Too many people asking the following, lead me to use blogger's facility of leaving a page online for all those who need the solutions for any of this permanently without me having to re-type the generic things.
1. How do I study better?
2. How do I focus better?
3. Am not able to concentrate better. How can I increase my concentration?
4. I feel, I am not able to remember things better. How can I better my abilities?
5. I feel I am not a good student.
and scores of similar type. (If your question is unattended in this blog, leave a comment here and I shall get back to you!)
First of all, studying is something that has been terribly misunderstood. While, one should be studying to learn something, majority are learning to score better. Scoring better is a goal for sure, in the kind of competitive system we have created to promote talent and better education for people, but, not the only one. One needs to understand that studying is an art just like painting or any other form of art is. It leads to self-discovery and enhancement of the perceptions and elevation of life through better understanding of the world and systems around us.
One should first consciously re-inforce in oneself that studying is for improving the knowledge and level of know-how of the world and it's many streams and not for scoring better alone. Once you have felt and understood this, then your whole focus is not marks and you chase the subject until you understand. Generally, you develop the interest in those things, that you really understand well or interest forces you to develop better understanding, in either case, it's important to develop interest in what one is studying.
We need to break our mind-sets that we like some subjects & some subjects thoroughly bore us. The moment you tell yourself that you do not like something, half your motivation of doing that is killed and the more you do it, the more you lose it. So, when you are doing something do it with deep interest and push yourself to love it.
Once this much is ensured following points would ensure you concentrate better:
1. Avoid Distractions & Stay Focussed:
Majority of the times, we are very strong at focusing on what we want to do, but then we introduce distractions. When there are less beams in a building that has large spaces, chances of roof coming down are high, which shows division of weight is important. It clearly shows that weight divides itself on to different beams & hence per beam stress levels reduce and hence strength of the building is better(in lay-man terms). So, when you focus on multiple things at the same time, you are dividing your focus on multiple things, hence each item demands HEAVY FOCUS, which is pretty difficult. While, if you attend one thing at a time, then it's much better to stick to what you doing and your efficiency improves. Do not let your friends, family and facebook call you for frequent breaks when you know you are on a serious mission.
2. Avoid Lousy Company:
What kind of a company you keep, determines the type of person you are. Ensure you are in company of people who have zeal and passion to do something in life, and ofcourse who are awesome students, not just because they score well, but they love subjects. Keep their company, become friends, have meetings every week to discuss subjects, spend time discussing and debating topics of subject interest. Avoid, negative people and those that talk negatively about progress and education in life.
3. Sit for continuous hours:
If you never sit for continuous hours, you will never know your ability and will power that you can exercise. At least to know you can do it, ensure you sit for long hours studying and don't move from your study place and be surrounded by what you wish to study and dive deep into it. While a lot of people say that studying longer and for long hours spoils your efficiencies (its true), not having an experience of it at all, is a loss of the experience of exercising your will-power, and at least knowing that you can pull it off with full concentration if you desire or if there is a need. Then switch to shorter durations (1 or 2 hours) and a mild break and then return.
4. Healthy Study environment:
Maintain a healthy study environment. If you cannot keep your study place clean and not love being there, you cannot fall in love with subjects. Imagine a romantic scene in a place full of stinking garbage in the background, quite sad and bad. You wish you never saw that or fell in love ever, if thats where your honeymoon would be. So I hope you understand!!!
5. Keep your goal on mind:
Have a daily target and a set of weekly ones and an overall target where you wish to eventually reach. If you never knew where you wish to be, then you would reach anywhere. Keep targets and stay focussed.
6. Keep away from these things(Reminder!):
Keep your phone away while studying no matter how addicted you are. Stay away from Facebook and other social networking sites till you complete your targets and don't update status in between. Do not let the sound of TV move you towards and please don't tell me you love studying with your ear-phones plugged. You are just reducing your efficiency by a huge margin by doing any of this. Ensure you don't let your pets, neighbors or friends come for walk-in distractions when you are studying.
7. Believe in your abilities:
Remember if people have explored, discovered, invented, created and compiled books, concepts and theories, we just need to study them, so that we can be reasons for creating and inventing tomorrow. Its all possible.
8. Final Tips:
Take power naps, Don't group-study too often, unless it's important, Don't let people build mind-sets about difficulties in studying which are negative, Keep your notes up-to-date, Don't over-engage in just reading, practice skills, remember reading alone does not make you stronger with your concepts, researching does, Keep mind-maps, flow-charts and pocket diaries for quick recalls and Ensure you share what you learn with others (the most effective way of learning is teaching!).
A sound education is a foundation for a sound life. You are a super-star and you can be what you dream of. You will fall in love with your studies and subjects, if you start applying these and read this blog every single day and focus yourself each time your thoughts take you for a walk. Don't expect a MASSIVE improvement in day or a week. Take it step by step but take it seriously and decide to take control of your life and education from here onwards.
If you have questions still unanswered, re-read the blog, sometimes it just fills those gaps that we don't catch generally in the first reading. If you still remain with any. There is unlimited space here you can always drop in your comments. You can also write what you feel like sharing after reading this blog here in the space below for other readers to know how this benefitted you. Share if there is any tip you have for the many readers who might read this. Share the link to your blog on better study techniques (if any) to ensure readers reach you too!
