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Having trouble concentrating on studying?
April 7, 2007
I remember it being really hard to concentrate while studying for organic chemistry, so here are some tips that might be helpful:
1) Slow down. The more you understand, the less you have to memorize.
While you are reading over your notes/textbook/hw/tests, stop and think. There is a reason why the professor emphasized a certain point during lecture(ie. knowing ortho meta para solid).
2) Drink water. Lots of it.
Your brain works best when it’s got a bunch of water. Dehydration (meaning when you are feeling thirsty) decreases cognitive function.
3) Talk about it out loud.
Speaking will activate a different part of your brain. If you’re trying to understand something or increase your chance of remembering it later, say it out loud. Better yet, try to explain it out lout to someone else. You’ll learn more quickly and discover new ideas that weren’t there when you were reading.
4) Listen to your brain
Pay attention to whether your brain is getting overloaded. Once you go past a certain point, you won’t learn faster by trying to shove more reactions in, and you might even hurt the process.
5) Make a quick study the last thing you do before bed. Or at least the last challenging thing.
Part of the learning (short term -> long term memory) happens after you put the notes down. Your brain needs time on its own, to do more processing. If you put in something new during that processing time, some of what you just learned will be lost.
6) Use your pencil.
Write lots of reactions/mechanisms/reagents, write your thoughts and feelings, write everything! Because on the test, you will be writing and drawing reactions, mechanisms, and reagents. No one ever got good at ochem by just reading their notes or the book. Use your pencil!
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