Disabling Distractions

Students (and everyone) have multiple distractions including electronic devices, friends, family, money worries, hunger and more.  Here are some suggestions for dealing with distractions that disrupt your concentration and learning:


Electronics:

• Turn them off!
• If you cannot bear to do that, set a time limit and allow yourself to check in every hour or two.  This is easier said then done, however.  One thing you can do is set a timer on your p hone and don't look at it until the timer goes off!
• If it just seems too hard, start with a shorter period of time and gradually lengthen it.
• The more often you do this the easier it will be. You may also find your concentration improving!

Other worries such as family issues and money concerns:

• These are tough to handle.  One idea that sounds crazy is to write your concerns down on paper and then put it aside.  Concretely writing them down seems to help you let it go from your mind for a period of time.
• You can also set aside a time to worry and then, when the time it up, get back to studying.
• Seek out a counseling center on your campus and talk to someone there.  Verbalizing your concerns is very helpful.
• If people keep calling and texting you and getting upset if you don't answer, tell them where you will be, that you are studying and then give them a specific time when you will check in.  You will have to remember to do this or it will only work once!  Again - set your phone alarm to remind you.

Friends:

• If your friends are providing too much of a distraction to your college studies, you might have to consider getting new friends.  They should want the best for you, and if they are getting in the way of your success that is a problem!  Try to convince them to join you in the Library, or just tell them you have to study and will meet them later.

There are several strategies that will help in general:

• Study in a location conducive to concentration - the Library, desk, study room, etc.  Don't expect to focus and concentrate while reading in bed or in front of the television.
• Stick to a study routine.  Always study before and/or after class or at the same time every day.  You will become accustomed to studying at a certain time and in a certain place and your mind will automatically focus.

Concentration and focus can be learned!  Don't give up and be sure you are arranging your environment to be successful!
Next week - what to do if you are completely uninterested in a class you must take.
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

WHAT To Do When You Are Studying

Last week I wrote about scheduling the time to study.  This week's blog is about exactly what to do when studying.  It is one thing to put in enough time, but you also need to do things that will help you understand and retain the information.  So--once you are sitting down with your notes and book, here are some strategies:

• First, read your notes and be sure they are clear and complete.
• If there is a section you are not clear about, look up that information in the textbook and reread that.
• If your notes are unorganized or unclear, rewrite them so they make sense to you.  If you are unsure of the organization you can follow that of the textbook.  (This is not busy work.  Many successful students do this on a regular basis.)
• Then, divide the notes into logical sections, reread, close your notebook and restate the information in your own words ,
• from memory.  If you can do this, move on to the next section.  If not, go back and reread, then repeat restating until you are successful.
• Pull out specific topics and put that information into study guides.
• Put vocabulary or other information on study cards.  Take these with you and use spare minutes to study from them.  Remember that the best strategy is to read the front, restate the information on the back from memory, and then check yourself.  Keep going over the ones you don't know until you know them.  Then tomorrow do it again!
• Step back from the specific information and look at the big picture.  What are the various topics covered, how do they fit together, how do the book and your lecture notes fit together?

I am sure you noticed that many of these strategies involve either organizing or practicing remembering the information.  On the exam or on the job you need to be able to recall the information without the help of books or notes, so practice this when you are studying.


The next blog will give you some ideas to deal with distractions - one of the major challenges for any learner in this electronic age.
*****
First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Time Management

The general rule of thumb is that you should be studying about 2 hours outside of class for every hour in class.  (Remember that in college you are responsible for your own learning.  Your professors expect you to read and understand the textbook and learn the information from class on your own.  In class most of the time is spent giving you the information and helping you understand it, but not to learn it.)

 

The first thing to figure out is how you are going to fit this amount of time into your schedule.  You can:

• Review your lecture notes as soon as possible after class - definitely before the next class.
• If you have an hour or two between classes, go to the Library to study.  Don't take a nap or hang out with friends (unless they are also studying!)
• If your classes are grouped together in one day with large "free" time during other days of the week, set a schedule for yourself so that you spend an hour or two on the "free" day on each subject.  The "free" day is not really free - it is time to study because you are so busy the other days!
• Chart out your general class and study schedule and post it in your room.
• At the beginning of each week look at what you have due and adjust your standard weekly schedule.
• If you work, are an athlete or have other commitments, use small blocks of free time.  Make study cards or review charts to study from during these times.
• Tell other people when you intend to study so that you feel committed.
• Work and study ahead to allow for emergencies and changes of plans.

 A big factor is getting into a routine.  You want to avoid constantly deciding IF you will go to class or IF you are going to study.  Going to class is not a decision - you ALWAYS do it.  Same thing for studying - you ALWAYS study at certain times.

 

The next thing to determine is exactly what you will do when you are studying. That is for next week!  Stay tuned!

 

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the link at the upper right.

Start the Spring Semester with Success

As you start the spring semester, there are some things to consider depending on how well you did in the fall semester:

 

If things went well:

• What study strategies did you use that helped you learn?
• How did you prepare for exams?
• How did you do on pop quizzes?
• How prepared did you feel for each class?
• How was your attendance?  Assuming you went to each class, how did you maintain regular attendance?
• When, where and how much did you study?  Was it enough?

 

If things did NOT go well:

• See the above list and consider what was a problem and how you can improve.

 

One thing about education that I have always liked is that each semester or each year you get a new start.  You can continue the positive things and change the negative.  If your grades were good for the fall semester, continue with the same things and enhance them.  If your grades were poor, think about what changes you need to make and then implement them right away.

 

It is important to start developing new, positive habits from the first day of the semester, especially if you need to do things differently than before.  (One thing about college is that each semester is different with new classes and a new schedule.  You must adapt your time management and learning strategies to the new situation!)

 

Here is a preview of future blogs:

1. Time management - how to efficiently get your studying done (and how much should you be doing!).
2. Exactly how does learning happen - what things do you need to do?
3. How to handle distractions.
4. What to do if you have absolutely no interest in a class.

 

Work hard and enjoy the semester!

 

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on link above and to the right.