How to Focus on Studying 7 Top Techniques

Weve all struggled with poorly-timed distractions. Youre sitting at a desk, studying intently, and then: wham! Unrelated thoughts—breakfast this morning, the funny movie you saw last week, or that upcoming presentation youre nervous about—invade your mind. Or maybe youre totally immersed in your work, but your roommates, friends, or family members barge into your study space at an inopportune moment. Internal and external distractions, like the ones described above, cause us to lose focus. But by honing your concentration skills, you can defend against these disruptive forces. The techniques outlined below will help you maximize your focused study time, as well as regain your focus if you become distracted. Turn Off Distracting Technology Its not a good idea to study with your cell phone on, even if its set to vibrate. As soon as you get a text, youre going to look—the promise of a notification is too tempting! Avoid the temptation altogether by shutting your devices off and even putting them in another room. Need an even more drastic option to keep yourself honest? Ask a friend or family member to hold onto your phone during your study session. The same goes for your computer and tablet unless youre using it to study. In that case, be sure to disable every distracting application and notification before you begin the study session. If you find yourself giving in to social media or game cravings, try an app like Freedom or Self Control to temporarily block access. Tell your friends and family that youre entering study mode so that they know not to contact you unless theres an emergency. Choose Your Study Environment Wisely Unless your friends happen to be good study partners, study alone. Post a sign on your door telling roommates or family members to stay away. If you have kids, seek an hour or two of childcare if possible. If your home environment is distracting, gather your study supplies and head over to a comfortable study spot. If youre studying at home​, choose a quiet room with limited clutter. If distracting background noises bother you, pick up some noise-canceling headphones and turn on a study playlist (preferably instrumental) or white noise. Create the best possible environment for studying before you open your books so that you dont have to pause mid-session to make a change. Anticipate Your Physical Needs If youre studying intently, youre going to get thirsty. Grab a beverage before you open the book. You may even need a power snack while youre working, so grab some brain food, too. Use the bathroom, put on comfortable clothes (but not too cozy), and set the air/heat to the temperature that best suits you. If you anticipate your physical needs before you start studying, youll be less likely to get out of your seat and lose the focus you worked so hard to gain. Study During Your Peak Brain Times Schedule your most challenging study sessions during peak energy periods, when you anticipate feeling most energized and focused. If youre a morning person, that means you should be studying as early as possible. If youre a night owl, choose an evening time slot. If you arent sure what time works best for you, reflect on your most successful studying experiences. What time of day did they take place? When does your brain feel most effective in general? Pencil in study sessions during these periods, and stick with them. Answer Your Internal Worry Questions Sometimes the distractions arent coming from the external world–theyre invading from within! If youre worried about a particular issue—When am I going to get a raise? or What will happen if I fail this test?—you might find yourself struggling to stay focused. Luckily, theres a solution. It might feel a little silly, but actually answering those internal questions will help you redirect your mind back to wherever it needs to go. If you catch yourself worrying, identify your key worry question and answer that question in a simple, logical manner, like so: When am I going to get a raise? Answer: I will speak to my boss about it tomorrow.Why cant I understand this material? Answer: I am studying like Im supposed to be, so Im confident that I will figure it out. But if I am still struggling with this material by the end of the week, I will speak to my teacher about getting extra help. You can even write out the question and the answer on paper, then fold it up and pack it away for later. The goal here is to acknowledge the worry, accept that its there (dont judge yourself for it!), then return your attention to the task at hand. Get Physical Some people frequently feel the need to be doing something physically. They might feel antsy and energetic, or simply struggle to focus in sedentary settings. Sound familiar? Youre probably a kinesthetic learner, which means that you learn best when your body is engaged along with your mind. Improve your focus during study sessions with the following techniques: Pen: Underline words when you read. Cross off incorrect answers when youre taking a practice test. Moving just your hand may be enough to shake off the jitters. If its not, move to step #2.Rubber band. Stretch it. Wrap it around your pen. Play with the rubber band while youre answering questions. Still feeling jumpy?Ball. Read a question sitting down, then stand up and bounce the ball against the floor as you think of an answer. Still cant focus?Jump. Sit down and read a question, then stand and do 10 jumping jacks. Sit back down and answer the question. Reframe Negative Thoughts Negative thoughts make studying all but impossible. If you find yourself frequently repeating self-defeating thoughts, try reframing them into more positive statements: Negative: This concept is too hard for me to learn.Positive: This concept is tough, but I can figure it out.Negative: I hate this class. Studying for it is so boring.Positive: This class isnt my favorite, but I want to study the material so that I can succeed.Negative: I cant study. I get so distracted.Positive: I know I lost focus earlier, but Im going to try again. The next time a negative thought invades your brain, acknowledge it and try to turn it into a positive statement. Over time, studying will feel less like a burden and more like an intentional choice youre making in order to achieve your goals. This mindful approach will make you feel more empowered and motivated and subsequently will increase your focus.

