Focus

[chi_town7]

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Hello!

I started preparing for my DAT and my mind is literally everywhere, im honestly no where near as focused as I should be, I bring myself to the library each day and try my best to get stuff done but ive just found it so hard. im planning to register to take my exam late august so I was just wondering if anyone may have any valuable suggestions they offer. Even social media tbh my plan was to get rid of it this summer but there's also so much happening in the world rn that I feel like I should continue to stay aware about. Im honestly just a mess and was wondering what advice you guys may have for someone in my place

 

[fafa_99]

Hi!

I was in a very similar situation early this year and I got to the point of "guilting" myself every time I would "waste" time. I think it is safe to say that it's somewhat normal, because nobody wants to sit studying long hours with no interaction. With that being said, those are some suggestions that I followed to restrict myself from wasting time:

1. If you spend a lot of time on YouTube, I highly suggest you downloading "YouTube distraction free" extension that works on chrome. This allows you to open YouTube in case you need educational videos but, the home page is blank which means no "recommended videos" and you won't be able to see any videos on any channel unless you actually search for a specific thing. It's literally a LIFE and GRADE SAVER!!
2. I am not big on social media but, I do suggest that you get rid of them completely for the time being because there will be no way of focusing. I know it is harder said than done but, if you can convince yourself that this is "just temporary", it becomes easier to do anything
3. If you are a Mac user, you can also turn on distraction free/don't disturb. Also, in the settings you may want to turn off notifications from messages or any notifying apps (you can check at anytime whether there is an important thing you have received but, you won't receive a notification). I know that any tiny notification will disturb you and will take away hours of your day
4. For your point on knowing what is going on in the world, checking the news from the news media platforms is much recommended rather than social media. That would give you the update you need on "what is going on in the world" as well as it being boring enough that you won't take too much time off from studying
5. I also highly recommend that you don't listen to music while studying (instrumental is fine) and follow active learning (i.e. take physical notes and practice)
6. Download ANKI and use it as a flashcard review method. This thing is made to put you on "focus mode". It is the ABSOLUTE best for Orgo and Bio. If you need help finding good ANKI cards, I can help you with that
7. Finally, do as much practice as possible! Learning and reading will definitely not help as much as applying the knowledge. Also, it is very unlikely to diverge away from solving a question compared to just reading/watching an explanation.

I hope this kinda helps, I know a lot are cliché, but if you actually follow them, you will be well-prepared and ready to tackle this! Best of luck to you!

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Hello!

I started preparing for my DAT and my mind is literally everywhere, im honestly no where near as focused as I should be, I bring myself to the library each day and try my best to get stuff done but ive just found it so hard. im planning to register to take my exam late august so I was just wondering if anyone may have any valuable suggestions they offer. Even social media tbh my plan was to get rid of it this summer but there's also so much happening in the world rn that I feel like I should continue to stay aware about. Im honestly just a mess and was wondering what advice you guys may have for someone in my place

Hi Ala,

The first step to solving a problem is identifying the problem, you have done that. That is a great first step. We are living in uncertain times and it does make a lot of us anxious at times, including myself. I use mediation to center myself when I need to, if you have not tried it you may want to give it a try. I also exercise everyday, that helps. As far as social media goes it can be a time waster I agree, but eliminating it all together might not be the solution. Why not allow yourself a certain amount of time a day to engage on those type of platforms, put it in your study plan. Don't be hard on yourself when you are not feeling focused, we all feel that way from time to time. Hope this helps...
Wishing you the best...Nancy

 

[Tyson_Brown]

Everything already said is very good advice. I'll just add on by telling you something that I did to help me out. I had to put myself in a somewhat strict routine because I didn't really have an excuse not to. Fortunately, I didn't really have any other responsibilities excepts studying for the DAT during the time that I did study for it, so I had everyday planned out and basically did the same sort of routine everyday. What really helped me from not looking at my phone or being distracted was using a modified pomodoro method where I would study for 45 minutes and then take a 5 minute break to get up and relax my brain and reset. I would check my phone or just do whatever but I always had a timer going. Once the 5 minutes was over, then it was back to work with another timer of 45 minutes. Find a method that works for you and stick with it.

Also if you feel like you need to stay up with the news, then just dedicate some time before you start studying for the day or at the end of the day before bed to catch up on what's happening around the world. There is really no need to be up to date with everything the second it happens. Just give yourself a block of time to catch up. This is the DAT you're studying for, so this should honestly be one of the highest priority things that your mind should be focused on (granted if you're taking other classes or working then a little bit of a different story). You are going to have to make some sacrifices. Plain and simple. You don't want to half ass this and end up having to dedicate another set amount of time to retake the exam. You have to put the work in! If that means you can't keep up with everything happening in the world then so be it! It's not like you are not gonna be able to get back to staying up to date with everything once you are done with the DAT. You just have to shift your mindset a little.

Also you if you just started studying, cut yourself some slack. Like orgoman22 said, you already did the first step by identifying the problem, so don't stress yourself out too much! You're going to be okay. You just have to figure out what is going to work best of you so that you are studying efficiently. You've got the time to figure it out, but don't self-sabotage yourself either! It's a battle for me not to self-sabotage some days. Just have to tighten up the mind. Easier said than done ofc, but 100% can be done.

 

[chi_town7]

Thank you all so much!! I finally worked up the courage to deactivate everything which I am actually very proud of given my addiction to social media but you guys are so right, I only have one shot at this exam so I need to make sure it counts! Thank you all so much i am going to be sure to apply the techniques and feedback you all suggested!

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Thank you all so much!! I finally worked up the courage to deactivate everything which I am actually very proud of given my addiction to social media but you guys are so right, I only have one shot at this exam so I need to make sure it counts! Thank you all so much i am going to be sure to apply the techniques and feedback you all suggested!

This is great news, wishing you the best in your studies.

Nancy, co/owner, DAT Destroyer