Staying focused for long periods of time and getting serious work done.
INTRO
I have talked about the importance of staying focused and actively studying in many previous articles. But I have never really told you how to do it. I've told you focused input gives much more output in a shorter time, and learning to revise intensely is important. And with the exams closer than ever, you dudes need it, desperately. Read on.
Focus is important because it ensures whatever we learn is actively entering our mind. If you just decide to "review notes" as part of revision, that is passive learning. There is almost minimal effort on your behalf except scanning the pages of infinite notes. Active learning argues that asking yourselves questions about the material often and recalling bits of information stimulates higher areas of our brain, leading to better information retention. Ideally you want your mind to be in the present, immersing yourself fully in the process.
Without further ado, let's dive right into the techniques.
1) Find a suitable environment (AND STICK WITH IT).
Each place should have one purpose. If your couch is for relaxing, use the couch purely for that. Similarly, your study table should only be for, obviously, studying. If you want to game, at least shift the place you are seated at on the table. Why? As we do a certain process, our subconscious starts to relate the surroundings with the vibe of a process.
For example during English class everyone starts murmuring to their friends, so you feel inattentive and lazy because the lesson is not serious (don't lie you bugger, I know you've done this). So associating a place with a fixed purpose is important. If you game where you study, in the middle of your study session you would be urged to play a game maybe. Make sure its a neat, minimalistic, quiet environment that is brightly lit. This concept of associating physical senses with purposes leads me onto my next point, music.
2) Listen to study music.
Lo-fi Beats are a game changer. These music pieces have no words in them, they are melodious tunes. This tunes have scientifically shown to affect the brain state we vibe in. Gamma waves, as they are called, are exuded when you are mentally focused and showing intellectual effort. Certain types of music have been proven to assist with exuding as more of these waves from your brain as possible. It's science, not myth. Here's a cool link that I listen to: https://youtu.be/wAPCSnAhhC8 .
3) Have 2 cups of liquids at your desk.
One is water, the other a nice cup of your preferred caffeine source. Staying hydrated is crucial during your study sessions, since it is directly related to brain activity, and you guys know the science behind why. Caffeine also helps as stay alert, and I might think many of you already use this. For late night sessions, I find green tea as an excellent beverage for focus. Nice and warm.
4) Mindfulness.
Do you ever get the urge in the middle of a study session that," I should get up and take a break,"? Well, I do. Taking breaks is definitely much needed, but the problem with our brain is that it's lazy, and follows the Law of Least Effort. So each time it tells you to get up, your probably studying much less than you actually can. So be mindful about how long into a study session you get these "urges". Ideally, get past 3 of these urges, and I find it is a good balance between eustress (good amount of mental strain) and not burning out.
OUTRO
In short, find a suitable environment with the sole purpose of studying, listen to good study music, stay hydrated and caffeinated (not like a crack addict though), and practice mindfulness. Other short tips would include turning off laptop + phone notifications to avoid distractions and planning ahead of time. Please leave any opinions you have about this article below, or any improvements you would like to see on Student's Spot. Help a buddy out by subscribing, and sharing this to those who need this, if you think this is helpful.
Signing out,
Arshath.