Concentration Exercises

There are many reasons to practice concentration techniques. Let me name a few here now:

Why you need to learn to concentrate effectively:

studying for school exams
learning a new skill
sports - golf, kung fu
music - piano, guitar lessons
meditation focus
your health - lower blood pressure, stress reduction, insomnia
muscle building skills, add bulk
manage labor in childbirth
memory improvement
remember new job training

Don't give up! Here are several excellent concentration exercises to keep you sharp and focused.

Many students find it quite difficult to fully concentrate while studying. Being able to concentrate effectively while studying is essential to doing well in class and on tests.

Here are 10 ways for improving your study concentration:

· Make a schedule that shows what tasks you need to accomplish and check them off when you accomplish each task. This will provide you with the structure you need for effective studying.

· Study at the same time each day. Some people study best earlier in the morning and others late at night. Know what works best for you.

· Study in a quiet place that is free from distractions and interruptions - no TV or music. Try to create a space designed just for studying.

· Make sure you are not overly tired or hungry when you study. You need energy to concentrate.

· Break larger tasks into a group of smaller tasks that you can complete one at a time. You may feel overwhelmed if you try to complete a large task all at once and won't be able to maintain your concentration.

· It's much harder to concentrate when you're tense. Find a way to get relaxed. Meditation is helpful to many students.

· Don't do more than one task at the same time otherwise you won't be able to concentrate on either one very well. Focus on one thing and exclude everything else.

· Clear your mind of negative thoughts. You can get distracted by your own worrisome thoughts. Monitor your thoughts and stop yourself from following any that take you off track. Bring yourself back from daydreaming.

· Find an interest in the subject you are studying. Try to relate to what you are studying and make it as meaningful as possible. This can motivate you to concentrate.

· It's okay to take a break whenever you feel tired. Refresh and come back to your studying after a well deserved break.

A lot of your homework is reading and often it is way too much to remember.  Many students have a hard time remembering what they have read the next day and especially by test time.  If you just read through everything quickly when it is assigned, you are going to have to read it all over again when you get ready for a test. There is an easier way. Here are some pointers:

Reading textbooks

Here is how to lighten the textbook reading load:

1. Read the Table of Contents when you first get your textbook. This listing in front of the book tells you where certain chapters are. The Table of Contents tells you, quickly, what the whole book is about.  Read the Table of Contents before your next reading assignment.  You'll get an idea of what has been covered already and what's coming up.

2. Read all the headings and bolded heavy black titles in a reading assignment twice.  Do this once before you start the main reading and once after you have read the material. These headings are clues about what you will be reading or have just read.

3. Read any questions listed at the end of the chapter before you read. This sounds like a backward way of doing things, but those questions alert you to important information and ideas in the reading.

4. Read through most of your reading assignments just once.

But reread the following twice:

· Words in heavy black type - titles, headings.

· First and last sentences of each section under the heavy black type.

· Charts and pictures.  The information in these are important enough to have an artist or photographer illustrate it.

5. Look up words you don't understand in your dictionary.  Keep a dictionary by your side whenever you read.

6. Write down page numbers and sections you don't understand.  If you are confused by some information, make note of it to ask your teacher the next day.

Reading Stories and Novels

These are usually easier and more fun to read. Read through fiction, stories, plays and novels once. If you don't understand what you have read, skim the material fast, then once again, slowly. Use your dictionary to look up words you don't know. When you finish a reading assignment on this kind of book, ask yourself these two questions:

1. Who were the main characters -the most important people in the book?

2. What were the three most important things that happened in what I just read?

You can write these answers down or do it in your own head. This only takes a couple of minutes and will definitely help you remember the book.  Try It!

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