Concentration and Study Methods
When it comes to studying, time management is key. What that means, though, or how to approach it effectively, is often far from clear. Some people seem to naturally fall into productive patterns while others (most of us) struggle to consistently apply our efforts and attention to whatever task is at hand.
This page contains just a few very simple and straightforward, but very effective suggestions that should help improve your understanding and retention of the material you are required to read, learn, and analyze.
First, though, let us dispel a persistent myth: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MULTITASKING! What we actually do when we divide our attention is "task switching," or, as the old-timers used to say in the days of yore, "interrupting." (See this article by Ilya Pozin on Forbes)
Of course, interruption is the biggest game in town when our phones constantly call on our attention whenever we receive a message, or when a friend posts to social media, or even when complete strangers update their blog or YouTube channel. Why should we let all these people have such a claim on our time whenever they feel like it? Shouldn't we, not they, be in control?
Here is some practical advice on how to immediately upgrade your study time to the next level:
1. Take control of notifications on your phone!
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Turn off notifications for non-essential apps.
Games are particularly egregious, telling you that your virtual pet is missing you or that you have just received an extra life... -
Make all notifications from social media silent. No ringing. No buzzing. No vibration. You can look at your messages as often as you want, but if you are studying, or deep in conversation with a friend or colleague, why let a silly message interrupt you?
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Allow a few contacts (like family) to get through, in case of emergency.
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2. Break your work into timed chunks - take short breaks
Our capacity for concentration is not infinite! Break the time you devote to longer task, like reading a book chapter or an article, into smaller chunks (20 or 30 minutes) and promise yourself you will focus on the task at hand for that duration. That notifications on your phone have been silenced will surely help.
Use a timing device, possibly an analogue one that has nothing to do with your phone or computer. Ideally, you would use an actual hourglass with actual sand marking the passage of time as it drops, silently, into the bottom chamber of the device.
A real hourglass will reduce anxiety and stress. Unlike a digital timer, hourglasses are not precise, and they don't make annoying sounds when the time runs out. This means that, if you are on a roll, you can keep rolling on, even if the time has expired. No beeping or chiming will interrupt you.
When the time is up, and your attention wavers, take a short break... check your messages, or, better, walk around a bit, make coffee, practice on guitar... whatever. Then turn the hourglass and put your head back in the game for another 20 or 30 minutes.
Try before you buy!
Here is a 30-minute hourglass
on video (play full-screen)
3. Use a White Noise generator
The best study environment is a quiet environment. That, unfortunately, is easier said than found. So what would be the next best thing?
Street wisdom says "music," but music can be distracting, in particular if it is unfamiliar and if there is singing involved. Singing is especially difficult to ignore when wearing headphones, which, in many situations, would be the only way to isolate; with headphones, the music (and the singing) seem to come from the center of our head, which makes it very hard to push to the background as we try to concentrate on reading or writing. External speakers make it easier, but not by much.
The solution is WHITE NOISE. No, not the novel by Don De Lillo! White noise is a "a random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density" (Wikipedia). Think of the sound of rain, or constant wind in a forest moving through the leaves, or the low-frequency sound of a slow fan, or a brook flowing over rocks.
All these sounds are naturally soothing because they meet the definition. They are random (unlike music or singing where sounds are intentional and expressive), have equal intensity (there are no peaks), and have constant power spectral density (no changes in volume).
So what do you do if there is no rain, or you don't live in a forest, or next to a brook? You can use a White Noise Generator, either as a device in your room, or from an application or online source through speakers or headphones.
Click on the image below (that's visual white noise, by the way) to go to a free online generator. Make sure to adjust the volume to your environment while keeping it in the background. Don't make it so loud it's distracting.
PS
Click on "Online Noises" at the bottom of the myNoise page to see (many) more sound options to choose from (try "Rain on a Tent"). But don't be changing them too frequently; they are not meant to be the focus of your attention.
If you find yourself using this resource, and feel you are benefiting from it, consider donating a small amount to the author to support the service (I did). A one-time donation of 5 USD will let you access the "patron" version of the site with many more sounds. Of course, this is not at all essential (but it's nice).
myNoise is also available as an App for both Android and iPhone.