I don’t know about you, but when I’m studying, I tend to get distracted pretty easily. I find that staying on campus to do my homework helps. But when I’m home during breaks or when it’s too cold outside for me to want to leave my apartment, here are some things that I’ve found that help me avoid distractions anywhere I am.

Seclusion

This can take the form of going to a different room or going to a corner that is relatively quiet and where you won’t be disturbed. Separating yourself from the commotion of other conversations and activities can signal to your roommates or family members that you are trying to focus. It can also be a great way to get out of the “what’s your advice about getting back together with my ex” or “why aren’t you married yet” conversations from friends and family.

Also, I like to turn my phone on silent and put it on the floor or in my backpack. I heard of a study once that even having your phone face-down on the table distracts you from the task at hand.

Music

Sometimes you can’t seclude yourself from others, like when you’re at family dinner or when your roommates decided that the night before your big exam was the perfect night for a party. Putting on some jams is a perfect way to block out auditory distractions. When picking some study music, balance is key: music with catchy lyrics creates more distractions, while music (or white noise) that blends into the background makes me fall asleep. Here are some of my favorite types of music that I think strike the right balance:

• Pop music with lyrics in a language I don’t know
• “Bedroom pop” (jazz-type, electronic) music
  • ChilledCow
• Classical music
  • Classical Music for Reading
• Movie/video game music
  • Hans Zimmer
  • Bejeweled 3 Soundtrack

I like to put on “Live” YouTube stations that will last me my eternal study session, but another thing you can do is right click on the play button on a YouTube video and click “Loop”, which will play the video over and over until you close the window.

Taking breaks

I’ve found that I rarely have the discipline to sit quietly and study while conversations are happening around me. My favorite study method is the Pomodoro technique, where you completely focus for 20-25 minutes, then take a 5-10 minute break, then repeat the cycle. Completely blocking out distractions for 20 minutes seems more manageable and prevents my mind from concentrating so long that it starts wandering off. And the 5-10 minute breaks can be good times to walk around or finally add your two-cents to the conversations happening around you.

Task planning

I know not everyone likes writing “To-Do” lists, but for me, this is vital to getting things done. Writing down a list of what I have to accomplish frees my memory to store more important things, like the material for the test I’m studying for or people’s names. Task planning helps me quickly switch from one task to another (esp. when I’m using the Pomodoro technique, where I switch from taking a break to focusing) because I don’t have to do the mental exercise of remembering what I was doing all over again. I also like to divide my tasks into two groups: those that will take me 10 minutes, and those that will take me an hour or more. That way, I can fit the small tasks in during random free times during the day, like when I’m waiting in the forever-long Wendy’s line or taking the bus from campus to my apartment.

What are some ways that you have made any spot a study spot? What do you struggle with when it comes to studying away from campus? Leave a comment and let us know.