Efficient Studying
Continuing on from my last blog, Preparing to Study.
Once the faithful decision has been taken, how do you go about studying efficiently and in a manner that you don’t find intimidating? After all, you are faced with a large amount of information which you have to transfer from the book into your head. To do this, it may help to set small goals with a deadline and tick them off when completed. This will serve two purposes: Firstly it will break up what looks like a huge task into manageable chunks and, secondly, having a deadline for every task will place some gentle pressure on you to get things done on time. This technique will not take much time at all, however, it can be extremely effective, especially if you set small, short-range goals and increase the tempo of your studying slowly over time.
Another issue many students face when developing their studying technique is how to control daydreaming. This is a very common distraction and can be quite detrimental as you may spend a lot of time in front of the textbook and achieve very little for your ‘effort’. What can be done when your mind starts wandering? Some students will find it useful to take a minute ‘stretch’ break from studying, others allow themselves to daydream for a short period of time before forcing their mind back to the task at hand. Some like to start taking notes to concentrate on a specific activity. Just try some different methods until you hit upon one that works for you and lets you concentrate on learning.
Remember: The secret of concentration is the secret of self-discovery. You reach inside yourself to discover your personal resources and what it takes to match them to what is facing you.
Ugo
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