Motivation and Concentration

W A Y S T O I M P R O V E M O T I V A T I O N & C O N C E N T R A T I O NDesi gn a n a d eq u a t e st u d y en vi ron men t for you rself. C h ec k li gh t i n g,n oi se, c omfort of fu rn i t u re, et c . , i n 3 or 4 p la c es t o d et ermi n e wh i c h sp ot work s b est foryou .M a k e su re you h a ve a ll t h e t ools (i . e. , c omp a ss, n ot eb ook , p en s) you n eed b eforeb egi n n i n g a st u d y sessi on .C h oose a regu la r t i me t o st u d y ea c h d a y so t h a t you set a p a t t ern for you rself.H a v e a s p e c i a l m i r e n d e r p a d f o r j o t t i n g i n d o w n e x t rwh i le you a re st u d yi n g (i . e. , c a lli n g Li n d a for a lu n c h d a t e).Use a symb ol for st u d yi n g. C h oose a n i t em, li k e a h a t , t h a t you p u t on wh en , a n d on lywh en , you a re st u d yi n g, or a n i t em t h a t you p la c e on you r d esk a s you st u d y.R ela x you r b od y b efore st a rt i n g t o st u d y.Set rea li st i c goa ls.Solve some of t h e p rob lems t h a t a re i n t erru p t i n g you r c on c en t ra t i on (i . e. , sp ea k t o you rp rofessor a b ou t t h e lec t u re t h a t you d i d n 't u n d erst a n d ).Ke e p a p e n c i l i n yo u r h a n d wh i l e s t u d yi n g s o t h a t yo u c a n b e a n a ic ve t p a rt i c i p a n t i n t h ep roc ess.Wh en you fi n d t h a t you a re n ot c on c en t ra t i n g, t a k e some a c t i on . Su ggest i on s: M a k e ac h ec k ma rk every t i me you fi n d you r mi n d wa n d eri n g; st a n d u p a n d t u rn a rou n d wh enyou r mi n d wa n d ers.T a k e a s h o r t b r e a k a f t -4 e 0 r mi e nv ue tr es y of 2 rea 0 d i n g t o let wh a t you h a ve j u st rea dh a ve a c h a n c e t o si n k i n a n d fi n d i t s wa y t o c on n ec t ors a n d memory st ora ge p oi n t s i nyou r mi n d . Do n ot u se t h e b rea k for a p h on e c a ll, TV, et c . , j u st si t b a c k a n d reflec t onwh a t you 've rea d .E x e r c i s eon a regu la r b a si s. Try rea d i n g b efore you st u d y, t o i n c rea se a lert n ess.G e t -9 7 h o u r s o f s l e e p -h ou p e r r p eri 2 od 4 . It d oes n ot a ll h a ve t o h a p p en a t on e t i me.

D o n o t g i v e i n t o m e n t a - l - t h e f a kt i ni d g tu hea t goes a wa y wh en you d o somet h i n gb esi d es st u d yi n g. Pu sh on a n d wa i t for t h e 2 n d (or 3 rd or 4 t h ) "wi n d " t h a t i s a n ot h erst a ge of a lert n ess t h a t wi ll c ome i f you p ersevere.Ima gi n e t h a t you r b ra i n i s fi lled wi t h t h e su b j ec t t h a t you a re goi n g t o st u d y a n d t h a tt h e r e i s n o r o o m f o r a n y t h i n g t he al t s t h e . en t ra S e nec es t o you r mi n d a re b loc k ed b yt h a t su b j ec t .Ta k e t wo mi n u t es b efore rea d i n g, t o j ot d own everyt h i n g you exp ec t t o c ome u p i n t h et ext you a re a b ou t t o rea d .Emp loy a n SQ3 R t ec h n i q u e t o b egi n ea c h su b j ec t .B r e a k a s s i g n m e n t s i n t o -b s y -st m a ep l l t a sk s s. t e pAn a lyze you r st u d y sk i lls t o ma k e su re t h a t you r p rob lem i s on e of c on c en t ra t i on , n otfa u lt y st u d y sk i lls.Look for a sp ec i a l i n t erest i n ea c h su b j ec t for wh i c h you d o n ot feel mot i va t ed . Fore x a m p l e , i f B i o l o g y d o e s n o u t you t h ar re i l i nl t erest y o ed u , i n b k eep i n g you r b od y i ngood sh a p e, you ma y b e a b le t o d evelop a n i n t erest i n n u t ri t i on , t h e effec t s of exerc i se onmu sc les, syst ems, et c .Develop a c on t ra c t for a p a rt i c u la r st u d y p rob lem. Dec i d e i f you a re more resp on si ve t orewa rd or p u n i sh men t a n d c on st ru c t a c on t ra c t a c c ord i n gly. For exa mp le, "For every 1 0p a ges rea d , I c a n li st en t o mu si c for 1 0 mi n u t es", or "If I d on 't rea d 2 0 p a ges of h i st ory, Im u s t we a r m i s m a t c h e d s o c k s t o m o r r o w" . S e t u p t h e c o n t r a c t o n g r a p h p a p e r . C h a r tyou r p rogress over 5 st u d y sessi on s b efore you c on si d er ma k i n g mod i fi c a t i on s.F r o m T h e L e a r n i n g a n d A c a d e m i c S k i l l s C e n t e r , U n i v . o f M N 9 / 9 2