Studying is hard work, but you can still learn some techniques to help you be a more effective learner.  Two major and interrelated techniques involve avoiding distractions to the best of your ability and creating a study environment that works to help you concentrate.

Avoiding Distractions

We have always had distractions—video games, television shows, movies, music, friends—even housecleaning can distract us from doing something else we need to do, like study for an exam.  That may seem extreme, but sometimes vacuuming is the preferred activity to buckling down and working through calculus problems!  Cell phones, tablets, and portable computers that literally bring a world of possibilities to us anywhere have brought distraction to an entirely new level.  When was the last time you were with a large group of people when you didn’t see at least a few people on devices?

When you study, your biggest challenge may be to block out all the competing noise.  And letting go of that connection to our friends and the larger world, even for a short amount of time, can be difficult.  Perhaps the least stressful way to allow yourself a distraction-free environment is to make the study session a definite amount of time: long enough to get a significant amount of studying accomplished but short enough to hold your attention.

You can increase that attention time with practice and focus.  Pretend it is a professional appointment or meeting during which you cannot check e-mail or texts or otherwise engage with your portable devices.  We have all become very attached to the ability to check in—anonymously on social media or with family and friends via text, chat, and calls.  If you set a specific amount of time to study without interruptions, you can convince your wandering mind that you will soon be able to return to your link to the outside world. Start small and set an alarm—a 30-minute period to review notes, then a brief break, then another 45-minute study session to quiz yourself on the material, and so on.

• When you prepare for your optimal study session, remember to do these things:
• Put your phone out of sight—in another room or at least some place where you will not see or hear it vibrate or ring. Just flipping it over is not enough.
• Turn off the television or music (more on that in the next section).
• Unless you are deliberately working with a study group, study somewhere alone if possible or at least away from others enough to not hear them talking.

Study Environment

You may not always be in the mood or inspired to study.  And if you have a long deadline, maybe you can blow off a study session on occasion, but you shouldn’t get into the habit of ignoring a strong study routine.  Jane Austen once wrote in a letter, “I am not at all in a humor for writing; I must write on till I am.”  Sometimes just starting is the hard part; go ahead and begin.  Don’t wait around for your study muse; start working, and she’ll show up.

Sometimes you just need to plop down and study whenever and wherever you can manage—in the car waiting for someone, on the bus, at the Little League field as you cheer on your shortstop.  And that’s OK if this is the exception.  For long-term success in studying, though, you need a better study setting that will help you get the most out of your limited study time.  Whatever your space limitations, carve out a place that you can dedicate to reading, writing, note taking, and reviewing.  This doesn’t need to be elaborate and expensive—all you truly need is a flat surface large enough to hold either your computer or writing paper, book or notes, pens/pencils/markers, and subject-specific materials you may need (e.g., stand-alone calculators, drawing tools, and notepads).  Your space should be cool or warm enough for you to be comfortable as you study. What do you have now that you consider your study space?  Is it set up for your optimal success?

Wherever you study, try to make it a welcoming place you want to be in—not an uncomfortable environment that makes you want to just do the minimum you must complete and leave.  You should include the basics: a good chair, a work surface, and whatever materials, books, notes, and other supplies you need for the subject you are studying.  If you want to make it even more of a productive place, you can look in magazines for ideas or search the web to see how others have set up simple areas or more elaborate arrangements.  Don’t let decorating your workspace be an excuse to get out of studying!

You don’t need an elaborate setting, but you may want to consider including a few effective additions if you have the space:

• small bulletin board for often-used formulas
• encouraging quotes or pictures of your goal
• whiteboard for brainstorming
• sticky notes for reminders in texts and notes
• file holder for most-used documents
• bookshelf for reference books

Appendix 1 was adapted from OpenStax College Success, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/1-introduction.