Effective Study Techniques for Reducing Distractions

Introduction

When you’re trying to study, it can be difficult to keep your focus. Distractions are everywhere. Whether it’s your phone or a friend popping in for a visit, there are always things that can get in the way of studying. If you find yourself struggling with distractions while studying, try these techniques for reducing them:

Use a Study Buddy

A study buddy is someone you can rely on to help you stay focused and motivated. Your study buddy should be someone who’s also taking the same class as you, but not necessarily in the same section. This way, they’ll be able to keep up with their own work while helping you out with yours. If possible, find someone who’s willing and able to get together at least once a week (or even more often) so that both of your schedules are covered. The more time spent together working through problems and reviewing material, the better off both of your grades will be at exam time!

Reward Yourself

A reward is something you give yourself for completing a task. Rewards can be physical or mental, and they should be appropriate to the task at hand. For example, if you’re studying for a big exam and need to focus on reading through textbooks and reviewing notes, then rewarding yourself with 15 minutes of social media time may not be the best choice (unless that’s what really motivates you). If so much as looking at Instagram makes your brain hurt from all those words scrolling past too quickly for comprehension–and let’s face it: most of us have felt this way before–then maybe giving yourself permission to check Twitter every hour instead would help keep things interesting without distracting from what needs doing. Reward Yourself It’s important that any rewards are immediate so they don’t interrupt or delay tasks at hand; however there are some exceptions where delaying gratification can actually improve performance later on! In one study testing delayed gratification in preschoolers over 6 weeks period showed early signs of increased self control by using delayed rewards rather than immediate ones even though both groups performed equally well initially

Make a Commitment to Others

If you are struggling to stay on track with your study plan, make a commitment to someone else. This can be anything from “I will wake up at 7:30 every morning” to “I will spend one hour reading each day.” It is important that this commitment is something that would be difficult for them to break–if it’s not too difficult for them then they may end up breaking it anyway! If this doesn’t work for you, try making a commitment to yourself instead. For example: “I will read 10 pages of my textbook before I go out tonight” or “I won’t check social media until I finish my homework”.

Get Organized

The first step to being productive is getting organized. It’s important to set aside time for studying and make sure that you know what your goals are for each day. A good way to do this is by using a calendar or planner, which will help you plan out your days and keep track of your progress as well as any deadlines or other commitments. You should also set goals for yourself at the beginning of each week so that they’re fresh in mind when it comes time for them later on down the road (and if possible, give yourself a reward after completing one). You should also use checklists whenever possible–they’ll help ensure nothing slips through the cracks during study sessions! For example: If I’m going over vocabulary words from Chapter 3 today before starting work on Chapter 4 tomorrow morning…then my checklist might look something like this:

• Review flashcards from previous chapters’ vocab sections

Keep a distraction journal.

You can use your journal to track what you do during the day and how much time you spent on each activity. This information will help you plan your day better, as well as identify areas in which distractions may be occurring. For example:

• If I spend an hour watching TV every night after work, it might be time for me to make a change in my routine so that I don’t waste so much time watching TV when there are other things that could be done instead (like reading).
• If most of my social interactions happen over lunch with coworkers or classmates, then maybe I should find ways of getting more involved outside of work/school groups that involve meeting new people on a regular basis (e-mailing friends from college who live nearby)

Conclusion

The best study techniques are the ones that work for you. The key is to find a way to stay focused on your work without being distracted by other things in your life. Use one of these strategies, or try another that works best for your personality type. Whatever method you choose, keep it consistent so it becomes part of your routine!