Expect to warm up every time you begin to study, and use all five of the above techniques to reach the goal of concentration. When you have a particularly hard time warming up, you may need some special techniques to jump-start your brain!

Consider the first four or five paragraphs of the chapter as a group. Read the first sentence only of each of the paragraphs. Then return to the first paragraph and begin to read it for the main idea. Maybe you will find that your motivation to understand what you are reading has improved.

Challenge your comprehension. To improve your understanding, try talking to yourself. Read the first paragraph of the chapter for the main ideas. Then ask yourself: What is the main idea of this paragraph? Since you haven’t spent enough time warming up, you will probably not be able to answer the question very confidently. Tackle the first paragraph for the second reading. This time your motivation to concentrate on understanding it should be better, since it has been stimulated by the fact that you could not answer the question. Be persistent. When you use this method of warming up, you must continue “reciting” or talking to yourself until you have succeeded in concentrating effectively.

When you use this auditory method of talking to yourself, you should read ALL of a paragraph before you reread it. Don’t keep rereading one sentence until you understand it, or the result may be weaker concentration. Your brain prefers organization and repetition of information for comprehension, so fragments of unorganized information will be wastage of time.

When Annoyance Sets In

During times of intense study, your concentration will suddenly disappear. At times, you will become aware that you have been distracted by something. Sometimes you do not know why you have lost your concentration. Your reaction is that you are annoyed or impatient with your studying. To fight annoyance like this, you may have to give in to it for a while.

Commit yourself to read “one more paragraph” before you take a break.

Take a break from your studying. Lean back in your chair or stand up and stretch. Focus your eyes on a distant object for a minute or two and then close them for a short time.

Leave your study area for a stretch break. Take off about five minutes for walking around, getting a drink of water, putting a few things in order, or even glancing through a newspaper or magazine. Be careful not to “stretch” too long, or you’ll need another warm-up session when you continue with your studying!

When Annoyance Continues

Students are able to study effectively by taking frequent breaks while doing their homework, but every student reaches a point during studying when taking a break isn’t enough to refresh concentration, which continues to decrease. When this happens, you must take special actions to correct the situation. Instead of a physical break, which usually works for temporary annoyances, you need a mental change.

Look over the material you have already covered during the study period. Examine the headings. You can often motivate yourself by a review.

Turn to another part of your textbook, like the table of contents or the final chapter. Skim through the material. Try to get an impression rather than learn anything. By thinking about new topics, you may discover (when you return to your assignment) that the familiar topics have a sharper meaning in contrast.

Switch to another subject. Have you tried this method? Has your concentration improved? When you’re not getting much out of studying a particular subject, switch to another one. Don’t just give up! If you can’t finish the second subject, return to the first subject again or even go on to a third subject. By using this “stagger method” of studying, many experienced students accomplish much more work than if they had persisted in completing one task before they went on to another.

When Fatigue Takes Over

There is only one remedy for fatigue: close your books and relax. Do not foolishly believe that as long as you stare at a printed page, you are learning! Your eyes may see, but your mind can be miles away. If you leave your study area and relax for an hour or so, you can continue with your studies later. Of course, you will have to begin with the warm-up stage. An expert student knows when to use techniques to improve concentration and when to close the books.

Conclusion: Reward Yourself!
Most students can concentrate better and study harder if they have an immediate goal. Give yourself a fun goal to reach after you have done some worthwhile studying, not before. Set a reasonable goal that you will complete one chapter of history in an hour; then reward yourself by watching TV or reading for fun.

Reward yourself with little things that you enjoy, but do it after you have studied. It is great psychology because you will have more fun when you have earned your reward!

What to do for distractions while studying:
If you are trying to study and find it hard to concentrate, try the following.

Do NOT just sit there going off on topics other than studying. You want the place you are studying to become conditioned only to concentrating on your studies–not to fantasizing or dealing with personal problems.

Instead, make a decision to study or take a break.

If you know that the thoughts that are interfering with your study are too compelling to adequately study, then physically get up and leave the study environment and then really focus on solving whatever personal thoughts you are dealing with.

If you decide to keep studying, but fear, some personal thought might popup into your mind, write it down and think about it later–after you have reached your study goals for the day.
If your body gets too restless to concentrate, go for a brisk walk. Normally, take 5-minute walk breaks at least every hour (or whatever works for your body).

If you feel your mind “filling up” with one subject until you start to get confused, then 1. Do a final overview of all you have studied for that session to help eliminate some confusion, then 2. Take a break (could be before the summary overview), and start on a new subject or activity that is quite different from the one you have been studying.

If you get tension headaches while studying, check your posture. If your head is bent over that causes tension in your upper back , neck and causes tension headaches. Try putting your books or writing at eye level and not holding them with your arms for support.