A.1: “C” Concentration

C

IMPROVE YOUR CONCENTRATION BY PREPARING THE TIME AND PLACE OF YOUR STUDYING. AVOID EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL DISTRACTIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

A proper study environment is important if you are to be successful with your coursework and learning tasks. This environment should ideally be one in which you are able to fully concentrate. Being able to fully concentrate means that you can give a task all your attention and you won't become distracted. It is a vital ingredient for getting maximum benefit out of a minimum number of study hours.

There are two basic kinds of distractions that will work against your attempts to concentrate: there are “external" ones and there are "internal" distractions. External distractions are all around us. They are outside of our doors and inside our rooms! They involve problems with sound, lighting, uncomfortable seating, and physically cluttered areas. Internal distractions are those things that clutter our minds and make it almost impossible to focus on what is important in our schoolwork and in our lives. More on internal distractions later. First let's consider how we can organize things to get rid of external distractions as much as possible.

DEALING WITH EXTERNAL DISTRACTIONS

The main way to deal with external distractions is to set up a “Study Place” at a table or desk in an area that is quiet and free from as many distractions as possible. Some common distractions that you might encounter are: T.V., radio, family, and friends. Games and activities around your study place, along with computer distractions, may also conspire to take you away from your work. Dealing with smart phone and computer distractions may not be easy. Focus on proper use of your computer and other devices to help you when you're studying.

Each situation is a little different. Keep in mind that the better you concentrate the better you will do with your studies and the more time you will have left over for activities that you will no doubt find more enjoyable. Concentration lets you get your work done and gives you the chance for a balanced life!

At your study place you should have all your study materials handy. This should be the area where you keep all your project, school, and course materials, including books, papers and especially your daily planner. Your planner should list all the tasks that will make up your homework (more on this in the L part of CLEVER). If there has been a problem in the past with constantly forgetting textbooks, it may be possible to plan to get some additional text material. This may be possible if extra textbooks are available through the school, or if a local supplier can be identified to access texts for purchase. You may also see if it's possible for you to get online copies. Supplies available should include pencils, pens, ruler, scissors, a sharpener, a stapler, erasers, glue, paper, paper clips, highlighters, a calculator, a paper punch and blank file cards (which you’ll learn later can be handy to use for study aids).

Make sure everything has a place... your desk should never be left cluttered. Once one project is completed, or you are finished your session for the day, put all supplies and materials away. Always plan to save a few minutes to do this. A handy tip is to have files or pouches for each separate project or even small plastic bins. This allows items to be neatly organized and easy to find for your next study session.

Reference materials are life savers! You should have these on hand: a dictionary, a thesaurus, an up-to-date atlas, and other general research aids. It will be especially useful to have access to a smart phone, iPad, tablet, or computer so this and other information can be obtained online.

Careful, though, as you need to stay focused. Accessing online information may be a distraction. Keep your focus. If possible, know exactly what you’re looking for when you go online. Avoid getting pulled off your topic. Don’t be tempted by other information that looks appealing. Also, turn notifications off on your smart devices while you study… that way you are not distracted by a social media post during the time you need to be concentrating!

Displaying reference posters, maps and cards that contain information that you need to have for your classes can be helpful as well. For example, you could have various formulas and problem-solving steps for math courses, along with a "Periodic Table of the Elements" for science courses. You may also want to include the following: "learning diagrams" and study cards and/or charts that you've created for portions of the courses you're currently dealing with. It’s a good idea to have various charts you will use for monthly and weekly time management. There’s a fair bit to learn about their use. There will be more about these items in upcoming parts of CLEVER QUICK.

Ideally, the place you set up will be used only for studying. Scientists have shown that there is a conditioning effect which can take place when a certain area is used for only one activity. Your body tunes into studying faster when you study regularly in the same surroundings. Fidgeting, shuffling papers, and wasting time will become less. Your mind and body know what to expect. It is easier for you to “get into gear.” For this reason, it’s a good idea to avoid using your study area for napping and snacking.

Using the same time for study, when possible, is also a good idea. That's for the same "conditioning" reason. We’ll speak more on this in later parts of CLEVER QUICK.

A study place should have good even lighting. Glare will cause eye strain and make you tire quickly – and possibly even give you headaches! Dim lighting will also cause you to have eye strain. Ensure that you have good general lighting in the room you are studying in. A good lamp that will get rid of shadows on your work surface is also essential!

A comfortable chair is important for studying. Your chair should be comfortable enough to keep you relaxed while studying - but not so comfortable as to make you sleepy. Sofas and easy chairs should generally be avoided. The chair should support you in an upright position and support your back to make sure that you can continue your work at your desk without back strain. Ideally it should also have a height adjustment so that you are sitting at the best height for reading, typing on a computer or completing other study tasks. You may have seen other alternatives that folks in a home study environment have used. Some might work for you, but there are costs involved. Sitting on a large exercise ball, for example, has proved successful for those who tend to fidget. Others have set up a desk computer station that involves standing or perching in a kneeling type of chair.