August Wilson Fences - 984 Words

â€Å"Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the gun down.† This quote was said by Malcolm X, who was an African American Minister and a human rights activist. It means that sometimes you have to fight in order to achieve peace. I agree with what he said because in order to get what you want you have to fight for it. Two literary works that reflect this quote are Fences, a play about the struggles of African American before and during the Civil Rights Era in the 1950s and 60s, by August Wilson and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† a short story that shows the difference between women and men during that time, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. ‘Fences’ shows the revolution the characters face, their actions and what is the result of those choices.†¦show more content†¦The lack of acknowledgment in the play Fences between Troy and Cory cause their relationship to decline even further. One of the greatest sources of disappointment in Troy s life is the fact that he wasn t allowed to play pro baseball, Even though he used to hit homeruns in the Negro Leagues, he couldn t go to the majors because of racial discrimination. He doesn t let Cory play football, because he doesn t want Cory to feel what he felt during his time. Troy’s lack of acknowledgment of Cory’s potential destroys Cory’s dream by not signing the papers and not letting the college recruiter from coming. I got sense enough not to let my boy get hurt playing no sports(Wilson 39) He unconsciously stats that he doesn t want Cory to feel how he felt during his time. This quote references flashback because in this quote Troy refers back to what had happened to him during his athletic career, and how it affected his life. In this quote he speaks like a father who is making decisions for his son and his future, even though the people around him is telling him that the time has changed and it is not like before. Troy’s lack of acknowledgment causes Cory to lose his dream and late Cory to leave the house. In the play Fences, Troy’s ‘demand for change’ caused him to revolt against the company. Even after the abolishment of slavery the blacks were not treated equally nor had anyShow MoreRelatedThe Fences By August Wilson1813 Words   |  8 PagesIn the Fences, by August Wilson shows that life of African Americans in the U.S. in the 1950s with the story of Troy and his family. Wilson uses the symbol of the fence to show the desires of each character like Rose’s desire is to keep her family together, Troy’s desire is to keep death out and to be not bound forever, and Bono’s desire is to follow Troy, his best friend, as an example of the right way to live and to be with Rose and Troy who are basically his family. Rose and the other seen charactersRead MoreFences, By August Wilson807 Words   |  4 PagesFences â€Å"Some people build fences to keep people out...and other people build fences to keep people in† (61). In the play, Fences, by August Wilson who displays how fences symbolize different situations to represent different characters. The story takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1950’s, and in the play fences gives an outlook of providing an obstacle or barrier that is intended to keep something out or in. It shows through the protagonist character, named Troy Maxson and his wifeRead MoreFences by August Wilson883 Words   |  4 PagesFences, written by August Wilson, is a play about a man, named Troy, struggling to support his family during the late 1950’s. In this play, we see that Troy hurts the people closest to him. He has been uncaring towards his wife, Rose, his brother Gabriel and his son, Cory. This is because Troy had nothing to go on but the harsh example set by his father. In Fences, Troy has felt like he has been fenced in all of hi s life, which causes him to fence others in. Troy has felt fenced in all of his lifeRead MoreSymbolism In Fences By August Wilson1460 Words   |  6 PagesKeep Love in or Lock it Out?: An Analysis of Symbolism in Fences Symbolism is defined as an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. In Fences by August Wilson, symbolism is used heavily throughout the play in order to represent deeper meanings and add to the emotion of the storyline. In order for the play to have so much depth and emotion, symbolism is crucial to the work itself and the heavy topicsRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1656 Words   |  7 Pagesand typically a positive thing. There are times, however, when the people that children emulate are not the best examples society has to offer. In the play Fences Cory looks up to his dad when it comes to sports. However, by the end of the play the reader starts to notice that Troy is not the man to look up to. The plot in Fences by August Wilson is centered around an African American family that looks at the world a little differently by that I mean when Troy was young people believ ed blacks shouldn’tRead MoreFences by August Wilson Essay771 Words   |  4 PagesIn Fences, August Wilson introduces an African American family whose life is based around a fence. In the dirt yard of the Maxson’s house, many relationships come to blossom and wither here. The main character, Troy Maxson, prevents anyone from intruding into his life by surrounding himself around a literal and metaphorical fence that affects his relationships with his wife, son, and mortality. Throughout the play, readers see an incomplete fence which symbolizes Rose (Troy’s wife) and Troy’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1521 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Jesus be a fence all around me every day. Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way† (Wilson 1.2.21). The play Fences follows the journey of an African American family, the Maxons, and their struggle to handle the appearance of both physical and metaphorical fences. Fences shows the difficulties that the Maxons face in an attempt to balance love, loss, and laughter. The Maxson family lives in Pittsburgh during the 1950’s, and they meet tensions when searching for equality within theirRead MoreAnalysis Of August Wilson s Fence 1146 Words   |  5 PagesLong Eng 200 August 13,2017 The play â€Å"Fence† by August Wilson’s has a connection with real world fence. â€Å"The yard is a small dirt yard, partially fenced, except for the last scene, with a wooden sawhorse, a pile of lumber, and other fence-building equipment set off to the side. The Opposite is a tree from which hangs a ball made of rags. A baseball bat leans against the tree. Two oil drums serve as garbage receptacles and sit near the house at right to complete the setting† (Wilson 2). He mentionsRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Fences `` By August Wilson867 Words   |  4 Pagesa family. August Wilson’s â€Å"Fences† portrays extremely well what happens when a member of the family decides to forget his or her duties. The use of metaphors and symbols throughout the play such as baseball and fences, illustrate exactly why Troy Maxson as a family man was destined for disappointment. Rose, Troy’s wife in the play was the obvious voice of reason between the two; all she wanted was an interrupted happy family life. The fences that she put up were not physical fences but ratherRead MoreAnalysis Of August Wilson s Fences 1840 Words   |  8 Pagesexplain. For some of us we built fences to isolate ourselves from others or in some cases to protect ourselves. No matter what the issue is we, all have to struggle to be able to provide for our families. As a child I built fences when it came to my feelings. For example, growing up I was in the chunky side. Since I wasnt so skinny like the pretty girls in my class. I kinda isolated my self from the other students. That way my feelings wouldn t get hurt. My fence was to protect me from what I thought

Newspaper Reading and relating to The Human bill of rights Free Essays

The first article (July 4) is about the growing dangers of Kuwait work trucks that travel on roads while being severely overloaded with logs, iron rods, furniture, and water. There are several reasons why these vehicles have become veritable road hazards responsible for numerous accidents. Reckless driving was cited as one of the highest cause of road accidents involving these trucks. We will write a custom essay sample on Newspaper Reading and relating to The Human bill of rights or any similar topic only for you Order Now Some citizens attested to instances showing drivers’ utter lack of consideration for pedestrians even to those who have physical disabilities. One man recalled an incident involving his cousin who was a cripple, who died after being run over by a lumber truck. Others cite poor vehicle conditions as another primary cause of accidents. One British expatriate living in Kuwait narrated how water tankers usually have bad brakes and how being overburdened with water makes it more difficult for truckers to maneuver. He also narrated about one instance of recklessness wherein the truck driver suddenly cut in front of him, almost killing him was he not able to step on his brakes. Another hazard was trucks with loose fastenings of furniture or iron bars. Such objects fall from the truck and cause trouble for motorists behind the truck. The article’s reporter discussed an incident about how he himself experienced one such incident. Safety measures taken to prevent hazards from vehicles on the road are vague. There are certain periods of time where the law prohibits trucks from driving inside the city but such laws are often violated by truckers and Kuwait’s local police seem to be inadequate in preventing such violations. This issue is clearly a violation of Article 3 of the Declaration of Human rights which seeks to protect the life, liberty and security of all persons. The truckers’ lack of discretion with regards to the pedestrians that they interact with constitutes an utter disregard to Article 3 which should be addressed by the Kuwait government, especially since the usual victims of such accidents are those who are disabled. The second article (July 5) is about how the Kuwait Parliament gives ardent attention to the needs of disabled individuals. The Parliament has released an order calling on state agencies to provide specialized services to people with special needs. Kuwait National Assembly member Saad al-Sharia discussed in the 4th Arab Parliamentary Symposium on Disabled Persons’ Disabilities how due attention should be provided to people with special needs especially in the aspect of integrating such people into society as productive individuals. The Parliament member gave emphasis on investing in the use of human resources in nation building and service. This move by the parliament is in respect of human rights. The parliament hopes to incarnate the deeper meaning of humanity and humanitarian causes towards the development of its civilization. Specifically, parliament aims to create specialized educational institutions to address the needs of special children who are not able to learn through conventional means. Parliament aims to establish more centers for rehabilitation research. It also aims to modernize such institutions that currently exist. The project will also create clinics and entertainment utilities that can cover people of all ages and of all physical, mental and psychological disabilities. The third article (July 6) reports the strengthening of the Kuwaiti resolve to provide better governmental services. It discusses how the state is funneling ample finances and gathering substantial human resources to raise public awareness of special needs in its continuing advocacy for human rights. In an interview with Secretary of the Arab Parliamentary Caucus of the National Assembly Jamal Al-Kandari, it was revealed that Kuwait has already â€Å"mapped out† specific plans for disabled individuals to be properly integrated into the society and assume roles that will be both productive and fulfilling. In the ongoing symposia for disabled individuals, legislation for the protection of the human rights of disabled individuals was also put into focus. Much emphasis was given on the current dangers that face disabled individuals in different parts of Kuwait. Dr. al-Shuraye’s lecture, he discussed that as these