Study Concentration-Effective Study Skills

By: Don Penven

The art of study concentration is the end result of first learning the basics for improving your concentration... 

...and then applying it to the canvas of life. Some artists are born with the talent to create beautiful renditions of what and whom they see around them. In my case, I have not seen any overt examples of artistic talent. Rather, especially in my case, I have developed a measure of skill as an artist.

Learning to study may be considered an art form since the end result adds something beautiful to your existence—beautiful grades on a report card or recognition on the dean’s list.

The level of concentration one achieves is based upon how well the individual is able to pay attention.

Wikipedia states, Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Attention has also been referred to as the allocation of processing resources. Examples include listening carefully to what someone is saying while ignoring other conversations in a room (the cocktail party effect) or listening to a cell phone conversation while driving a car. Attention is one of the most intensely studied topics within psychology and cognitive neuroscience.

Concentration may also be described as one’s ability to eliminate distraction and to direct one’s focus on the single task at hand.

How often have you read through certain material only to discover that you have no idea about what you just read? This happens to me frequently since a consider myself to be a Class A Personality and my demeanor is often a tight as a guitar string.

And of course the mind is often prone to wander during a lecture—particularly if it covers some abstract or uninteresting subject.

Here are a few tips to improving concentration:
• Establish a regular routine by creating an efficient study schedule. Write it down or put it in your Outlook or Google calendar…and stick to it by avoiding external distractions. Concentration requires discipline.
• Choose a comfortable, relaxing environment for study. A quiet location, like the library or dorm room should be included as a sensible environment that allows you to concentrate.
• Take regular breaks from study. Limit study sessions to short bursts instead of all-night cramming sessions. Use your breaks as diversions from the subject matter under study. Take a walk, go for a bike ride, watch a movie on TV.
• You can limit the propensity for daydreaming by asking yourself questions about your subject. Ask yourself who, what, where, when and how.
• Prepare in advance for lectures by reviewing notes from previous sessions. Read over the related course material so that you can anticipate what may be coming next from the lecturer.
• Be attentive during lectures and show expressions of interest. Maintain good posture. These points will assist greatly in concentration, which aids in greater retention.
• Do not sit in the back of the room. Sitting down front—even in the first row—helps in avoiding distractions from those surrounding you. You are attending the lecture to learn, and you aren’t there to socialize or act the part of the class clown!

Learning the best way

Study Concentration: A Lost Art