to others.
Actively participating in lessons makes the material more useful and interesting so that it is easier for you to concentrate
Step 3. Apply some mental concentration techniques
There are some surefire tips to improve concentration, but they take a lot of time and patience, for example by:
- Realizing the present. This simple and effective technique is useful in directing the mind to the task at hand. The trick, when you realize that your mind is distracted from the lesson, say to yourself, "I'm here right now" while controlling the distracted mind so that it returns to focus on the material being studied.
- For example, while attending a lesson, your attention is distracted from the material because you think you want to drink coffee and worry that you have run out of cheesecakes in the cafeteria. By telling yourself, "I'm here right now," you redirect your attention to the lesson and are able to hold on to it as long as possible.
- Taking notes of the changing thoughts. Take notes whenever your mind is distracted so you don't concentrate on the material to be studied. The greater the ability to return attention to the task at hand, the less distracted concentration will be.
Step 4. Set aside time to worry and think about problems
Research shows that people who allocate time to think about things that trigger stress experience a 35% reduction in worry over 4 weeks. This proves that the habit of setting aside time to worry and think about problems has an impact on reducing the time spent worrying about something so that the mind is distracted from things that should be prioritized.
- If you find yourself thinking about a problem when you want to focus and concentrate, remember that you have a special time to think about it. Use the "being aware of the present" method to get back into concentration.
- For example, set aside 30 minutes before studying to think about next week's exams, family, or whatever else comes to mind. Make the most of your time so that you can direct your full attention and focus when it comes to studying.
Step 5. Determine learning targets
Even if the subject you want to learn is less interesting, your ability to concentrate can be improved by changing your perspective. The existence of a target will change the mindset that initially just wants to finish learning to be motivated to achieve the target and continue to progress continuously.
For example, instead of having the student mentality of "Must finish studying 6 chapters tonight", set a goal for yourself, such as "I want to memorize chapters 1-3 until 4:30 then take a leisurely walk." Thus, a long and tedious study task turns into several short sessions with more achievable targets. The duration of learning which is divided into several sessions makes students more able to concentrate and achieve learning targets
Step 6. Take a break
In general, studying for about 1 hour and then resting for 5-10 minutes is the most effective schedule so that students are able to concentrate on their assignments. Taking a short break makes the mind relax again so that it is ready to work properly and is able to retain information.
Move the body. Leave your seat and stretch your muscles after sitting for about 1 hour, for example by doing yoga, doing push ups, or other physical activities that increase blood flow. After taking a short break, study time can be used productively with full attention
Tips
- Read the material aloud. Sometimes, hearing verbal information can clarify things that are confusing.
- Take a break of about 20 minutes every 2 hours to relax yourself so that your mind is more focused. Eat a snack, drink a glass of water, or take a leisurely 1 minute walk. Prepare healthy foods and drinks before studying to keep you energized and less tired. Take a break for a snack every 1 hour.
- Use as many senses as possible as a way of utilizing multiple means to remember information.
- Remember that the brain takes time to move on to the next subject. For example, if you study science for 1 hour and learn English right away, the first 10 minutes will be spent adjusting your mind to the new subject. We recommend doing light activities during the transition period.
- Don't ignore subjects that provide growth opportunities. Cultivate an interest in the subject you have to study so you can concentrate while studying.
- Avoid friends who disturb the peace of study. To improve your ability to concentrate, don't chat with other people while studying.
- Visualize the material being studied so that you can remember the topic you are discussing through pictures in your mind. Visualize or relate the material being studied to real aspects of everyday life so that it is easier for you to remember details when needed.
- Make sure you get a good night's sleep the day before the exam as this is very beneficial. Don't study in bed so you don't fall asleep.
- Study in groups to get a better understanding.
- Set up a good study schedule and apply it consistently.
