Study Distractions

We have all experienced distractions. We all know how annoying they can be and how destructive they are to our planned events. For someone to be always able to study without experiencing any distractions is to be very lucky. It is no easy task being able to sit down and study for an extended period of time without being distracted a few times. It is incredibly frustrating and so I have decided to compile a list of sorts that contains certain things I find distracting when I am trying to study. Chances are that you guys have experienced at least one of these and if you have not then I envy you. Oh, do I envy you...

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The first, and main, distraction I come across while trying to study is people. Have you ever tried studying with your friends? It is really hard to do it well when every few seconds you start talking about something else or going out on a tangent that is in no way related to what you are trying to focus on. Sometimes you end up spending half the time studying and half the time socialising. Of course, this is not a bad thing but it can be very distracting and frustrating afterwards. Having people watching you while you are trying to study is also very distracting. Suddenly you become very self-conscious and think twice about every move you make. Suddenly a task that should have taken only forty minutes goes on for an hour. You can see why I do not like people staring over my shoulder when I am trying to just get my work done. Electronics is another major distraction. This is especially annoying when you are on your laptop researching something and  you just say to yourself that you will spend ten minutes on Facebook for a break. However, this break tends to stretch into time periods that are much longer than previously intended which is why I like just going in and getting things done. That way there is less chance of me being distracted while on breaks. Then there are the background sounds like television or radio that distracts you and all you can think about is storming down there and switching the offending article off. This happens way too often to me and as you can see, even this Blog can be distracting. The above list is but some of what distracts me and there is a lot more but I will not list them all here as it would be very long.

Don't let distractions stop you from studying and never take breaks on Facebook or technology, see you tomorrow.

Distractions

Distractions are around us all the time and it isn't until we are trying to concentrate that we realise how distracting they really are. It's currently exam week at my school and so I am learning first-hand just how distracting things can be and so today I just want to talk about the different types of distractions and how to best overcome them. It is obvious that it isn't easy to avoid distractions but you can limit your exposure to them.

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In our world it is no secret that there are a myriad of distractions around us. Even the tiniest things can be the most distracting. Who's ever tried studying when someone has the television on loud down the other end of the house? Who has ever tried studying while their annoying siblings put incredibly loud music on down the other end and your parents say nothing? All these things are distractions and keep us from doing what we need to. Distractions can turn a ten minute task into the slowest hour of your life. Distractions can ruin your careful planning and preparation. The worst part is when you're in a test and you're 'friend' won't stop tapping his (or her) pens on the table like he's some wannabe drummer. Do you know how hard it is to concentrate when this is going on? It's even harder just to stop yourself from walking over there and snapping all their stationary. These are all very annoying distractions and can have negative consequences on the quality of our work and our performance in stressful situations (such as tests or exams).

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Distractions can be incredibly annoying but some of them can be overcome. If you're trying to study and all you can hear is the television then try and move as far away as you can, within reason, and shut the doors between you and the television. It is very important not to be able to actually see the television or you'll just end up watching it. If you can still hear the television just tell the person and if they don't listen to you then you'll just have to put up with it. The same can be said about the music except if it's your brother. Feel free to give him a whack over the head. If he's the nicest brother/person in the whole world then don't though. For test or exam situations you will most likely know before you go in who the person who does that is and so try and get a seat as far away from them as possible. Also if they are a person who likes to talk during tests and exams (I'm getting this all from the one person) then do not share a desk with them because during a VCE exam they can take your paper off you as well as that person's, even if you weren't talking because the people running the exam won't know that. So the simple thing is if you can't avoid the distraction just get as far away as possible from it within reason. Distractions really are annoying though so don't go psycho if it happens to you (unless its your brother)!

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May the odds be ever in your favour (and good luck with exams), see you tomorrow!

Getting the Most out of Study

Ever had a day where you had to get something done but just couldn't get down and start? I'm sure it's happened to all of us on at least one occasion. There may be an assignment due tomorrow, an exam next week or a report completed as soon as possible. No matter what it is the chances are we'll struggle to just sit down and start it because there are just so many distractions going on around us. We'll just keep thinking to ourselves that we'll start soon and before you know it it's 10pm and you haven't even begun. So today's post is on how to best limit your chance of being distracted and to get the most out of your study or homework.

The best thing you can do to limit distractions is to start as soon as you get home. If you leave it to later you're going to find more and more excuses as to why you can't start yet. If you start straight away you can get it out of the way and enjoy the rest of the night without having to think about finishing it. However, if this is not possible you could have a quick break but don't start watching television or playing a game because you won't stop and before you know it it's late and you're assignment is due in the morning. Once you have had a quick break and are feeling refreshed you are almost ready to start. Before you start be sure to find a place well away from any distraction or if there isn't a space like this then move the distractions away from you. Of course, I don't mean drag the television set out the front door (you probably won't see it again) but instead maybe move the remotes or throw out the batteries (or hide them if you're not wasteful). Just make sure that when you start there is nothing close to you that might distract you. This means no phones! If you do need your phone make sure it's on silent or you'll be messaging your friends when you should be working. Now this is done you can begin your studies.

The best way to complete your studies is to start with the most urgent task so you can get it out of the way and not have to worry about it. However, if you don't really have an urgent task to complete then start with the task you least want to do. This is because you are motivated to do it at the start when you're fresh rather than later on when you're tired and just want to get it done. A good idea to lessen the chance of being distracted is to have all the materials you are going to need with you at the start so that you don't have to get up and go anywhere and lose your concentration. Chances are if you leave to get something you are not going to come back for a while. It's also good to leave the tasks you are looking forward to most at the end. This is because by the end you are tired of homework and if you don't want to do it chances are you'll take a 'short' break and forget about it. If you do something you want to do at the end then there is a higher chance of you getting it done. It can also give you something to look forward to. It's always good to have some water with you in case you get thirsty. If you follow these tips you should be able to get through your homework effectively.

May the odds be ever in your favour, see you tomorrow.

Competition

Competition can be a good thing as well as a bad thing. It can be used to motivate people to aim for something higher. It could even be used as an incentive such as if you do this you will beat that person you have always wanted to beat. However, it can also be used as a de-motivator and can sometimes cause more harm than good. Sometimes too much competition can lead to psychological issues which are certainly not good.

Competition is one of the best motivators around. It acts as an incentive for someone to do something just for that thrill they get when they win or beat someone. Sometimes we have people we have never been able to beat and so when the opportunity arises to change this, we take it. I know some people who wouldn't do something unless it meant beating someone. A good example of this is my friend Xavier and Language Perfect. Xavier is obsessed (and I mean me to Hunger Games obsessed) with beating me in Language Perfect. Even though he cannot access it from home he still spends hours during school to gain points. Currently he is beating me but by a very small margin so I will overcome him pretty shortly. So competition can be used as something to motivate a person to do something, it is quite an effective motivator as well.

However good competition may be too much of a good thing often leads to a bad thing. Too much competition can have a big effect on a person's life. Sometimes competition can even control their lives to the point where things are being ignored just so that they can beat that one person they have always wanted to beat. Again, I use Xavier and Language Perfect as an example. Xavier, as he is unable to go on at home, has to go on during school and this does not mean just lunch time and recess. He does it during class time which means he is missing out on prime revision material (it's revision week for us) which could have a negative impact on his exam scores next week. Other cases of competition being a bad thing is for those around the person (or even the person themselves) who might develop psychological issues from this competition such as trauma, obsession or depression. So no matter how good competition may be, too much is not good. Competition is very important but we need to keep careful watch on how much competition we have. Some competition is good but too much is bad.

May the odds be ever in your favour, see you tomorrow!