STUDY SKILLS 3: Concentration and organisation

Do you find it difficult to motivate yourself to start studying? Are you easily distracted during a study session? Can you always account for tasks completed in a study period? Do you have a suitable, fixed location for regular study? Can you locate particular notes or written work in your subject folders when you need them?

Getting focused

Answering these practical questions will give you some insight into your powers of organisation and concentration. Use them for self-assessment and then look for some concrete points to improve on.

In student terms, the quantity of time that you allocate to study over the coming weeks is important - you do need a realistic yet demanding weekly schedule if you are to succeed in June. But "putting in the time" is no guarantee of success - you must ensure that the quality of work is good, that your revision is active, organised and smart, that it is focused on the right areas.

If your payment for work as a sales assistant in a shop was based on commission rather than the number of hours worked, think how this might affect your approach to the job and the quality of your work effort. It would certainly focus your mind on the task of maximising sales and making best use of every opportunity. Now apply the same principles to the job of being a successful student and see how you can earn your "bonus" at the end of the year.

Learning how to learn

Whether you're training to hit free kicks like David Beckham, striving to become the next Pop Idol or practising for the world text-messaging championships, the same basic principles of learning will apply. Let's see how they relate to your study.

Learning depends largely on your desire to learn

Having an attractive overall goal is a great motivator. Always try to link the particular study task (even if unpleasant) to the desired reward (target grade in a subject or target points). Within each study period, have a specific goal to achieve or tasks to complete.

Concentration and efficiency

This decreases over a certain period of time. We can only stay focused on a particular item of study for a limited time. After that, the mind starts to wander as tiredness sets in. Your typical class periods are set at 40 minutes for this reason. When studying for a prolonged period, reward yourself with a short break when a particular task is finished, leave your desk, but don't go near the phone or TV!

Learning is improved by repetition

The famous golfer Gary Player once said "the more I practise, the luckier I get", and the same principle applies to your study performance. Regular revision of topics on a daily basis (material covered in class), weekly basis (areas covered over the week) and monthly basis (working backwards from June with your revision checklist) will reinforce learning and build your confidence.

Spaced learning is more effective than massed learning

While we often end up "cramming" towards the end of the year, the most effective way to improve performance is by tackling a subject or topic in smaller chunks on a more regular basis, thus reinforcing understanding and retention.

The learning of one thing may help or interfere with the learning of another

Be smart in how you organise the sequence of subjects in a study session. An hour of English followed by revision of history or classical studies will probably prove productive, but the study of Irish grammar in close proximity to French verbs might lead to confusion.

Questions of concentration

WHERE?

Find a fixed place to study (a particular desk/room at home, a spot in the library etc) that becomes firmly associated in your mind with productive work. You are trying to build a habit, to make life easier for yourself by being in productive mode when you start a session. All the equipment and materials you need should be within reach, and the room well lit and ventilated, but not too comfortable!

WHAT?

Remember that it's all about being active and focused on tasks, not time. Know at the start of a session what you want to have completed by the end of the period. Make the tasks specific and realistic, not vague and large. Don't say "I'm going to study English for an hour" or "I'm going to spend all day Saturday studying English". Decide to "revise these two comparative texts and write an outline answer to the comparative question on last year's exam paper".

HOW?

Always work with a pen and paper at the ready. Getting started is often the most difficult bit, so start by "doing". Tackle a homework question or the writing up of class notes at the start of a session. It usually helps to begin with a subject you like, move on to other less favoured areas, and then finish up with a favoured topic to maintain the interest.

WHEN?

Try to schedule your study for times when you are more mentally alert. While different body clocks will apply, most people find their ability to focus deteriorates towards the end of the day. Getting homework and revision done earlier in the day aids efficiency and also offers the reward of having time to relax after the work is done.

WHY?

Understanding is central to the learning process, so always seek to test your progress at the end of a study session. Ask yourself "what have I just learned?"

Review the material covered in school that day, even briefly, as it will aid retention and make the next day's classes more productive. Merely recognising material isn't enough - you must be able to reproduce it without the aid of the book or notes. The final five to 10 minutes of any session should be used for this recall.

Dealing with distractions

"I just start daydreaming"

Become an active learner. Always work with a pen and paper. Focus on a specific task, not a specified time for your study.

"I can't focus because I'm anxious about the exams"

Try to limit yourself to your immediate concerns, the things you have some control over (preparation for the upcoming revision test) rather than the things you cannot determine (like what questions the examiners will choose for this year's English paper).

"I often fall asleep when I'm supposed to be studying"

Try to get to bed on time over the coming weeks. A tired brain is very unproductive. Get some genuine rest at the weekend. Be sure to get regular exercise, even just a walk around the block at night to clear your head.

"I'm constantly interrupted by other people"

Study in the location most likely to offer peace and quiet. Ask for consideration from family members over the final run up to exams. Never have a TV, phone, computer games or music system within arm's reach while you are trying to work. Make a rule of not taking phone call within certain defined periods.

"I keep thinking of other things while I'm studying"

Divide the study session into smaller, short-range goals which demand your full attention, e.g. vocabulary or poetry test. Keep a "reminder pad" beside you, a little notebook to jot down something that strikes you (someone to call, a job to do and so on) and deal with it after the study period. Having made a note of it, you can more easily re-focus on your work.