Transcript Concentration - www.mansfield.edu

Concentration
Adapted from Dennis Congo (2000).
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
1. Intend to Concentrate
Concentrating is easier when you have a
specified time for study. Knowing how
long you will study helps concentration.
Consciously tell yourself “I will
concentrate for ___ minutes.”
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
2. Prepare to Concentrate
Have everything you need to complete
your task
Make sure you have your texts, notes,
pens, study guides, etc…
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
3. Use Concentration Promoting Activities
Prepare to rewrite and organize
notes
Create diagrams, graphs, study
guides
Summarize the material
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
4. Vary Your Study Activities
If you have difficulty focusing on one
subject for long periods of time, vary
the subjects you study
Take breaks in between study
activities
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
5. Study in a Non-Distracting
Environment
Find one place, and use that place
only for studying
Remove visual and auditory
distractions
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
6. Devise a Specific Study Plan for
Studying and Learning
A step-by-step plan makes it easier
to concentrate
Use a text book reading strategy
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
7. Eat Regular Well Balanced Meals
Researchers find students with
healthier diets earn higher grades
Avoid too much sugar and caffeine
Don’t take stimulants
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
8. Get Plenty of Sleep at Night
Fighting off sleepiness negatively
affects concentration.
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
9. Set Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and
Semester Goals
It is easier to concentrate and selfmotivate when you see yourself
moving toward your goals
Ten Tips for Better Concentration
10. Take Regular Study Breaks
It is normal that your concentration
will wonder. When this happens, take
a five minute break.
Improving Concentration
• Factors that Affect
Concentration
– TV/stereo, loud noise
– Too comfortable
seating
– Friends, family, pets
– Telephone
– Music
• How to Control
These Factors
– Leave or rearrange
the environment
– Use the library or
empty classroom
– Study away from
others and in silence
Improving Concentration
– Hunger
– Drowsiness
– Dislike or disinterest
in a class
– Eat high protein or
fruit snacks
– Plan study times at
optimum hours, get
adequate sleep,
exercise lightly to
energize yourself
– Join a study group,
participate in class,
ask questions
Improving Concentration
– Anxiety about a class
– Speak to instructor,
tutors, other
students
– Examine if you are
studying effectively
– Assess whether the
anxiety is cause by
the class or personal
issues
– See a campus
counselor
Improving Concentration
– Intimidating
assignments
– Break the larger
assignment into
small manageable
tasks
– Tackle the most
difficult part first
– Reward yourself for
progress
– Work collaboratively
Improving Concentration
– Daydreaming
– When daydreaming write
down those thoughts and
refocus on the task at
hand
– Focus on identifying main
ideas and details in text
and notes
– Make up questions
– Stop studying and
temporarily indulge in
daydreaming
focus on one thing