How to improve your concentration

Tips and strategies to help you improve your concentration.

How's your concentration?
We all know what concentration means: giving your close, undivided attention to
something.
But it's one thing to know what it means and another to be able to concentrate o
n your studies!
Many students complain that they just can t concentrate, in other words, their min
ds race from one thing to another and their thoughts are all over the place - ex
cept on their studies. If you feel like this, you re not alone. But what s to be don
e?
Firstly, you should know that everyone has the ability to concentrate: think of
a time when you were totally engrossed in something you really enjoyed, for exam
ple a movie, a book, a game of rugby or netball. You can concentrate: the trick
is to use the right strategies to unlock your natural ability to concentrate and
apply these to your studies.
Tips and strategies to improve your concentration
Choose the right place to study
Your choice of study space can influence your level of concentration. So, to pro
mote concentration:
Choose a dedicated study space in an environment conducive to study.
Make sure you have a good chair, a table or desk, somewhere to store your bo
oks, a PC, adequate lighting, and good ventilation.
Make sure your study space is tidy, organised and a pleasant place in which
to work.
Put a 'Do not disturb' sign on the door.
Leave your cell phone outside or turn it off.
If you like music in the background, that s okay, as long as it s not a distract
ion. (Research on productivity with music versus without music is inconclusive.)
Plan
Draw up a study timetable and stick to it.
Accommodate your day/night-time energy levels.
Get into a routine and make study a habit.
Divide your work into logical sections that have a beginning and an end: our
brains are holistic and you ll find it easier to work on something that forms a w
hole than something that's left hanging midway.
Set yourself a time limit before you start, for example: 'I ll summarise Chapt
er 2 in 40 minutes.'
- By doing this, you're setting yourself a goal and,
- when you set a time limit, your subconscious mind starts working on comple
ting the task in the time available.
Study for about 30-45 minutes, review what you ve learned, then take a 5-10 mi
nute break. Why? Because research has shown that we
- remember best when we study for shorter periods, and then recap and consol
idate what we have learnt, as opposed to longer periods when we have to struggle
to stay focused and alert.
- learn better at the beginning and end of a study period. (Think of a movie
: it s often easier to remember the beginning and the end than the middle). So, ta
ke regular breaks and build lots of beginnings and ends into your study.

Focus
Before you begin studying, take a few minutes to think about what you ll achie
ve.
Write down your goals for the study period, i.e. summarise pages 40-65, comp
lete the outline of Assignment 1.
Make sure you have everything you need: your notes, stationery, water, a hea
lthy snack, etc.
Use active learning to keep you focused.
If you have a lot of reading to get through, try the SQ3R method.
Build in variety
Change the subject or study strategy every few hours this will lessen the ch
ance of your becoming bored and stale.
Use your study break for exercise (or perhaps housework); this changes the p
ace and helps to get rid of extra adrenalin.
Alternate reading with more active learning exercises, for example: mindmapp
ing or writing model answers.
Just say 'Stop!'
Every time you notice your thoughts wandering, tell yourself to 'stop' and t
hen consciously bring your thoughts back to your studies.
Repeat this each time your mind wanders, and re-focus.
Initially, you might have to do this many times each study session but with
practice, you'll find that you are able to focus for longer periods at a time.
If you find it almost impossible to re-focus, it could be that you need a br
eak:
- Take a five-minute break, have a glass of water, and try again.
- You could also try switching to another subject or topic, or using a diffe
rent study strategy.
Don't waste your time and energy trying to stop yourself from thinking of so
mething, that s almost impossible. Instead, write your thoughts down on a piece of
paper and put it aside to deal with during your worry time ! (See below.)
Schedule worry time
Allow yourself to worry but only at certain set times during the day.
Decide beforehand when and for how long you re going to worry, for example: se
t aside ten minutes 'worry time' before Shortland Street (or whatever your favou
rite programme is). Then, when something distracts you while you're studying, or
if you start to feel anxious about something during the day, write your thought
s down and set them aside, telling yourself you ll deal with them during your 'wor
ry time'.
Remember:
It s important to write your 'worries' down - it s far easier to refocus on your
studies if you know you won t forget whatever it is that s troubling you.
Stick to your worry time(s) and use the whole time you set aside. If you don t
have enough to worry about to fill the time, make a conscious decision to reduc
e the length of your worry time.
Keep a list of your worries if something keeps coming up, deal with it! Rath
er spend some time sorting the issue out than allowing it to keep distracting yo
u and preventing you from reaching your goals.
Learn actively
Last, but definitely not least, to help you concentrate and remember, learn acti
vely. Active learners do something with what they have learnt. They

put what they have learnt into their own words.

compare what they are learning with what they already know.
link new facts to what they already know.
apply what they are learning to their own situation, and
use the new information.