Dec
1st
2013
A serious question · 11:37pm Dec 1st, 2013
What are some things you guys do to help you focus? I've always sort of had an issue with staying on task when it comes to doing schoolwork, but now that I'm in college and have a laptop of my own, it's even harder. I always find myself ending up on Netflix or YouTube when I should be studying or working ahead. It's the same problem when I sit down to write. I've never been diagnosed with ADD or anything like that; I've just been having some serious problems with getting distracted when I should be doing something productive.
So, any advice?
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theswimminbrony · 477 views
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Do what Skirts does and get a dedicated computer just for writing.
I'd do the same thing, all that helped was removing distractions as much as possible. I'd go to the library or a student lounge and do everything I could on paper, then type it up later if I needed to.
I focus on the one thing I want that I have to complete this assignment to get, you know? For instance, I wouldn't even bother with school if not for the trip to Colorado I hope to make in June, but the folks wouldn't even consider it if I just lazed through school.
Make distractions hard to attain.
If you have to be in the same room as the laptop, turn it off. If you have to look up study material online, block sites so that it takes you some effort/time to un-block them, so that you can catch yourself in the act, and return to the task. If you can, have study material in book form, or write it down so you can read it while away from the computer.
Build habits. At first spend x time on studying daily, and once it becomes easy and you manage to do x of studying every day for a week or more, increase it... until you find a good equilibrium - there is an upper limit that you will consider "too much studying" because you will be too tired to learn anything past some point.
You are asking people who read fanfiction all day how to focus?
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install Slackware on your computer. Since none of the drivers will work with your new hardware, you'll have only a terminal. Either you do your work or you learn how to compiler drivers. One leads to good grades, one is a decent job skill.
For srs, I use massive amounts of stimulants (like coffee). But then, I have been diagnosed with ADHD. Not that I write. I keep getting distracted by art.
I'll be honest. I've got problems sitting down to work on stuff too. Like, I've got a gingerbread house (the practical final in a course), and five finals left to do. Not to mention a couple of projects and my job... Not so good at keeping n top of things. I would, however, suggest having a dedicated time for homework. That worked most of this semester, until Thanksgiving and my job screwed it up.
If you have some fun time on your schedule it can make it easier to focus on stuff when it is time to work.
If you don't need to be online for your school work one of the easiest ways to add a layer to catch when you are slacking off is to disconnect from the internet before beginning to work. This adds a step to slacking so you can catch yourself.
When you sit down to write you could use a paper notebook instead of a computer so that there would be no netflix or youtube to distract you.
This is a serious problem for me too, because I've always been pretty lazy. I had no problems with school (because school is ez) but as I started with college things became though.
Something that has worked for me (at least for a while) is to always do some college stuff right after I wake up, because whenever I go on youtube or fimficiton or start playing something, the day is basically lost. On days where I've been in college for several hours I usually just skipped any learning for the day. It depends on how much you need to do to keep up.
I also think keeping some kind of working schedule does help, if you can manage to stick to it. I can't... I've tried... but I can't even keep a decent sleeping pattern...
I agree to what was already mostly said by others. Try to make a schedule for your studying time.
If that doesn't help, the last resort is to either just disconnect from the internet or if you don't need your PC at the moment just turn it off and even put it in a different room.
Hope this helps in some way.
As far as getting work done, I just plan out what I'm gonna do, when I'm gonna do it, and force myself to get it done without distractions. No exceptions and no leeway. It sucks, but it works.
For staying focused, obviously don't over-work yourself. It's a good idea to ration out your workload rather than do it all at once. It's easier to sit down and write for 30 minutes, 6 separate times, as opposed to writing all at once for 3 straight hours. This applies to pretty much any time of work. I use this often when I have a large project to do.
Also, if it's a problem with the work being tedious, music in the background, or the occasional light snack will liven up the experience tenfold. Beverages are good because they don't make a mess like food, and it's easy to sip some soda or something while you type. Plus, it's almost always good to have more water-based drinks.
Avoiding other distractions, I'm afraid, is mostly just willpower. There's nothing you can do to stop yourself short of blocking sites or getting rid of the laptop. It's good to train your mind to know what the priorities are, as it will really come in handy later in life when you could get fired over not getting something done in time. It's not so much about beating yourself up over it, just realizing and appreciating what must come first. That's the hardest part. (In other words, instead of thinking "I gotta do this, I'm forcing myself to, and I hate myself", think: "I have to get this done because there are consequences and I need to be responsible.")
Side note: Completing a big project while being confident and positive throughout it leads to immense satisfaction and often self-esteem boosts. Basically a happier state of mind because you recognize your own responsibility.
Hope this helped.