Techniques to avoid distraction?

[Depakote]

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Lately, I've found myself having a lot more difficulty getting started studying and once I do start studying, my mind is wanders off the topic at hand.

I don't know if it's just the fact that the material for this block is drier or if I'm just more aware of the fact that my mind is wandering now that I'm working on more difficult material. This has killed my efficiency and I'm worried it will affect my grade.

Either way, does anyone have any suggestions to help me get and stay focused on the material and get some nice, efficient studying done?

Thanks.

 

[Instatewaiter]

I use to play light classical music in the background which helped a lot. What I have found works wonders recently is ear plugs. I have no idea what it is but it seems that I can concentrate much better and for much longer with them in.

 

[45408]

I get away from distractions (soft chairs/couches, TV, the Internet, my friends, my hot wife, etc), first and foremost. I almost always study at school, and I bring exactly what I need with me. I put on the iPod with some heavy metal, and I get to it. I can never study for as long when it's my first time going through the material as when I'm reviewing it before the exam. I just acknowledge that for every 40-50 minutes I study, I'll need 10-20 minutes of doing something else (SDN, reading a magazine, playing pool, talking to friends, etc).

You might want to try more interactive methods of learning, like making flashcards or using a question book, like some of the ones they make for the boards (I know you're an M1, but if you have systems blocks, it might still work).

 

[mudphudwannabe]

I made a lot of flash cards in the first 2 years. Usually I ended up making them a day or two before the exam, so I didn't really get to go through them many times before being tested, but just the process of making them really helped me. It's good "active learning" and forces you to break the information into bite sized chunks. Of course, they will probably be even more useful if you do them ahead of time (or even in the afternoon/evening, catching the main points of the lectures that day) and have time to flip through them several times before the exam. I also found I needed to take frequent breaks, but not on the computer -- the computer tends to suck me in for hours. I would get up, walk around, make some tea, do something around the house (I studied at home), etc. I could study for long stints, but I definitely needed breaks. Plus, sitting still for hours isn't a good idea for your health anyway -- you should move around every once in a while to prevent deep vein thrombosis. 😉

 

[Depakote]

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Law2Doc]

Lately, I've found myself having a lot more difficulty getting started studying and once I do start studying, my mind is wanders off the topic at hand.

I don't know if it's just the fact that the material for this block is drier or if I'm just more aware of the fact that my mind is wandering now that I'm working on more difficult material. This has killed my efficiency and I'm worried it will affect my grade.

Either way, does anyone have any suggestions to help me get and stay focused on the material and get some nice, efficient studying done?

Thanks.

Stay away from music or other added distractions. Even if there are no lyrics you will catch yourself listening to the music periodically rather than focusing on the words on the page. If you can find a quiet place to study where nobody knows you and you have no access to phone, TV or internet, that is ideal. (You can often find this at libraries for other non-health graduate schools, or even a public library). And motivate yourself with rewards -- ie for every hour you get through of studying, you take a break for 20 mins or so.

 

[45408]

Stay away from music or other added distractions. Even if there are no lyrics you will catch yourself listening to the music periodically rather than focusing on the words on the page. If you can find a quiet place to study where nobody knows you and you have no access to phone, TV or internet, that is ideal. (You can often find this at libraries for other non-health graduate schools, or even a public library). And motivate yourself with rewards -- ie for every hour you get through of studying, you take a break for 20 mins or so.

I think music tends to keep me more focused, even after listening to the album 50 times (iTunes doesn't lie 😀). If it's too quiet, it's easy for me to catch myself staring at the wall thinking about whether or not I put my jeans in the laundry.

 

[Reimat]

I get away from distractions (soft chairs/couches, TV, the Internet, my friends, my hot wife, etc), first and foremost. I almost always study at school, and I bring exactly what I need with me.

This is key for me too - I cannot study at home because there is too much I'd rather be doing and it's all right there to keep me away from the books.

 

[SnapDragon82]

It's easy - get off SDN and turn off your laptop. Works wonders!!! 😀

 

[RockShox]

I will say that this "distractibility" gets worse the longer you are in med school.

First year you can study all day without a blink.

Second year half of the day.

Third year 1 hour at a time max

Fourth year you have the attention span of a teenage fruit fly.

Whenever I am ultra distracted, I just take more breaks...kind of like sprint, walk, sprint, walk, kind of thing. Also I did alot of study partners (need to be choosy to get someone who matches you) and that kept me on the ball. Helped me to be sure I could answer the questions not just think I could.

 

[chicklett1]

When I sit down to study, I keep a blank piece of paper next to me and every time I think of something that I could do to procrastinate instead of studying, I write it down on the paper to remind myself to do it later.

That way, I'm not allowed to interrupt studying to call my mom, take out the trash, look up something on the internet, etc--and when I'm done studying, I have a neat little "to do" list of things that I probably won't ever do!

 

[Law2Doc]

I will say that this "distractibility" gets worse the longer you are in med school.

First year you can study all day without a blink.

Second year half of the day.

Third year 1 hour at a time max

Fourth year you have the attention span of a teenage fruit fly.

Unfortunately I find this to be true as well. At this rate by the time you are an attending merely owning a book will be the extent of studying you do.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Okay, I'm going to share you with you my fool proof plan to avoid being distracted.

You see, the secret is...wait, hold on, I just found a Wikipedia article about He-Man and the Masters of the Universe I've decided to read instead.

 

[DoctaJay]

I don't know how you all study with music. I tried it last week and I found myself singing along with the songs so many times that I couldn't concentrate on reading.

But yeah, I find that when I disconnected the cord from my router, and when I turn off my cell phone I can get more done. But constant breaks always help. What I realized though was that during my breaks, I waste time on the internet, SDN, etc. But I just had the idea of going through physical exam routines or doing random anatomy quetions on the Umich site for a break. I don't know, I seem to change my style constantly.

 

[LegacyDoctress]

I've found that I get distracted mainly because I sit in class all day and don't have the chance to move around...so when I get home, I'm antsy. I try running a few miles with the music blaring when I get home. That way, I get my energy out, get my music fix, and I'm ready to settle down and study. 😉

 

[Sondra]

I use a timing device. I set the timer for twenty minutes. It forces me to stay focused for that twenty minutes. When the twenty minutes are up, I write down what subject I studied for that twenty minutes and the time. (I put a square around every three sessions to show myself how many hours I studied for the day.) I set my timer for 5-10 minutes and do something else - wash dished, fold laundry, play with my dog, rake some leaves etc. Then I sit back down for 20 minutes. I do this all day. It makes me get stuff done. If I have taken too long between studying, I know it because I have all my times written down. I keep one weeks worth of "study hours" on a single piece of paper. I try to study longer each day than I did the day before with my shortest day usually being monday. I build up over the week. When I find my mind wandering, I say "only five minutes left, I can make it," and I always do.

Some days, when I don't feel like I am accomplishing much, I write down the chores that I do, how long I was in school, and other things just to show myself that I didn't waste the day.