* First, take care of everything that needs to be done before you begin. The more times you
must stop, the longer it takes, and the faster you get burnt out because you feel like you've been at it forever.
- Eat a small meal before you begin so you aren't thinking about your hunger while you're
working. Eating also helps get your body going and your brain working, so eat up! Don't eat too much or you'll be miserable
and won't be able to concentrate.
- Gather your items that you'll need (pen/pencil, notes, books, etc) and prepare
yourself to seriously study.
- Make any phone calls, or other such things, before you sit down to begin.
* Remove any distractions. If you have children, keep them occupied with a fun project or
their favorite toy. And be sure to explain to them how important this is and reward them for good behavior. This will reinforce
good behavior also.
- Keep the television or radio off while you're trying to study.
- Turn off the ringer on the phone and turn the answering machine down or off. Keep
sounds on online messengers turned down so you're not worrying about who's logging on or off.
- If you're expecting guests, don't plan on a in-depth study session, but look over
your notes and touch on the basics. This way, when you go back over this stuff it'll will be fresh and you will remember it
easier.
* Take breaks often so that you don't get burnt out on the information. This way you will
keep actively learning, instead of just going through the motions and letting much of the knew knowledge slip away into the
crevices of you mind.
- Take a break every hour or so and do something that you enjoy. Go talk to your kids,
snack on a peice of fruit or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- When taking these breaks, stay away from things such as reading a book, writing a
poem, or listening to a favorite song. If you do these things, the words, sentences, lyrics, or things that might sound better
than what is currently there will keep coming back to you, and you won't be able to accomplish the current task at hand.
- You might keep a workout video in your VCR or DVD player and push play every hour
or so. Do the video for ten minutes and take a break from working you mind and work your body. Getting the oxygen flowing
will help you learn better too.
* Keep in mind ideas that will keep you on track, in line, and in your seat while you should
be working.
- If you need some sort of background noise, like me, try a classical album, such as
Beethoven, Bach, Motzart, or Tchaikovsky. These soft melodies are supposed to help you learn and remember things better.
- Keep your favorite drink in reach so you can keep your body hydrated and you don't
have to be thirsty. Savor your drink so you won't need to get up and refill or think 'gee, I wish I hadn't drank that so fast.'
- Keep a positive attitude about studying. Everyone knows that there are things that
are more fun, more productive, and easier that we could be doing, but, at the moment, that is what you should be doing. Keep
telling yourself 'I'm gonna get an 'A'.' or 'If I do well in this class, I can keep my GPA up or make the Dean's list.' or
'I need atleast a 'C' to get my Pell Grant, so I'll show them that I deserve it and get and 'A'. Things like this
will help you want to study and learn, and, over time, this will become habit and you won't have to consiously tell yourself
these things.
* GOOD LUCK!