Do you have a hard time staying focused? It may be a good idea for you to study in a place where others can observe you and keep you on track. This may be the kitchen or dining room in your home. While being in an area you can be observed can be good for all your studying, it may be most important when you're accessing information online. If there's no convenient place to study at home you may want to consider the library or a classroom at school, but you must be able to work around the extra distractions in these locations.

If you need to study in a place in the home that is used by others, one suggestion is to organize a study box which contains your books, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, paper, a dictionary, a calculator, and other needs. This box should also be the place where you put all school related materials each day. This box is especially useful if you don’t have a desk and you study in different locations. Having all your items together will save a lot of valuable time. Hunting for something every few minutes makes concentration difficult!

Sometimes it’s hard to find a consistent study space! If you find yourself having to move around in your home, make a “Do Not Disturb" sign that you can put up wherever you're studying. This may also be valuable, even for use at a desk where you do all your studying. It will serve as a reminder to others as well as yourself, that a particular block of time is not to be wasted and has a special purpose.

Good habits keep you on track! Form the habit of starting work right away when you sit down at your desk. Attempt to keep your mind actively involved on the subject. Find something interesting in your work to keep you focused. Practice being curious and ask questions about what you are learning. If you can't find the answers, write down the questions to ask a teacher or adult later. Also, keep yourself in good shape for studying. Plenty of sleep, exercise, nutritious food, and fun activities are keys to being healthy and effective.

DEALING WITH INTERNAL DISTRACTIONS

You may experience some “Internal Distractions” such as anxiety, personal problems, tiredness, and daydreams, that interfere with attempts to study. By putting aside thoughts that don’t help you in your studying, success is achievable. Good planning can help you. If you have made very clear goals, you can more easily focus on them. Know exactly what you must accomplish when you sit down to study.

If you find bothersome thoughts getting in the way of your clear thinking, you should stop work and attempt to deal with them or make a plan to deal with them as soon as possible. Perhaps you have worries that are making you tense. Worrying about the future, family concerns, friends, or a course at school, will not help. Try talking to a family member, a teacher, or a counsellor when these worries are interfering with concentration. You can't do your best if you can't get your mind off your problems! If it is a course at school that is bothering you, most teachers will be very helpful, particularly if you approach them early in the year, before it's "too late." If you're having difficulty, help can be obtained from the teacher, another student, or if available in your school, a learning assistance teacher or tutor.

Keep a notepad to jot down the concerns and problems you may have, possible steps that you can take to solve them, and other unrelated thoughts and ideas that take your mind off your studying. This note taking frees your mind from worrying about forgetting something important and allows you to stay focused on your original task. If you have planned to deal with whatever the problem is, you can more easily put it aside and not worry about it. You’re being proactive. You’re planning to do something about your concerns. The sooner you decide to act, the less time you will waste! You may need to talk to someone. Accept help when it is offered to you! The same technique can be used if you have things on your mind or thoughts that occur to you when you're trying to get to sleep. Jotting them down makes sure that they won't be forgotten, and you can let them go from your mind. If you have brothers or sisters, you may want to hide your notepad!

If you are tense and stressed while you're studying, it will be difficult to concentrate. One way to overcome those feelings is to exercise. Exercise will help you concentrate. This can also help when you feel tired or boredom is setting in. Take a break, get up, and move around. You might want to schedule regular breaks by setting a timer. Take a break of 10 minutes every 30 to 40 minutes of study time. Get something to drink or go for a jog around the block. Alternatively, you might have a chore that you could do, such as taking out the garbage, loading or unloading the dishwasher, taking out or organizing the recycling. You could also take a few minutes to go through an exercise routine. This could involve some or all of the following: toe touches, push-ups, sit ups, squats, planks, some dumbbell work, cycling on your back, or leg lifts. A huge variety of examples of varying length are available on YouTube, if you’re not sure how to set yourself up! As you exercise many parts of your body, you will find it easier to have an all-over relaxed feeling.

Another suggestion is to tense and relax all the muscle groups in your body one part at a time. Start with your forehead and work down through your neck, shoulders, arms, torso, buttocks, legs, and feet. The idea is to develop the ability to completely relax as you discover the difference between the relaxed muscle and the tense muscle. This form of bringing on a relaxed state can be very useful. It can help you in many classroom or exam situations, as well as when you wish to calm and focus yourself on your studies.

When you're working and you hear a noise, force yourself to ignore it. Don't look up! You can train yourself to work through many distractions. This is sometimes called the “spider technique” because a spider appears to be able to ignore the distracting vibrations and shakes of its web which may be caused by leaves or the wind. The spider reacts only when the shaking indicates a trapped insect, which is food and therefore important to react to.

