Studying can be tough for many students. It can be challenging, demanding, and less fascinating than other interesting activities like playing, dancing, painting, or singing. However, it's still important.
That's the main reason many students from all grades—elementary, primary, or secondary—hustle to get good marks in examinations. But, even after putting in so much will and desire to study, they are unable to pass the examinations with flying colors.
This may be due to their wrong approach or a less focused attitude. If you are one of those students who find it difficult to stay focused while studying, then this guide is a match made in heaven for you. Explore the best tips and ideas to help you adapt to a better system while learning and staying more focused.
Set a Routine
A student must be able to focus on all activities, be it studies or co-curricular like dancing, sports, swimming, etc. Many students tackle assignments right after coming from school and think of playing sports afterward.
However, many don't even open their textbooks after returning home and submit assignments after the due date. However, the first step towards gaining focus while studying is sticking to a daily routine.
Having a set routine for daily and weekly tasks allows students to fulfill their commitments to studies and, at the same time, have fun with friends. When setting a routine, block off time for each task—keeping the highest priority task on top and then later doing the ones that demand less attention.
Layout Study Goals and Rewards
The number of study hours devoted each day will not leave such an overwhelming impression as the topics covered each day will. Set a precise goal for each day, like completing a mathematics chapter within two or three upcoming days or revising an already memorized history lesson in two hours.
Do not set goals that are difficult to achieve. Instead, create a concrete layout that is possible and one that you can swear by.
With every goal that you give a tick mark on your list, add a little reward for yourself, like buying a fancy coffee or Netflix and chilling on a Sunday afternoon. Such pre-planning for little rewards will give you a push-through to perform better every time.
A Study Checklist
Covering a vast syllabus with so many chapters, topics, and sub-topics can be hectic. As a result, there will be days when you will find yourself in a situation full of confusion. To avoid such circumstances, a student must create a to-do list or a simple study checklist.
Such checklists give a kickstart to students to work in an organized manner. These checklists will help you cover all your topics before the examination day. Putting a cross on each segment you complete is a great way to track progress and makes you more aware of your syllabus coverage.
Well-Planned Study Schedule
A student is more likely to forget a topic that was done in class a week ago. Moreover, learning topics that are currently going on in class are easy to grasp. Ever wondered why?
Well, it's quite simple. After a week or a month, the topic gets almost wiped from the brain. Whereas when it is learned parallel with school, all you have to do is brush up on it the next time.
Hence, the foundations of a study schedule should be laid so that the student gets maximum ease in understanding, remembering, and learning it. Try to cover each topic on the same day as it gets done in school.
It gets interesting because you can clear the doubts the next day with your teacher. Make a timetable where you sort your studying and leisure hours. Use a calendar before exams to give different topics on different days for preparation.
Study Environment
As humans, we are creatures of habit, and we always adapt to habits that provide maximum comfort or ease. Thus, to stay focused on your studies, it is your prime necessity that your study space is free from your lazy habits. If you think you can study anywhere in your home, you are mistaken.
A study environment should be such that it offers minimal distractions. No extra noise, mobile devices, laptops, or television sets around you. Your study room should be a separate corner with a desk, chair, and no people around.
Understandably, students who live in hostels or accommodations other than homes do not have the luxury of space. Instead, such students can find their haven in the silence of the library, a reading room on campus, or in another quiet space.
Say No to Online Distractions
The biggest bump in the road for students to concentrate on their studies is the internet. After all, according to Statista, daily social media usage has continued to rise each year. That is why you should leave everything that has the potential to distract you from achieving your goals behind.
Every "ping" notification you see popping on your screens is the first thing that must be avoided. It breaks your concentration while studying and lessens your learning power. Once you are distracted by something that appears online, you just cannot regain the momentum for studying.
Furthermore, it wastes your time to an unimaginable extent, and most students don't even bother to stop it. If you don't want to miss a beat in your classes, then keep your cell phone away while studying.
Good Food and Good Mood
Schoolwork is hard to tolerate with a grumbling tummy, and it even spoils your mood. Trying good brain food during study sessions keeps you energized and less distracted while you prepare for your exams. Always go for nutritious food or healthy snacks that empower your brain to function efficiently.
Seeds, nuts, blueberries, carrots, avocados, dark chocolates, and oil-free munchies can be your alternative for the same. Say no to foods that have high sugar content, as they increase laziness.
As a result, you start to feel more lethargic and are likely to fall asleep in a short time. Thus, follow a healthy and nutritious diet to stay more active while studying.
Make Study Notes Yourself
Writing concepts in your own language and memorizing them will benefit more than just looking at the text embedded in books. Make your notes in your own writing. To do so, the first step is to read and understand.
While memorization can be beneficial, your ability to synthesize that information into notes in your own language will prove far more useful than simply reading what is on a page.
It is a great way to learn and recall what you have studied. Plus, this makes your revision easy and effective, especially during tests. Write down key points, important dates, and anything else that sticks out to you about the topic. Even better, you can also make flashcards.
Use Practice Worksheets
Worksheets are one of the most potent tools to gain knowledge and prepare well for exams. Practicing worksheets will let you gain a better understanding of a particular topic.
Create your own worksheets by writing questions about subject matter and leaving space for answers. Then, after memorizing the topic, take your worksheet as a homemade test and assess yourself. Above all, these finished worksheets can be your study guides before the actual test.
Take Tests More Often
Studying is one thing, but assessing how much you have learned from it is another. Many students spend several hours studying but still cannot score even passing marks in exams.
A condition like this arises when there is a lack of testing and assessment. It's not just about practicing worksheets or doing three or four rounds of revision. The endpoint is to test yourself more often.
By giving more and more tests, you can conclude your strong points and work on topics that need to be prepared again. With every test, you learn something new, and your brain gets flexible in adapting a paper-pattern different from others.
In addition, there are new questions that check your ability to perform on all standards because no one ever knows how easy or hard your exam questions will be.
The Bottom Line
The difficulty of staying focused while studying is a common feeling that almost everyone has experienced at some point during their education. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways that fuel your conviction to study and allow you to be focused in the process.
The only thing that will eventually prove rewarding for gaining focus while studying is your dedication to it. Therefore, you should be determined and consistent in following everything mentioned above.
