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Competing responsibilities and a never-ending to-do list might make you wonder how you can possibly study with focus.
Some days, no matter how meticulously you arrange your stationery, or how good your intentions are, you just can’t seem to get started.
Glenn Melvin, Associate Professor of Psychology at Deakin University, explains how to study with focus and avoid the dreaded scatterbrain.
Information overload, stress and anxiety are common causes for feeling like you’re unable to gather the flurry of thoughts running through your head. This is often known as ‘scatterbrain’.
Add in exams and the associated challenges that come with frequent change as you prepare for life after Year 12, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for lowered concentration levels.
‘We see a variety of effects when people are feeling stressed, and one of those is around concentration and being able to study with focus and keep up a good output of work.
We can see sleep problems start to emerge when people are experiencing more stress. You feel sort of tense and perhaps feel less like connecting with others,’ says Assoc. Prof. Melvin.
Other symptoms include re-reading the same line repeatedly without absorbing any information and opting for a fourth cup of coffee before you really get started.
No matter what kind of ‘study personality’ you may have, we’ve all felt scatterbrained at some point.
Assoc. Prof. Melvin gives us his tips and tricks on how to focus on study and conquer a scatterbrain.
To avoid running into scatterbrain it’s essential to generate a plan to follow. If you’re someone that works more effectively with a routine or schedule in front of you a study plan is essential. Here’s how to study with focus.
Ease your way in by starting with the easy tasks first, to build up your momentum before tackling the harder ones.
For example, Assoc. Prof. Melvin suggests starting with unit readings, note-taking or reviewing a lecture, before getting stuck into your more intensive tasks such as structuring an argument or problem-solving.
‘You’ve often just got to make a start, and you can get going from there,’ he says.
Whether you’re studying on campus or at home, Assoc. Prof. Melvin recommends planning each day to include time to focus on study, work, socialising, exercise and self-care.
‘Think about what time to get up and where to fit in exercise during the day.
Where are my study breaks? Where’s my social time? When am I going to dedicate time to catching up with someone on FaceTime or on the phone?’ Assoc. Prof. Melvin says.
Having a study schedule can help you keep your day on track and allow you to focus on the task at hand, whether it’s studying or getting in your daily workout.
We hear all the time how important it is to get enough sleep – but it really is critical when it comes to studying with focus.
Studying for exams can also be stressful and if you’re not getting enough sleep it’s easy to become even more stressed
‘When people are feeling elevated levels of stress or anxiety in their lives, sleep can be something that suffers. None of us are at our best when we’ve had a poor night’s sleep.’ Assoc. Prof. Melvin says.
Avoid caffeine and too much alcohol into the evening, designate some screen-free time to relax before bedtime, then hop into bed when you start to feel signs of tiredness such as yawning.
It’s important to create good sleep habits as this will set you up to study with focus and maximise your productivity the next day.
How often should you take a break when studying?
Allowing yourself short and regular intervals to break away from your study space can give you time to prepare some study snacks, practice mindfulness or meditation, or spend time outside. This greatly enhances concentration allowing you to study with greater focus.
The Pomodoro Technique is a tried and tested study method that involves studying in 25-minute blocks followed by a five-minute break.
‘Set the timer and say, for example, these 25 minutes I’m going to very much focus on my economics or my psychology study, and I’m going to have my phone on silent,’ Assoc. Prof. Melvin says.
Support networks are important
Sometimes, a heavy study load can start to feel overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to tap into support networks you can lean on.
Whether it’s a friend, family member, teacher, co-worker or peer, find someone you trust and feel comfortable to speak to.
If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to someone you know, Assoc. Prof. Melvin suggests contacting support and counselling services at your school or university, or a public service such as headspace.
If you’re having trouble keeping up with your studies, reach out to your teacher or faculty coordinator sooner rather than later, and address the problem head-on.
Just remember it’s normal to feel as though you can’t focus at times.
In the end, being hard on yourself won’t make things any easier. In fact, if you think about it too much, that can also lead to a drop in productivity.
Not every study session will be perfect. But you want to enter every session knowing how to study with focus. If you’ve got exams on the horizon, make sure you take these tips into consideration.
Even if your mind feels like a whirlwind, with a bit of planning and self-care you’ll soon be confident on how to study with focus.
Feeling more confident to start studying? Find a course you’ll love.
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Feeling more confident to start studying? Find a course you’ll love.
School of Psychology, Deakin University
