Staying focused on schoolwork
(http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/focused.html) |
You probably
know the basics by now, but here's a helpful refresher.
Get
Organized
Organization is
the first step. It makes everything else a little easier.
Keep your
assignments and class information together in binders, notebooks, or folders
that are organized by subject. You might want to set up a file drawer at home
to keep track of research, returned assignments, and other things you want to
hold on to.
If you find
yourself stuffing loose papers in your bag, or grabbing different notebooks for
the same class just because they're close at hand, it's time to stop and
regroup. Take an evening to get things organized again.
Maybe you can't
carry different spiral-bounds for every class. One solution is to carry a
binder that has separate sections. Another idea is to take notes in one
notebook and at the end of each day rewrite them in a separate binder. This
takes more time, but it is a great study skill because it allows you to read,
write, and hopefully summarize all that was important during the schooldays.
The more you review material, the more likely you are to remember it.
Whatever you
choose, your system has to work for you. If it doesn't, change it until you
find what does. It's a great way to learn about yourself and what works for
your unique needs.
Plan
Ahead
Most likely,
you're on your own when it comes to progress and work on assignments. It can
feel great to be your own boss, especially if you're a good one. Don't leave
things to the last minute, though - you'll only end up working twice as hard to
do half as well. Nerves and anxiety make it hard to stay focused and do a good
job.
Set deadlines. At the beginning
of each semester, make a calendar of due dates. Be sure you know what the main
assignments are (if the teacher doesn't mention them at the start of the
semester, ask) and what format they will take (a report, presentation, group
project, etc.). Set clear goals.
Keep these
questions in mind when organizing your calendar: What's the final product? When
do certain components need to be completed? Answering these allows you to
prioritize assignments by due dates, level of difficulty, and completion time.
Include
non-academic commitments on your calendar, such as team practices, drama
rehearsals, etc. This will help you see when things might hit crunch time later
in the semester.
Give yourself
mini-deadlines for the stages of each project - planning, research, drafting,
revising, and creating a final product.
Enforce deadlines. Decide how
you'll enforce your deadlines. For example, will you reward yourself for
meeting them? Ask you friends or parents to check in with you about your
mini-deadlines so that you don't put them off. (Watch out if you ask parents to
help, though. When they do, remember that they're not nagging you - you asked
them to check in!)
If you have
difficulty meeting deadlines but are making an attempt to improve your study
skills and organization, talk with your teacher. He or she can help you to
create reasonable short-term goals for a particular project or test.
Oh,
no! That's due in 2 days!
If something slips by and you find yourself surprised by a due date or stuck
with very little turnaround time, try not to freak out. Do a breathing exercise
to feel calm and focused. Then outline an approach to tackling the work. You
can make an hourly or daily calendar of deadlines if that helps you structure
your time.
If you're a
perfectionist, it helps to remember that everyone can lose track of something
once in a while. If this happens a lot, though, you need to get more organized.
Set Your Space
You need a good
workspace — someplace clean and orderly and quiet enough to focus. (If you can,
avoid trying to study in places that are the center of activity, like the
kitchen.) It helps to have a specific place that's set aside for homework so
that when you sit down, your mind knows you're there to work and can help you
focus more quickly.
Your bedroom, a
study, or any other room where you can get away from noise and distractions is
an ideal place to focus. It's best to study at a desk or table where you can
spread your work out. You'll also need a chair that's comfortable: It should
support your lower back and allow you to keep both feet on the floor in front
of you. To make studying less of a strain on your eyes, be sure you have enough
light.
Finally, make
sure the room you're in is comfortable. This sounds basic, but if you're too
hot, too cold, or distracted by your pet hamster spinning on his wheel, you
won't be able to concentrate as effectively.
Have resources handy. What do you need
in your work area in order to avoid interruptions? Books, supplies, notes,
research sources? Keep these in one place so you don't have to go off in search
of printer paper, a stapler, or a book you know you just saw around here
somewhere.
Be sure you have
what you need before you head to the library or elsewhere to work on projects
and papers. And each night, check that you've packed everything you need for
class the next day - including assignments to turn in.
Get focused. Think
multitasking is a useful skill? Think again! A March 2005 study by the Kaiser
Family Foundation found that nearly a third of students’ ages 8 to 18 don't
concentrate on their homework alone. Instead, they "multitask" by talking on
the phone, listening to music, watching television, and IMing friends.
Studies show
that when people do lots of things at once they tend to do a worse job on all
of them than if they'd focused on just one thing at a time. So when you
multitask as you study, you're less likely to absorb and retain the information
you need to do well on that test.
This doesn't
mean you have to study in total silence. Things like TV are bad distractions
that you'll want to avoid. But listening to music can actually help some people
concentrate — especially if they have to study in a noisy environment.
Just be sure
that you tune in to good study music that isn't going to sidetrack you into
singing the lyrics and dancing all over your room when you're supposed to be
focused on the French Revolution. If you find yourself reading the same page
over and over or fixing mistakes that you made as you worked, these are clues
that the music isn't helping.
Chances are,
you'll use the computer for papers and the Web for research while you're doing
homework. This makes it hard to avoid temptations like IM and surfing. Set
aside separate time just for IM and email so that when it's work time, you can
shut them down and focus. (It's hard, but there's nothing like the little ding
of a new message to take the focus off of what you're trying to do — especially
if it's not your favorite subject!)
Stay focused. One way to keep
your concentration is to take breaks - but make sure they're scheduled ones.
Building a 15-minute break in after 45 minutes of studying can help your mind
stay fresh and focused.
Get a change of
scenery by leaving the room you've been working in. Exercise is a great way to
clear your head and allow the mind to absorb what you've just studied. So now's
the time to put on that song that makes you dance and sing! Do some stretches,
walk the dog around the block, kick a ball in the backyard, or call a friend.
Just make sure you get back to your studies when your 15 minutes are up.
It's normal for
the mind to wander occasionally. If you find yourself getting distracted and
thinking about other things, pull your attention back into a study groove as
soon as possible. If daydreaming and fantasizing seem to take up too much of
your work time, set aside a separate time to write in your journal or write
fiction. That'll give you another incentive to get your homework done.
Get It Done!
In summary,
here's a quick checklist of things that can help you focus:
DO know your
deadlines.
DO make a
calendar of stages and final due dates.
DO include
social events on this calendar for time management.
DO
understand the assignment and expectations.
DO give
yourself a quiet place to study with all the materials you need.
DO give
yourself brief breaks.
DON'T put
work off until the last minute; you'll be too frantic to focus.
DON'T do
your homework late at night or in bed.
DON'T let
yourself be bored; find the aspect of the project or paper that interests you -
if you're dying of boredom, something's not right.
If you need more
tips on staying focused, ask a teacher, school counselor, or a parent for help.
It's their job to assist in your learning.
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