3. My Study Area
My Study Area
This is one of the simpler workshops but it is quite important. One of the biggest challenges students report is staying focused when studying, especially when they are getting started. We talk about this in Workshop 6 - I'll get great work done tomorrow but you can definitely make life easier for yourself by setting up a dedicated space to study with as few distractions as possible.
While you can overcome distractions with willpower, it isn't easy and there's often much simpler things you can do. Save the willpower for the times you really need it! Here are examples or real problems our students faced:
I watch my neighbors playing on their trampoline in the back garden and want to go outside. Solution - move your desk 4 feet so it doesn't look out the window.
I keep getting distracted by my hair in the mirror and waste my time trying new hairstyles. Solution - move the mirror.
Whenever I check the time on my phone I see lots of messages from my friends. Solution - get a clock to check the time.
Should I listen to music when I'm studying?
This is one of the most common questions I get asked by students and their parents. The simple answer is NO. Listening to music is a form of multitasking and you will do better learning in silence. The slightly more complicated answer is that you will have to perform the exam in silence so there is a benefit to practicing in silence.
However.....
Life isn't always that simple and there are two main reasons why it may be beneficial to put some music on.
I'm writing this in my study at home and I have two boys under 5 tearing around the house downstairs. Not all of us have the luxury of silence and certainly in my case music is less distracting and I'm listening to this.
If you're having difficulty switching into "study mode" then a specific piece of music can be a useful trigger. Ever notice how a specific piece of music can remind you of a particular time, it can even bring back the way you felt at the time? You can use this by having a specific piece of music you listen to when studying, don't listen to it anywhere else and eventually it will help put you in the frame of mind for studying.
If you're going to listen to something here's a list of choices from least distracting to most distracting:
1 - White Noise
White noise. This is like static, it's excellent for blocking out background noise without adding any distractions. There are also variations that are rainstorms or rivers. This is the least distracting thing to listen to. There are several apps and website for this, I like Simply Noise.
2 - Instrumental Music
We're tuned to pay attention to human voices so instrumental music is generally less distracting. Find something nice and mellow, ideally a long album or playlist that will last a study session. Piano music, classical music and movie soundtracks all work well. If you search for "study music" lots of options will come up.
3 - Music with vocals that you know very well
I don't recommend listening to music with vocals but if you insist on it then pick a track you know well and reserve it as your study music. By knowing it very well you aren't really paying attention to the words the way you would a new piece of music.
4 - That new album by your favourite artist
Don't use this when studying. Keep it aside as a treat for when you've gotten all the study planned for the evening out of the way and then relax and enjoy it.