concentration problems???

Question

my exams are approaching and im not able to concentrate...at all!!...as soon as i sit down to study i start getting distracted by completly useless and unimportant thing....like stuff i read...a comic..or novel...or stuff i wanna do after i finish studying....as a result..i keep post poning my study hours...and the net output is negligible!!,,stuff i oughtta take 2 hrs in...i end up taking 4 or even 6 hrs...PLEASE TELL WHATS WRONG WITH ME!!!...how can i increase my concentration and throw out useless thoughts occupying my mind????

Answer 1

Yeah, it's hard to concentrate, especially when you feel you're running out of time and have to study.

Everyone works differently, but what always works for me is turn off everything, close the door and sit there and start going over the books very slowly. Try to get absorbed by what you're reading and block out all other thoughts.

It's especially hard if the subject isn't your favorite, but part of schooling is learning how to study and concentrate. So take it slowly and try to immerse yourself into it.

Good luck !

Answer 2

Is this new behavior or typical behavior before exams. I know that anxiety can definitely interfere with concentration and overall effort and performance. There is a psychological theory about performance anxiety. Maximal performance and great output occurs most often when a person is "moderately anxious" but anything past moderate (like severe) significantly reduces performance. Likewise, if there is not enough anxiety (like you blow off the exam because you don't care) then performance is also negatively affected. You sound as if you are at the maximum stress level and adding more pressure on yourself, thus exacerbating your condition. If this happens all the time then there may be some sort of condition like performance anxiety or perhaps an attention deficit disorder, but if this does not happen much to you then I would suspect that your stress about this is interfering with your ability to sufficiently concentrate. Find someway to relax and unwind - for every 5 or 10 pages you read in the textbook reward yourself with a short break by listening to a favorite song. Excercise is a great stress reliever because it causes the body to physically relax which helps one to feel less emotionally stressed. When I was a student taking exams I often experienced this when there was alot at stake or if I was so unprepared that it was too late to really do anything about it. For me wanting to do other things besides study was a way of avoiding the reality of my not being as prepared as I should have been. Do the best you can with the time you have left and give yourself a break. Maybe lower your expectations for a grade, for example, rather than aim for an A focus more on just passing the test. This may not sound like a good thing but if you're too behind it is not reasonable to assume you will be able to make all A's, no matter how intelligent you are. Also, make sure you are getting enough sleep at night and not staying up late trying to cram. This is a definite anxiety provoker which exceeds the moderation anxiety theory.

Answer 3

Well, I have Attention Deficit (ADD) and the same thing happens to me.

When I was in school, whatever I read, I made mental pictures out of the words to help me stay focused and it became a "story". I think the brain remembers pictures better than words and I made the Deans List.

Perhaps if you gave yourself a reward for finishing your project you could focus on your goal better.

Another way, take notes as you are reading to reinforce what you just read.

Make sure you are studying in silence. No music, friends, etc.

Good Luck.

Answer 4

Get a timer and set it for 15 minutes. Cram cram cram for 15 minutes, but when that timer goes off, you've got to stop studying and just play for 15 minutes. Play for 15, then study 15 minutes more (remember you gotta be fast, because you're closing the book after your 15 minutes) Then spend 15 minutes cleaning/put a load of laundry in/ call a friend, and when the timer goes off, 15 more minutes of study. It's amazing how deadlines (even artificial self-imposed ones) help people who have this inability to hone in and prioritize. It seems we love the adrenaline of being under deadline, and when it's sort of open-ended (ie you've got 8 hours available to you, and probably need to spend 2-3 hours studying) somehow we just spend 8 hours obsessing and avoiding adn being easily distracted.
Don't worry...you're certainly not alone in this....but trust me on the timer thing! ($5. at Bed Bath & Beyond)

Answer 5

I have consentration problems, and that is why I take classes when I know my concentration will hold out engouh to get a B in the Class. Still, I have ADD and OCD for years; therefore, my logical thinking is skipping by accident, and it hurts you academically from writing a report, but it sometimes pays off creative solution to complex problems its double edge sword.

Answer 6

It sounds like attention deficit disorder. You need to set a schedule for yourself do what you have to do for 1/2 hour then do something you want to do for 15 mins then back to studying etc, medication can help but you can do this yourself I have and it works.

Answer 7

Join the club, I'm the same way! It's frustrating.

Answer 8

set your self ago
think if i fail this where will i go
if i pass this just think this would be a start to a brighter future
get in there and have ago
focus on something