This question was originally posted on Quora. Answer 1 by: Alaka Halder, Princeton University '15 Studying for the SAT wasn't my favourite task in the world either, so I'll share some of the things I did: Get away from your computer and other distractions. You've already pointed out that having all those soft copies of SAT guides is pretty useless if you're on edX all the time. So print out those soft copies, or better yet, buy some hard copy SAT guides. I think they smell nice I hated reading the SAT guide. You're being tested on what you learned in high school anyway, and I didn't feel that I was benefiting from reading/passive reading. So I took a lot of practice tests instead of "studying", and checked my answers against the answers manual. If I got something wrong, I tried to figure out why. It's hard to get distracted when you're actively engaged in something like test taking. A technique that you might find helpful for building your studying stamina is the very simple Pomodoro method (Lifehacker: The Pomodoro Technique Trains Your Brain Away From Distractions): Developed in the 1990s, the Pomodoro technique uses a timer and a simple concept: write down a task, work on that task for 25 minutes without interruption, and then take a break for five minutes. It takes the pressure off the task, and discourages multitasking. The goal is to pace yourself through the task, while still maintaining progress. This method enables you to concentrate without distractions, and encourages deep thinking, - Lifehacker Anyone can concentrate for 25 minutes. After you've worked for four 25 minute chunks, give yourself a longer break (e.g. 15 minutes). I know people find this helpful if they're procrastinating a lot, or if they find themselves retaining too little of what they're studying. A cute Pomodoro timer. Any normal timer or a timer app (for your computer, phone, or web browser - e.g. Tomato Timer) will do. Answer 2 by: Ravi Mandliya, I have my share of As I struggled a lot for months with this problem and tried many things. Finally, this whole process helped me. It may or may not work for you. I would really recommend to give it a try. Skip whatever you want or customize the whole process. 1. Preparation Take a shower(preferably cold), try to feel the water on your skin, listen to the sound of water, smell the soap. Conclusion- Bring yourself to the present moment. Don't think, just be. It will take a while, but it gets better with practice. After this shower, meditate ( or take a walk outside, if its early morning or evening) for 15-20 mins. Try to keep yourself in the moment. Don't worry about how much you have to study. Just be in the moment. I believe meditation is must for any one. Find the technique which works. Every meditation technique leads to the same goal. Arrange your desk, get things you will need around. Ex. pen, papers, sticky notes, clip-board, books. etc. Every thing you can think of. Now, on one notepad (I always keep this with me) create a to do list. The aim should be whatever you are going to finish in next 45 mins. No matter, how much you have to get done, but just take care of next 45 mins right now. A sample list of mine. Aim - Finish lesson of data structure - Tree - Definition of Tree - What is binary tree - Types of binary tree - Operations of binary tree - Types of Tree traversal * in order * post order Make sure you don't stuff this list. Just something, which you think you will be able to finish this list in 45 mins. you can make this TO-DO list on your phone or computer, however I find my phone too distracting and I prefer to keep it on silent away from me. Computer I have to use, so I use stuff like StayFocusd extension, and block everything that could distract me. Facebook, twitter etc. Also, the feeling of crossing the item on your list by your hand with a pen gives me more motivation and pleasure than anything else. I believe this depend on individual preferences. There are some good to-do list apps available which are really nice like any do. Use a timer extension on browser, or alarm on phone or your watch or anything which can give periodic alarms cycles for - Study/work time - 45 mins - Break - 5-7 mins (make sure no more than 7 mins) 2. Implementation Once everything in place, start your timer, and start working. Now, the biggest problem is we lose focus, everyone does. So, every time I lose focus I put a big red cross on the side of my to-do list. Every single time! Be honest with yourself. The idea is to keep the no. of cross as small as possible. Mine were reduced to 3-4 from 15-20 initially. If you are having too much problem, and getting too distracted for longer period of time, you can customize your alarm to remind you to focus in every 15 mins.(DONT USE IT IF YOU ARE DOING WELL) Don’t get discouraged, if it doesn't work, it takes a while. The meditation, will power and zeal to finish your small list in 45 mins and to reduce no. of cross will keep you driven. 