There is no doubt that procrastination is one of the biggest problems we face as college students. Some days it is nearly impossible to concentrate, and the hours and minutes that we sit staring at our notes, computers or books seem endless. With so many distracters, it may seem as if full concentration and focus are hopeless.
There are plenty of simple, natural ways to increase your ability to focus and concentrate on your schoolwork. As students who are tend to spend much of our time running around from Moseley to Lindner, attempting to fit everything into one day, we overlook many simple things we can do to make our lives a little easier and help us actually write that paper when we sit down in front of the computer.
These guidelines may seem obvious, but they work. Focus applying these tasks to your daily or studying routines and you’ll find yourself getting work done a whole lot faster.
1. Breakfast
Waking up for early classes can be painful. Rolling out of bed for that 8 a.m. or 9:25 leaves little time to cook up a nutritious breakfast. But don’t use your class schedule as an excuse to skip the most important meal of the day! If you don’t have time before your early morning classes, grab something after. Starting the day with fruit, whole grains and protein will leave you feeling fuller and more focused throughout the entire day. If you have access to a kitchen, try a whole wheat English muffin with an egg. If not, go for an orange and whole grain oatmeal or an apple and bowl of whole grain cereal. Keep a stash of fruit and grain granola bars in your room to grab when you’re in a rush. No matter what, make sure to eat a substantial breakfast if you want to find yourself focusing more easily.
2. Coffee or Tea
While chugging a caffeinated soda or Red Bull may not be the best way to energize, sipping on a cup of coffee or tea in the morning or afternoon can actually be beneficial. The traditional morning cup of coffee or tea is a good pick me up. With so many variations, you may find yourself deviating from the healthiest choices. Use milk instead of cream, and limited sugar or sweeteners. In preparation for a particularly grueling night of work, a cup of caffeinated tea or coffee in the afternoon can be key to increasing concentration. Just make sure you don’t find yourself drinking one cup, then two cups, then three. Too much caffeine will just make you jittery, so stick to limitation when it comes to coffee or tea.
3. Environment
Some people concentrate best in a busy, populated environment. Others need a cubical on third floor Belk with complete silence. Some work best sitting on their bed with music playing in the background. Find out what is the best fit for your study environment and take advantage of it. You’ll have a much easier time focusing if you are sure to find the environment that will best benefit your study habits. You’ll find yourself focusing much better and being much more productive. A change in environment might be helpful if you have a full day or night of studying. Try switching it up from your usual spot for an hour or two if you find yourself losing focus.
4. Timed Procrastination
When you feel the need to put off your work and go on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or even checking email, limit yourself. The Internet can be the ultimate distracter. Avoiding it at all costs will just make you more inclined to waste away hours without realizing it. Give yourself timed breaks from studying or writing a paper. Let yourself go on Facebook for 5 minutes and then hold yourself to 2 straight hours of doing work. You’ll find that you’ll spend a lot more time actually getting things done and focusing if you allow yourself to break that focus every once in a while. Manage your procrastination.
Concentrating on schoolwork, and keeping that concentration, can be difficult. But by allowing yourself to focus on eating a nutritious breakfast, drinking just one cup of coffee or tea to provide energy, choosing a productive study environment and managing your procrastination according, you will find yourself being able to focus more readily on your schoolwork and being much more productive overall.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Elon chapter.