One of the major challenges of student researchers is distractions. Distraction has led to delays in academic programs of more than 80 percent of students facing delays in their work. The whole world is filled with one form of distraction or the other and the expansion in the use of electronic gadgets has worsened the whole situation.
A student’s ability to remain focused is a critical factor in the success rate of the students as focus is the key in getting things done.
The following are the well-researched tips/strategies to help students remain focused while carrying out their research writing.
- Check yourself up: Distractions can either be internal or external. So it is important that the first step to handling distraction is by looking at yourself to find out the source of the distraction. Finding the source will help you provide answers to the solution.
- Pinpoint the cause: after looking at yourself, you then look outside. What are the external factors contributing to my distraction? Is it your friends? Your family members? The classroom set up? A lack of skill, ideas, or time for something you need to be doing? If you are able to identify the cause, you can fix the effect?
- Plan Yourself. You cannot succeed in life without planning. Planning involves making a list of every objective both major and minor. If you have a task to accomplish, before kick starting the task, spend some time thinking about how you will accomplish the task. Put every necessary step from start to finish in writing, even with a timeline. Note: every ten minutes you spend on planning saves an hour in execution.
- Leave the Internet: a major source of distraction to students’ researchers is the internet, social media, and cell phones. To remain focus, you must take yourself offline till you complete what you to complete.
- Give yourself a break: learn how to give yourself a break as this is a major key to accomplishing great works. Especially, whenever distraction sets in, take a break, and then re-examine yourself. This is can act as a reward and also help clear the mind.
- Tune it out: another major way to remain focus in the midst of distraction is resort to music. When you feel distracted put on your headphones—looks for a soft music that can hold your full attention. Music most times can help you concentrate.
- Break it down: Whenever the incidence of distractions is high, bread down your tasks to smaller activities. This helps you to concentrate and it equally gives you a sense of accomplishment and progress when the smaller tasks are accomplished.
- Set a deadline: If you're working on your project, set deadline to accomplish a particular task. Once you are in the flow, set a concentrated period of time--and when the time runs out, stop. It's easier to stay focused when you have an end in sight.
- Become an early bird: Start your work as early as possible, similarly, you can skip the long group/ peer chats most days and instead give yourself a short break to take a walk or clear your head, with something light and nutritious to keep your blood sugar steady. The earlier you start the better for you.