How to Keep Your Focus When Studying

Whatever degree you decide to take at university or college, studying is always going to be tough. A lot of students are trying to juggle getting their education, working a part-time job and having a social life. It can be hard to stay focused on studying when you are tired or busy, but it doesn’t always have to be difficult. There is also the fact that not everyone studies in the same way. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for another, so it’s all about finding what works best for you.

If you are struggling to keep your focus when studying, then why not take a look at the tips below and try incorporating them into your life. That way you can knuckle down and power through all those essays you need to write.

Find Somewhere Quiet

When it comes to studying, location is everything. You want to find somewhere that isn’t too loud as this will allow you to be with your thoughts and not get distracted by others. A lot of people enjoy studying in a library as they have access to lots of materials and it is always quiet. Then there are others who enjoy the murmurings of a coffee shop, where they can plug in their headphones if needed. Wherever you choose, always be sure that it is comfortable and you have enough space to spread out all your work.

Set Some Achievable Goals

If you have a number of things you want to achieve in a semester, then set yourself some goals. This will help to keep you on track and focused on the tasks at hand instead of drifting to something else such as your social media feed. These goals give you something to work towards and you’ll feel a sense of achievement when you finally get to cross them off the list.

Create A Schedule

The best way to stay focused on your studying is to create a schedule. If you have multiple classes that all have work assigned to them, learn how to split your day up so you don’t become bored with a task. Put different tasks on different days, so they don’t clash, and you will find you can still have a social life. Make time for eating, sleeping and exercising as well to stay healthy and sane. Allow a little flexibility between your tasks in case one runs over, or if another is completed quickly.

Block Distractions

If you are someone that gets distracted by the apps on your phone, then you’ll be happy to know that there are specific apps that can block you from accessing them. Once you have set a time to study, the app will stop you from going on certain websites or apps during that time and you can’t turn it off. You will be surprised by how much time can be wasted on social media without you realising. Something that you think will last a few minutes ends up turning into half an hour and before you know it, you’ve lost studying time. Avoid this and focus on your work easily.

Make Some Sacrifices

As much as you might not want to admit it, sometimes you have to learn to make sacrifices. This could be in the form of saying no to those drinks with friends in the evening or taking on an extra shift at work when you know you have a deadline looming ahead. The study schedule will help you to realise when you have free time that can be spent dining out or going to the movies, but never sacrifice study time for socialising. It isn’t worth falling behind on work and feeling stressed about it.

Take Regular Breaks

This is perhaps one of the most important tips and it is to always take regular breaks. Apply this to when you are studying by taking small fifteen-minute breaks between your study sessions where you can read a book or listen to some music. This allows you to centre yourself and stop from feeling stressed. You will also find that you are able to focus more when you study in short periods of time. You will want to schedule in days where you don’t do any studying. This will allow you to fully relax and enjoy your life doing the things you love.

 

Studying doesn’t have to be hard and these tips will help you to stay stress-free and happy while you do it.