Thank you
Sujit Lalwani
Founder & Director, IU
PS: To buy my book "Life Simplified!" online, just log on to http://iuworldwide.com
1. How do I study better?2. How do I focus better?
3. Am not able to concentrate better. How can I increase my concentration?
4. I feel, I am not able to remember things better. How can I better my abilities?
5. I feel I am not a good student.
and scores of similar type. (If your question is unattended in this blog, leave a comment here and I shall get back to you!)
First of all, studying is something that has been terribly misunderstood. While, one should be studying to learn something, majority are learning to score better. Scoring better is a goal for sure, in the kind of competitive system we have created to promote talent and better education for people, but, not the only one. One needs to understand that studying is an art just like painting or any other form of art is. It leads to self-discovery and enhancement of the perceptions and elevation of life through better understanding of the world and systems around us.
One should first consciously re-inforce in oneself that studying is for improving the knowledge and level of know-how of the world and it's many streams and not for scoring better alone. Once you have felt and understood this, then your whole focus is not marks and you chase the subject until you understand. Generally, you develop the interest in those things, that you really understand well or interest forces you to develop better understanding, in either case, it's important to develop interest in what one is studying.
We need to break our mind-sets that we like some subjects & some subjects thoroughly bore us. The moment you tell yourself that you do not like something, half your motivation of doing that is killed and the more you do it, the more you lose it. So, when you are doing something do it with deep interest and push yourself to love it.
Once this much is ensured following points would ensure you concentrate better:
1. Avoid Distractions & Stay Focussed:
Majority of the times, we are very strong at focusing on what we want to do, but then we introduce distractions. When there are less beams in a building that has large spaces, chances of roof coming down are high, which shows division of weight is important. It clearly shows that weight divides itself on to different beams & hence per beam stress levels reduce and hence strength of the building is better(in lay-man terms). So, when you focus on multiple things at the same time, you are dividing your focus on multiple things, hence each item demands HEAVY FOCUS, which is pretty difficult. While, if you attend one thing at a time, then it's much better to stick to what you doing and your efficiency improves. Do not let your friends, family and facebook call you for frequent breaks when you know you are on a serious mission.2. Avoid Lousy Company:
What kind of a company you keep, determines the type of person you are. Ensure you are in company of people who have zeal and passion to do something in life, and ofcourse who are awesome students, not just because they score well, but they love subjects. Keep their company, become friends, have meetings every week to discuss subjects, spend time discussing and debating topics of subject interest. Avoid, negative people and those that talk negatively about progress and education in life.
3. Sit for continuous hours:
If you never sit for continuous hours, you will never know your ability and will power that you can exercise. At least to know you can do it, ensure you sit for long hours studying and don't move from your study place and be surrounded by what you wish to study and dive deep into it. While a lot of people say that studying longer and for long hours spoils your efficiencies (its true), not having an experience of it at all, is a loss of the experience of exercising your will-power, and at least knowing that you can pull it off with full concentration if you desire or if there is a need. Then switch to shorter durations (1 or 2 hours) and a mild break and then return.
4. Healthy Study environment:
Maintain a healthy study environment. If you cannot keep your study place clean and not love being there, you cannot fall in love with subjects. Imagine a romantic scene in a place full of stinking garbage in the background, quite sad and bad. You wish you never saw that or fell in love ever, if thats where your honeymoon would be. So I hope you understand!!!
5. Keep your goal on mind:
Have a daily target and a set of weekly ones and an overall target where you wish to eventually reach. If you never knew where you wish to be, then you would reach anywhere. Keep targets and stay focussed.
6. Keep away from these things(Reminder!):
Keep your phone away while studying no matter how addicted you are. Stay away from Facebook and other social networking sites till you complete your targets and don't update status in between. Do not let the sound of TV move you towards and please don't tell me you love studying with your ear-phones plugged. You are just reducing your efficiency by a huge margin by doing any of this. Ensure you don't let your pets, neighbors or friends come for walk-in distractions when you are studying.
7. Believe in your abilities:
Remember if people have explored, discovered, invented, created and compiled books, concepts and theories, we just need to study them, so that we can be reasons for creating and inventing tomorrow. Its all possible.8. Final Tips:
Take power naps, Don't group-study too often, unless it's important, Don't let people build mind-sets about difficulties in studying which are negative, Keep your notes up-to-date, Don't over-engage in just reading, practice skills, remember reading alone does not make you stronger with your concepts, researching does, Keep mind-maps, flow-charts and pocket diaries for quick recalls and Ensure you share what you learn with others (the most effective way of learning is teaching!).
A sound education is a foundation for a sound life. You are a super-star and you can be what you dream of. You will fall in love with your studies and subjects, if you start applying these and read this blog every single day and focus yourself each time your thoughts take you for a walk. Don't expect a MASSIVE improvement in day or a week. Take it step by step but take it seriously and decide to take control of your life and education from here onwards.
If you have questions still unanswered, re-read the blog, sometimes it just fills those gaps that we don't catch generally in the first reading. If you still remain with any. There is unlimited space here you can always drop in your comments. You can also write what you feel like sharing after reading this blog here in the space below for other readers to know how this benefitted you. Share if there is any tip you have for the many readers who might read this. Share the link to your blog on better study techniques (if any) to ensure readers reach you too!Thank you
Sujit Lalwani
Founder & Director, IU
PS: To buy my book "Life Simplified!" online, just log on to http://iuworldwide.com