Another issue to consider is how to deal with music, videos, or television. Usually, it's better to not have these distractions present when studying. If you want to spend four hours doing a short assignment, go right ahead. Turn on your favourite show or video or test out the volume on your stereo speakers. Rattle some windows! Chances are that your divided focus will not really allow you to enjoy any of it. If you do, you likely won't end up with a good job done on your homework. A better idea is to finish your work quickly in a quiet place. Concentrate totally on your task. Then, when you're finished, put your energy into something enjoyable, like a favourite program or your favourite music. Consider it a reward for intensive studying.

In general, then, music is not a good idea when you study. There is an exception, however. If you have a lot on your mind, music can act as a blanket to help you forget distracting thoughts as you attempt to study. It allows you to focus more effectively. Music can also be used to create a type of white noise that may serve to drown out distracting noises which you might not have control over in your study environment. If you use music for this purpose, it's better to have something instrumental. If words are included, you may find yourself humming or singing along. You will have lost your concentration. Also, avoid the radio. Talking will distract you far more than music.

If you are very sure that you can study better with music on, try an experiment. Have music on while you study for a few days, then try some sessions without. Compare the time it took for you to do your homework. Go with whatever makes you more effective and efficient.

There's a whole area of research, by the way, that you might like to know about at this time. Using certain kinds of music to enhance learning is an area which has received a lot of study. Some interesting conclusions have been reached that show how music may help you with your learning. For example, it has been shown that certain types of classical music actually improve the brain’s ability to be open and learn new things. So, if you do want to try studying with music, try some of these ideas for “super learning”. Music by Mozart and many other classical composers have beats that reportedly correspond to the human heartbeat and lead to enhanced brain development, learning and ability to concentrate! For further information, try a Google search on the type of music that improves learning!

For each of the individual parts of CLEVER, there will be checklists provided. They can be skimmed immediately to determine how complete your understanding is of the concepts and strategies proposed. They can also be revisited periodically to determine progress made in your understanding and use of all strategies. All the checklists for CLEVER are also reprinted in the “R” section for your convenience. Permission is granted to make individual copies of checklists and surveys. In this way you may keep track of your responses and progress over time.

There are 16 items for C: CONCENTRATION. Make notes as you respond to the checklist items in the following way: “Y” for Yes, fully in place; “S” for Somewhat on track, with some room still for improvement; and “N” for No, not yet. This is something that still needs to be accomplished. If you are not responding on a paper checklist, you will only need to make notes for the items you would respond to with an “S” or “N”.

(1) ___ I have a “Study Place” that is quiet and free from as many distractions as possible.
(2) ___ I keep my study materials handy at my study place.
(3) ___ At my study place, I post information to help my learning (charts, maps, posters).
(4) ___ I use my study place only for studying.
(5) ___ My study place has good even lighting.
(6) ___ I have a comfortable chair in my study place that helps me stay focused.
(7) ___ If I need to study in a place in the home that is used by others, I use a study box.

(8) ___ I keep myself in good shape for studying, by eating healthy food and getting enough sleep.
(9) ___ I start work right away when I sit down at my study area.
(10) ___ I’m able to set aside any thoughts that might distract me.
(11) ___ I exercise to help me concentrate.
(12) ___ I take breaks when I’m tired, so that I can better concentrate on my work.
(13) ___ I know how to get help when I have problems.
(14) ___ I keep a notepad to jot down unrelated thoughts and ideas while I’m trying to concentrate on my studies.
(15) ___ I can focus on studying, despite distractions.
(16) ___ I use music when I’m studying, only if it acts as a blanket to block out distracting thoughts and noises, or if it is a type that enhances my learning.

A.2: “L” Learning Tasks

L

ORGANIZE YOUR LEARNING TASKS WITH A DAILY AGENDA!

Time management is one of the areas that requires your particular focus. Get organized - know what you must do and when you need to do it. You can “get on track” with this by using a school planner, an agenda, a notepad, a homework book, or an assignment sheet. Record “homework assigned”, the “due dates”, the “time needed for completion” and the “days you will be able to work on each task”. Every day, before heading home from school, check your planner to ensure that you have everything you need for your designated daily tasks. Your daily tasks will also include the portions of larger tasks that you have divided up and assigned to certain days or weeks (more on this in the first ‘E’ section and section ‘V’ of CLEVER). Using electronic versions that work the same but are in a digital form are best for those comfortable with technology. These can be used on smartphones and other devices. Need acknowledgement? Cross off completed items or mark them as done. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and remind you that you're making progress. Try to remember deadlines and get your work done ahead of time. It will be easier for you this way and you won't end up doing a quick and sloppy job. Your agenda can also be used to record other activities that occupy your busy life. This will ensure that you keep balance in your life.

