Studying is a skill…one that we may or may not have mastered during many years of education. I know I went through different study methods before settling on one that worked for me during 7 years of higher education. An important part of successful studying is staying focused. If you also want to improve study habits, see this post on the topic.
Watch & Subscribe on our YouTube Channel!
Here are my 5 Tips for Staying Focused while Studying:
-
Remove distractions
With the amount of technology available today distractions occur frequently. We are either checking our cell phone, refreshing our internet browser or scrolling through social media. My #1 tip for removing distractions?! Place your phone in another room – the old saying “out of sight, out of mind” works well here. Instead of getting distracted by text messages, new emails, Instagram updates, Tweets and so on, we can remove the distraction.
-
Plan/Schedule
Planning what you will study ahead of time is important. There are multiple ways to accomplish this and one way is to review what you have studied before going to bed and planning out what you want to accomplish the next day. When you wake up the next morning, you have a set plan and goal in mind for the day. These are short-term goals/plans and you can incorporate long-term goals/plans into your scheduling as well with weekly or monthly scheduling.
-
Schedule Breaks
If you are tackling a large portion of your studying over several hours, schedule breaks during the day. These breaks can include your meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) along with your health/fitness routine. There does not need to be an exact time you will take each and every break; if you want to get through a section of material before dinner, then finish what you need to and then take your scheduled break.
-
Separate Physical Spaces
Separating physical spaces is important for mental recovery. When you take your scheduled breaks, make sure you leave the room you are studying in. When we forget to separate these 2 spaces, we often roll over our break time into our study time and vice versa. It’s the same concept as keeping your bedroom for sleeping and no other activities (such as watching television) because our body adjusts to these activities. It helps our body recognize that a physical space is designated for a particular activity – staying focused in the process.
-
No Self-Control? Use Technology
If you’re still having trouble with self-control and putting away technology or saying “no” to things, consider technology apps to assist you. One app for Mac-users is SelfControl – allowing you to set restrictions on websites, mail servers, the Internet, etc. Other apps include: Freedom, Anti-Social, FocusWriter, WriteRoom, StayFocused, LeechBlock, FocusON, Focus, and Cold Turkey.
Your Turn! Comment below on how you stay focused while studying!
Grab your FREE templates today!
Watch & Subscribe on YouTube Channel!
You may also Enjoy Reading:
- How to Stand Out as a Residency Applicant
- Day in the Life of a Critical Care Pharmacist
- Roadmap to Pharmacy Residency
- 5 Ways to Improve Study Habits
- 5 Tips for Staying Focused while Studying
- How to Use Medication Charts to Study Drugs
Jessica Louie, PharmD, APh, BCCCP is the CEO of Clarify, Simplify, Align and Host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast. Dr. Louie uses her signature Burnout Doctor Method to coach burned out pharmacists & professionals to simplify because work-life balance is a LIE. Align work into your life & break free from people pleasing, perfectionism and thrive in life on YOUR TERMS.