Where Not To Study

Have you ever thought, “I just can’t concentrate?” Perhaps it has nothing to do with what you’re trying to study and more to do with where you are studying. The next time you find yourself feeling frustrated because you can’t concentrate or remember the terms you’ve just reiterated ten times to yourself, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is the lighting poor?
   Poor lighting causes eyestrain which makes it difficult to continue studying for long periods of time. Eyestrain can also cause headaches which can put an end to your study time before it even starts.
   
   
2. Are there too many people coming and going?
   When studying with a group of people, you might think hanging out in a public place, such as the library, a restaurant, a coffee house, or bookstore is the ideal place to study but nothing could be further from the truth.
   
   Every opening and closing of the door, every customer order, ever cell phone that rings, every cell phone that gets answered, and every social gathering provides one more distraction that eats away at your study time. Just think about it. When you overhear a conversation about someone at working getting fired, or a boyfriend that was caught cheating on a girlfriend, can you honestly stop listening? Or do you find yourself caught up in the gossip, then discussing it with your study partners?
   
   
3. Are there too many things keeping you from studying?
   Even home can be a bad place to study if you allow things to distract you from the task at hand.
   
   When was the last time you found studying at home or in your dorm satisfactory? When was the last time you found it impossible to study, even though you were comfortable with your surroundings?
   
   Do you find yourself tempted to clean, wash the dishes, fold the laundry, browse the Internet, chat on the telephone, or do countless other “well-meaning” tasks just to avoid the subject of study? If so, you may need to rethink where you study.
   

Come back on Monday as we discuss How To Study For Exams.