[Ballerina]

I have insane amounts of reading that I need to get through for my classes this week, and there is no getting me to focus for more than 15 minutes at a time. I keep getting distracted (especially if the reading is online... then I leave to "google something real quick" and never come back). What helps you focus?!

:crazy:

 

[Moby]

I'm a veteran ENFP warrior who spent 6 years fighting the Dragons of the modern post-secondary education system.

When it came to exams and hardcore studying I ALWAYS created myself a reward for the end of the day, after a long day of studying. Usually I'd stock the fridge with some cool micro-brews I never tasted, and would allow myself one + watching a movie (films being my ultimate passion).

Usually after exam time there's a break in school right? I'd promise myself a big reward then.

Eventually all things will pass, remember that. To me school wasn't usually a joy, but a necessary evil. I don't want to sit at a desk, shoulders forward, set-times, listen up, paper/midterm/final. But school is a ticket that SHOULD allow you to DO. To DO whatever it is your passion is. So to me, I kept that as the penultimate goal, above all.

 

[shedreamt]

Do just enough to barely get As in the classes you loathe and pour your energy into the classes that captivate your mind. I wish someone had told me that sooner lol. Perfectionism is death for our type, so don't try to do everything just right, and don't be hard on yourself for doing some things kind of half assed. Also, prioritize sleep because you'll be so much more productive and focused with the time you have if your brain is not foggy.

Stimulants can be extremely helpful as well depending on your brain chemistry. There are doctors who believe that ADD can only be properly treated by addressing your brain chemisrtry since behavioral modification only goes so far. You are not attacking the underlying problem without correcting the balance of neurotransmitters. See a good psych about it if your inattentiveness interferes significantly with your lifestyle.

 

[Empurple]

Go for a run or get some physical exercise beforehand. Then eat some berries, drink water, and BOOM! - You'll have focus...maybe.

 

[My Sweet Stalin]

If you really want to solve the problem chemically but can't swing an Adderall or methylphenidate prescription easily, I've had good luck with Piracetam, an old Soviet concentration drug you can buy as a "supplement" in the US and many other countries. Tyrosine (natural dopamine precursor) can also help keep your motivation going. Play with your brain chemistry at your own risk.

Exercise and sleep also do wonders but really, who are we kidding here?

 

[dellai]

I'm using the Pomodoro technique: Pomodoro Technique - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia , It works most of the time.

 

[iemanja]

Here you go m'dear, I hope it helps. WasteNoTime

When I am doing schoolwork, I also get distracted online, so I try to use as many physical objects as possible (eg writing on paper rather than typing, reading a textbook rather than a website) and this eradicates the abundant online distractions.

ENFPs in particular like to be accepted and loved, correct? I use this trait to motivate myself. I like to be recognized by peers, by parents, by teachers, so I discipline myself in order to work well, which leads to better grades and accomplishments, which in turn leads to respect from those around me. I love school because I love learning and because it is giving me the opportunity to grow. Focus on what you love about your current situation, what you want to achieve and who you want to impress (including yourself) and you will find it easier to stay focused.

 

[Einstein]

You keep them away from NTJ's.:tongue:

 

[hoom]

Hey look! A puppy!

 

[The King Of Dreams]

Hey look! A puppy!

Hey! Don't steal my thunder!

 

[Ballerina]

LOL thanks guys. Just so we're clear, I don't actually have ADD, and I have no problem focusing on/studying/reading things I enjoy reading about. I'd rather not go into using stimulants for something like this (although trust me, I've thought about it). Right now it's just this ONE required class that bores me out of my mind, and I'm having a horrible time reading :/

I'm giving the Pomodoro technique a try today thanks @dellai !

@iemanja the "waste no time" browser is a fantastic invention!! thank you

LOL haha @hoom gee, thanks. -_-

@shedreamt this is exactly what I try to do - but more often than not, doing what gets me an 'A' leaves me too exhausted to really enjoy the classes that do captivate my mind! :frustrated:

@Einstein, I'm pretty sure studying with NTJs could actually help me focus :/ too bad mine are all gone.

 

[Einstein]

@Einstein, I'm pretty sure studying with NTJs could actually help me focus :/ too bad mine are all gone.

I'll study with you!

I can be distracting to some ENFP's though. @KookyTookie.:tongue:

 

[hoom]

LOL haha @hoom gee, thanks. -_-

@Einstein, I'm pretty sure studying with NTJs could actually help me focus :/ too bad mine are all gone.

Oh it would.... until we became more of a distraction .

 

[Zster]

No great advice here, except to sympathize. The only way I got good at studying was when I reached the higher level classes in my area of interest. Then I WANTED to read. Undergrad was a killer for me. So long as I attended class, listened and took notes, I learned (don;t ask how little I read though). The classes I needed to cram in were the ones that were not interesting and that I blew off or failed to listen in. I never was very good at studying for long periods, intersted or not.

Of course, there was nothing quite like that special critical stress level that I eventually reached by procrastination. Eventually, the situation grew dire enough that even an ENFP like myself would finally buckle down and get the work done.

BTW - perfectionism was not my thing. We had a saying that "C = DVM", which proved to be true. However, those Cs came back to haunt me when I applied to grad schools later. You might want to learn that by hearing it, rather than having to experience it yourself. That was not a pleasant lesson for me, though it's really stuck.

 

[Ballerina]

I'll study with you!

hehe sure! how do you feel about empirical communication theory? :tongue:

@hoom LOL :crazy: ahahaha!

@Zster: Ive gone through that every single quarter. And at the beginning of each one, I tried *very hard* to keep up with the work so that I wouldn't end up having two panic attacks each day around finals time. needless to say, not working out so well :/ thanks for the sympathy roud:

 

[Kintsugi]

I'll study with you!

I can be distracting to some ENFP's though. @KookyTookie .:tongue:

it REALLY is distracting!!!! :tongue::tongue::tongue:

 

[Einstein]

hehe sure! how do you feel about empirical communication theory? :tongue:

What is that?

 

[Swordsman of Mana]

I have insane amounts of reading that I need to get through for my classes this week, and there is no getting me to focus for more than 15 minutes at a time. I keep getting distracted (especially if the reading is online... then I leave to "google something real quick" and never come back). What helps you focus?!

:crazy:

good question

 

[Tulipgarden]

I'm using the Pomodoro technique: Pomodoro Technique - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia , It works most of the time.

This is almost what I do and I didn't know there was a name for it!

I had to teach myself time management. Its so hard to be interested in something that isn't interesting. I do have a love for learning, though.

 

[Ballerina]

@Einstein beats me! (j/k, it's actually the "scientific" side of mass communication research. ie. different methods & theories about how to collect and analyze data, etc. SUPER DRY! :dry: although sometimes, if I pretend hard enough, it can get interesting but only temporarily. very, very temporarily.)

re: pomodoro technique....guys, 25 minutes is a LONG TIME.