How to Focus When Studying
Students need to make their college test prep review time quiet, and distraction free, which is easier said than done. It is not, though, impossible. Here are a few studying tips for exams that can help students bunker down, and get in the zone.
Do What’s Obvious.
There are obvious things that are distracting, and these obvious things obviously need to be done away with. When doing test prep review, turn off or silence your cell phone, head somewhere where you won’t be tempted to slack off, and choose lyric-free music.
Have Some Caffeine.
Believe it or not, caffeine makes things interesting, so if you need to cover some particularly monotonous material in your test prep review session, go to a cafe or make a pot of java, and have at it. Just be sure not to have too much, otherwise it’ll have the opposite effect, giving you jitters and keeping your from being able to zero in on the test prep review material and getting busy.
Take Breaks.
Believe it or not, one of the best ways to focus is to get unfocused. Your attention span only lasts so long, and if you continue doing test prep review outside of that time, you won’t be able to retain as much information. Instead, take a five minute break every 20 or 30 minutes to let your mind recharge for a bit.
Set a Schedule and Goals.
Do not attempt a test prep review marathon. It won’t work and it’s just not worth it. Instead, you need to set goals, budget your time, and pace yourself. That’s the only way you can cover a ton of ground. Rather than studying for two hours each night leading up to an exam. Study a half hour in the morning, and a half hour at night over the course of two weeks, instead. You’ll cover just as much ground, and the material will be broken into more digestible chunks.
Whether you need to study for ACTs or the GREs, you need to focus. It doesn’t matter if you get test prep tutoring or take classes, you still have to study, and have to focus as you do. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.