3. During break 1. Stretch (must) 2. Move around in your room 3. Drink water (Don't drink too much that you have to use bathroom too frequently) 4. Use bathroom 5. Snacks like nuts or juice. etc 4. Add ons Music - Often I prefer music without lyrics which help me concentrate better especially when I am programming. songza Listen to Music Curated by Music Experts has a list for every activity you do, they have special lists for studying and working which includes lists like - Classical for studying, master composers like Mozart and Beethoven Books - There are some great resources and concepts for staying focused, I think two books which are worth mentioning Peaceful warrior - Amazon.com: Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives (9781932073201): Dan Millman: Books Flow - the psychology of optimal experience - Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: 9780061339202: Amazon.com: Books This books have some good insights on the science of focus. 5. Conclusion Nothing mentioned above would work, if you don't have the enthusiasm and will to overcome the initial obstacles of trying any technique. I have struggled with this. but this worked. I have all As right now in my master's studies and I am enjoying my work and life. A small sense of accomplishment pushes you for more. All the best Answer 3 by: Nela Canovic, Hacking my sleep at night to optimize my brain during the day. You didn’t get into the focus zone yet! You can increase your energy and make your study time easier with these 5 tips: Take a walk to boost your memory and increase focus. Physical exercise wakes up your entire system, improves your brain's cognitive performance and problem solving ability, and even boosts long-term memory. Before you begin your study session, take a brisk walk for 30 minutes. If your neighborhood or college campus is noisy, take your headphones with you and listen to some relaxing instrumental music. Don’t wait for nighttime to start studying. For most focused studying, do your hard work early. Why? Because the early hours of the day are the optimal time for your analytical brain to perform the most complex tasks (in the case of studying, these can be reading, comprehension, application, repetition). It’s your brain’s peak performance time, and it's roughly 2-4 hours after we wake up. So, for example, if you wake up at 6, your peak times for review are between 8 and 10 a.m. Extend this time until midday to cover the most important concepts by lunchtime. Use a timer to create shorter blocks of time to study. With a timer you can divide up your day into manageable increments that will allow your brain to focus in a more targeted and effective way. Opt for 30 or 60 minute blocks, or for the most targeted option, try the Pomodoro technique. Take frequent breaks: step away from your desk and do something completely unrelated to work to give your brain a chance to rest: take a 5 minute walk or just go outside for some fresh air. Give your brain the nutrients it needs to focus. It’s not just what you do during the day that can help increase your focus and improve memory; it’s also the food you eat. Try this: Start with a balanced breakfast, for example with a combination of protein, fruits, and healthy fats (such as nuts): it can be oatmeal or yogurt with granola, fresh fruit, walnuts and almonds. Have an egg! Eggs are a powerful mix of B vitamins (they help nerve cells to burn glucose), antioxidants (they protect neurons against damage), and omega-3 fatty acids (they keep nerve cells functioning at optimal speed). Eat more excellent brain food such as sardines, beets, spinach, and lentils. Try to incorporate these and other foods into your daily meals to boost your brain power. Use music to fine tune your attention and improve memory. Many research studies have shown that the brain can make more meaning out of music because it prefers its repetitive and organized qualities. In addition, brain scans have shown that listening to music activated brain regions involved in the processes of planning, attention, and memory. Answer 4 by: John Parker, author, The 15 Minute Fix There are lots of possible reasons. Some of the easy ones to deal with include: Poor sleep habits/insufficient sleep Poor nutrition Lack of daily exercise Eyestrain or computer vision syndrome Time of day when you are studying Fixes for these include: Developing better sleep habits Eating fewer sugars, simple carbs, and processed foods; be careful with coffee as some people tend to crash hard 20-30 minutes after drinking it Raise your heart rate for at least 15 minutes every day. When you get sleepy, a couple of minutes of activity can get the blood moving and wake you up - try walking (in the fresh air if you can) and air squats (or burpees if you're in shape). Follow proper study and reading habits and give your eyes a break every 20 minutes or so. If you always struggle to stay awake at a certain time of day, try to do something less sedentary then and study when you tend to not get tired. Chewing gum! If you are managing all of the possible reasons listed above well and/or the fixes listed above don't seem to help, talk to your doctor about other possible reasons. Source
I tend to creat uncomfortable set so not to fall asleep Studying in the library is very good option too
