Learning new material takes a lot of effort on your part. You must concentrate on what you hear and read. This might sound simple, but considering all the responsibilities that college students must balance, the opportunity to concentrate and really focus on what you’re learning and studying can be hard to come by. Understanding how to maximize your ability to concentrate through what you do and where you do it is a good place to start.
Making a few changes in your behavior and in your environment will allow you to concentrate better and remember more. With concentration, you’ll probably need fewer hours to study because you will use your time more efficiently. What are you willing to do to make this happen? Working through the following exercise, you’ll begin to navigate some tough choices.
| Tough Choices | Your Answer: Yes or No? |
| Are you willing to do assigned reading before you come to class? | |
| Are you willing to find a place away from home, either on campus or elsewhere, for quiet study? | |
| Are you willing to turn off your cell phone while you read? | |
| Are you willing to turn off distracting music or TV while you are studying? | |
| Are you willing to sit in a spot in class where you can see and hear better? | |
| Are you willing to go over your notes after class to revise or rewrite them? | |
| Are you willing to form study groups or work with partners? | |
| Are you willing to reduce stress through exercise, sleep, or meditation? | |
| Are you willing to take a few minutes on the weekend to organize the week ahead? | |
| Are you willing to study for tests four or five days in advance? |
Attending a college or university is a major responsibility, one you shouldn’t take lightly. It is a lot of work, but it also offers you a lot of opportunities. For most people, a college degree is a pathway to a better, more fulfilling life. As a college learner, you may need to make different choices about how you manage your time and your study environment. Depending on your past study habits, some of these choices may not be easy. You may find that you have to invest more time in reading and reviewing, and that you have to study in groups with other students. Behaviors such as these can have a direct, positive impact on your ability to remember and learn the information you will need in the months and years ahead.
With these realities in mind, what did you learn about yourself from answering the questions in the exercise on the previous page? Think especially about the questions to which you answered “no.” Which of these are you willing or unwilling to change right now? Remember: Changing behaviors that disrupt your ability to get the most out of college, both in and out of the classroom, will save you a lot of headaches in the future.
high-impact practice 2
Write and Reflect
Are You Able to Concentrate?
The next time that you read a textbook, monitor your ability to concentrate. Check your watch when you begin, and check it again when your mind begins to wander. How many minutes did you concentrate on your reading? List some strategies to keep your mind from wandering. Write a journal entry containing ideas you have heard that you think will work well for you.