What you do during your homework session should be part of an overall plan. This is where you should keep track of all your short and long-term assignments. Most of your work will probably be of the short term variety. It's assigned, you get it done. The longer-term assignments are the ones that require careful planning. You'll be successful with these as well if you follow the suggested strategies.

What’s the first thing you should do with homework assignments? Put them in some kind of order! Many successful students like to do the most difficult and the most uninteresting subjects first. It is better to finish these ones up when you are the freshest. Next, complete your other assignments, in order of importance. Divide up your homework time to make sure you get everything done that you have to.

Make sure to give enough time to each subject and each related task. Students are often surprised by how long things take to get done. Estimate the time needed for each assignment and then note the actual time after you complete it. With practice your time estimates will become more accurate.

Set goals for how much you want to get done during each section of your study session. If you plan ahead, you won't waste time! Reward yourself by taking a short break when you attain each goal. Plan to do something you really enjoy. Keep it a brief break, however, so that you can accomplish all your goals.

Ask questions to yourself about what you're working on. Imagine what questions the teacher or instructor might ask. Do you know the answers? Try to find the main point of what you are reading. If you're unable to do this, go over the material again. As mentioned, set specific goals for your studying. For example: “Once I've done these 10 questions correctly, I'm going to take a 10 minute break.” Stay with an assignment until it is completed, even though it may be difficult. When you finish an assignment go over what you've learned. Explain it as if you were telling another person. Practice attempting to explain what you understand to a brother, sister, parent, or friend. This can be a very powerful strategy.

Have you noticed that not all notetaking is the same? When you do work in a notebook for a school course, make sure you are completing things in the format that your teacher requires. This will include how you organize your notebook, as well as how you organize and label each of the assignments. Place a completed heading on each assignment which includes your name, date, subject, teachers name, division or course block, and assignment title. Pay particular attention to the way science experiments and math problems are to be organized and labelled. Write all answers to essay type questions in complete sentences. Proofread and check all assignments before handing them in.

Spelling and grammar checkers can be a great resource when doing your assignments on the computer. Always consider carefully any changes proposed by your computer programs however, since grammar suggestions are not always the best, and predictive spelling can totally send your meaning in the wrong direction. Be careful. If available, you can have another person help by reading over your work. The fresh set of eyes may be able to point out parts that aren’t so great, so they can be improved before handing the assignment in to your teacher.

When do you like to study? Students sometimes have trouble figuring out what the best times to study are. Using these guidelines can help you. Don’t leave any assignments to the last minute. Leave plenty of time to work on them. You can have lots of time for studying, as well as for all the enjoyable things in your life, if you plan. A regular time set aside each day will become an easy habit. Try and set your study time for when you are the most alert. This may be right after school, in the evening or in the morning. If you have trouble concentrating in the late afternoon or evening, try getting up a little earlier in the morning to study. It's been proven that students get much more done the earlier in the day that they study. You can get about 1 1/2 times more accomplished in early sessions. You are more alert and less sleepy then!

Have you ever been unprepared when you’ve headed to school for the day? It’s not a great situation to be in! Items for that day should never be left to that morning’s study time. You never know when something may take you away from your schedule. Always have a backup plan and some backup time to complete your work, just in case. Study for a minimum of about one hour each day. If you have trouble with schoolwork or if you're taking difficult subjects, you will likely have to spend much more time. To begin with, try two sessions of about 30 minutes each, with a break of 10 to 15 minutes in between. As mentioned, if you have studied well, reward yourself during the break by doing something you enjoy. Also, during your break, consider doing something active. Exercise will help your concentration. You may consider a walk around the block or a short jog. You may also wish to get a snack or drink if you're hungry or thirsty. But be prepared to refocus and complete your work after your break. This mindset will help you settle back into your studies more quickly.

For each of the individual parts of CLEVER, there will be checklists provided. They can be skimmed immediately to determine how complete your understanding is of the concepts and strategies proposed. They can also be revisited periodically to determine progress made in your understanding and use of all strategies. All the checklists for CLEVER are also reprinted in the “R” section for your convenience.

We have 8 items for L: LEARNING TASKS. Make notes as you respond to the checklist items in the following way: “Y” for Yes, fully in place; “S” for Somewhat on track, with some room still for improvement; and “N” for No, not yet. This is something that still needs to be accomplished. If you are not responding on a paper checklist, you will only need to make notes for the items you would respond to with an “S” or “N”.

(1) ___ I use a school agenda or planner to record all my homework.
(2) ___ I complete short-term work as it is assigned.
(3) ___ I put my homework in priority order and complete it in order of importance.

(4) ___ I stay with an assignment until it is completed.

(5) ___ I place a completed heading on each assignment.

(6) ___ I proofread and check all assignments.

(7) ___ I set my study time for when I am the most alert.

(8) ___ I study for a minimum of one hour each day.