people are not as mobile as normal individuals, they are more prone to becoming victims of accidents especially on the road. It was concluded by the article that the Kuwaiti delegation will arrive at several useful recommendations to serve the interests of handicapped individuals in Kuwait. The fourth article (July 7) narrates how the Farwaniya Hospital in coordination with Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has made the announcement of building a security kiosk at the entrance of the hospital. The move was made after several alarming actions taken by several individuals that threatened to harm both patients and doctors inside the facility. Several weeks prior to the announcement, it was reported that the hospital received an anonymous terrorist threat due to some of the relatives of the patients who were unhappy with hospital  management. Other instances involved violence perpetrated by relatives of patients who died while inside hospital care. The relatives of the deceased patients felt that the doctors were responsible for their relatives’ deaths and took matters into their own hands. Although no incident of serious injury has yet to be recorded inside hospital premises, hospital officials nonetheless became concerned with preempting any such possibilities from actually occurring. This prompted hospital officials to set up meetings to solve growing problems in securing hospital premises. It was brought up that the lack of means for proper visitor identification is the biggest risk that the hospital has of intrusion. This led to the forwarding of the idea of setting up a security kiosk that would be able to properly identify individuals visiting patients inside the hospital so as to secure hospital patients and personnel. The last article (July 8) discusses how Kuwait officials and concerned groups currently feel about Kuwait’s move to give emphasis to the human rights of disabled individuals in the region. Dr. Fahad Al-Wardan, the ministry’s Nursery Department Director stated that the government moves aimed at encouraging the disabled to exert more efforts in developing themselves educationally and morally. He said that this was also the aim of the movement for the general public; to have them well informed about the current issue of physical, mental, and psychological disabilities and in the process gets them to be involved in the government project. Dr. Al-Wardan discussed several findings with respect to research on disabled individuals, citing that both literature and actual research suggest that such individuals still have considerable potential to serve society. Dr Al-wardan also made references to the existing government efforts on improving disabled individuals’ lives prior to the government announcement, stating that it was a fulfilling activity both for the recipients and the volunteers. He expressed satisfaction in the current progress of the movement in the country, and anticipation at the recently announced project of the Kuwait Parliament to give emphasis of disabled individuals’ well-being. Dr. Al-Wardan hoped that included in the parliament’s proposed plan was to increase the pay scale for social workers who are currently one of the lowest paid sectors in society. He emphasized on the role of social workers in providing guidance and assistance to the disabled. He also gave due credence to the major role that donations from private organizations have made to the overall effort of helping disabled individuals. The five articles are linked together with respect to their relationship to upholding human rights. In the first article, the dangers to individuals by the recklessness of certain groups in society were discussed as a violation of the tenets of article 3 in the declaration of human rights. The second article provides a possible response of government, the main protector of the human rights of a particular citizenry, to uphold such rights of a disenfranchised group in society identified as the disabled individuals. This was strengthened by the 3rd article which gave in extensive detail the proposed government plan to alleviating the plights of disabled individuals. The fourth article saw a similar plight related to the article  3 of human rights. This was the right to security that both doctors and patients in the hospital in question required. The government acted on that right by helping the hospital set up security measures to prevent future incidents from occurring. Finally, the last article reaffirmed the human rights of disabled individuals in the perspective of current actors in the movement. In conclusion, it can be said that although the prevalence of human rights violations can still be seen in the area of Kuwait, government is doing what it can to solve the issue. Government should always work hand in hand with the private sector, concerned individuals and volunteers, and disenfranchised groups themselves in order to detect societal problems involving violations in human rights and provide for the appropriate means for these problems’ eventual alleviation. References: A license to kill on Kuwait roads. July 4, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from Kuwait Times website: http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=Mzk3OTM4ODE4 Kuwait Parliament heeds people with special needs. July 5, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from Kuwait News Agency website: http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/NewsCastPage.aspx?=page=1language=endate=05072007 More Kuwaiti support for disabled people. July 6, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from Kuwait Times website: http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=OTgyNjQ1NjQ3 Checkpoint at hospital. July 7, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from Kuwait Times website: http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NTU5OTA1MzM2 A humanitarian deed. July 8, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from Kuwait Times website: http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTIxNTc3MjY5NQ== How to cite Newspaper Reading and relating to The Human bill of rights, Essay examples