Study Setting

1. Leave and study at the library if your home or dorm setting is too distracting.
2. Stop the distractions; impose an Electronic Lockdown by turning off email, text messages, phones and music.
3. Study your most difficult courses in locations where there is no computer  or television.
4. Brighten the study space; make it inviting and appealing, but not distracting.
5. Change your location to stay alert and on track. Early in the day, go to a coffee shop, later to a library.
6. Select a non–distracting location to study. Make it a habit to go to this place at the same time each day.
7. Select a location in which there is access to healthy snacks and comfortable places to relax or walk.
8. Avoid studying on a bed or overstuffed chair since it tends to be too comfortable, especially if you are already tired.
9. Find a study buddy who will help you get to the library or other non–distracting location.
10. Use a fan or other white noise if the study setting is too quiet and you find it difficult to maintain your focus.
11. Use a watch or timer to help stick to a productive study schedule. Include a break every 20 to 40 minutes of study.
12. Move your location if it becomes too distracting to concentrate—even if you are with friends.
13. Find a location in which you can stand and perhaps, write on a white board, especially when memorizing facts and details.
14. Remind others whose phones ring incessantly to put their phones on vibrate or study somewhere else.
15. Take a short nap when you’re too tired to learn. Just put your head down on a desk for a few minutes.
16. Clear the desk clutter so you can focus. You might need to throw a tablecloth over the mess so it is not distracting.
17. Plan to have periodic stretch breaks and eye rests when working on a computer for long periods.
18. Buy your study supplies at the beginning of the semester so that your materials are easily accessible.
19. Wear a special study hat or visor to trigger your study and focus time, and to screen out visual distractions.