Tips for staying focused?

[PhilosophicalMed]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I am just wrapping up my first semester of pre-med. My GPA isn't even close to what I wanted it to be. Cumulatively, I have a 3.6 from classes that I got college credit for in high school, (which makes me feel a lot better.)

The point of this post isn't to complain about my GPA, though. I have been reflecting on what I should improve on for next semester and how I can change my studying habits. First and foremost, I need to reevaluate how I am balancing my time between studying and other activities. However, this entire semester I kept running across the same problem over and over again. When I do sit down to study, my attention-span is very short. My mind wanders, I get distracted, and I feel like even after 4+ hours I still haven't accomplished much.

Do you guys have any tips on how to stay focused while studying?

 

[treesnm3s]

It sounds like you already know what you need to do. Remove all distractions from your study area. After studying for a solid two hours, reward yourself with 15 minutes of whatever. Then repeat.

There isn't much I can tell you honestly. Either you value higher grades and will put in the work or you wont...

 

[Endoxifen]

Embrace the neuroticism... let your sympathetic nervous system consume you. Then you'll have no problem studying for 5 hours without a break. You might die at 30, but thats another issue for another time.

 

[Dandine]

(Disclaimer: this is just a suggestion) When you sit down to study for whatever class you're working towards, make sure you have a plan for what you *need* to do and the time you will take to do it. No less and no more (unless you complete that task under time and you know you can complete another in the time remaining).

At least in my experience, something abstract like "read chapter" was very, very broad and led to much more mind-wandering than "read section X of chapter Y in Z minutes." The Pomodoro technique tended to work for me for this reason (I'd suggest looking it up if you're curious about it; it involves breaking tasks up into 25 minute intervals).

Figuring out how long it will take you to do a particular task (reading, solving problems, etc.) will take time to get used to, but it may help your motivation to complete something attentively.

 

[B-Lymphocyte]

It can be hard to change your study habits, but if anything, I really do like Dandine's idea.

 

[HwangerBanger]

Convince yourself that you NEED that A. No leniency.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

It can be hard to change your study habits, but if anything, I really do like Dandine's idea.

Me too. Also, B-cells are AWESOME.

 

[Turkishking]

I am just wrapping up my first semester of pre-med. My GPA isn't even close to what I wanted it to be. Cumulatively, I have a 3.6 from classes that I got college credit for in high school, (which makes me feel a lot better.)

The point of this post isn't to complain about my GPA, though. I have been reflecting on what I should improve on for next semester and how I can change my studying habits. First and foremost, I need to reevaluate how I am balancing my time between studying and other activities. However, this entire semester I kept running across the same problem over and over again. When I do sit down to study, my attention-span is very short. My mind wanders, I get distracted, and I feel like even after 4+ hours I still haven't accomplished much.

Do you guys have any tips on how to stay focused while studying?[


.

 

[vellez]

Active studying. Have a friend quiz you. Take notes. Don't mindless flip through flashcards or powerpoint. Study in a public place to keep you "honest" I find that if I am in a library, I'll go on FB less, mess around on my phone less, since there are other people around.

 

[B-Lymphocyte]

Me too. Also, B-cells are AWESOME.

B-Cells are indeed awsome!

 

[mistafab]

When you can't focus while studying, stop studying. Go do something fun. Go play video games, workout, or go to a restaurant with friends.

I am just wrapping up my first semester of pre-med. My GPA isn't even close to what I wanted it to be. Cumulatively, I have a 3.6 from classes that I got college credit for in high school, (which makes me feel a lot better.)

The point of this post isn't to complain about my GPA, though. I have been reflecting on what I should improve on for next semester and how I can change my studying habits. First and foremost, I need to reevaluate how I am balancing my time between studying and other activities. However, this entire semester I kept running across the same problem over and over again. When I do sit down to study, my attention-span is very short. My mind wanders, I get distracted, and I feel like even after 4+ hours I still haven't accomplished much.

Do you guys have any tips on how to stay focused while studying?