A study by the University of Maryland has found that students cut off from online distraction for just 24 hours had symptoms similar to those of drug addicts. It seems that students cannot stay focused without distraction. But perhaps there is a more time-effective way?
Some students in the University Maryland experiment said that without the distraction of Facebook, text messages and videos, they spent more time on course work.
So here are ten distraction-beating tips to stay focused, get work done in the library and achieve your potential in your exams.
Distraction Tip 1. Leave the phone at home.
Even this isn't enough. Some students in the University of Maryland study broke the media restrictions because they wanted to make sure 'nothing bad had happened' to their family and friends over the 24 hour period. So let your friends and family know that you'll be unavailable because you're in the library - perhaps by recording a voicemail message.
Distraction Tip 2. Diversify your information diet. Slowly.
The shock of suddenly being cut off from the Internet was too much for many students. “Although I started the day feeling good, I noticed my mood started to change around noon. I started to feel isolated and lonely." By slowly cutting your time spent online, you can make the process less traumatic. A tool like iFreeFace can help with this.
Distraction Tip 3. Fill your ipod with lyric-free music that you don't like so much.
A key issue for many students was dealing with the silence that came from being without their ipod. “The hardest part of the 24 hours was not listening to music” said one student at Maryland.
Some students need background music to study, but for others, it reduces productivity despite being addictive. You may find your mind wandering when listening to certain songs.
Try filling your iPod with lyric-free music such as classical. A great source for free classical music is the Isabella Gardner Museum Concert Podcasts. There are over 100 orchestral performances available to download free at http://www.gardnermuseum.org/music/podcast/archives.asp
The key is to find a piece of music that will not distract you but create whatever background 'noise' you need to concentrate.
Distraction Tip 4. Update your Facebook to say you're studying.
A student from Maryland commented “I knew that the hardest aspect of ridding myself of media though, would be not checking Facebook or my emails, so I went ahead and deactivated my Facebook account in advance. It’s pathetic to think that I knew I had to delete my Facebook in order to prevent myself from checking it for one day.”
If you find yourself in a similar position, then try reinforcing your resolve by updating your Facebook status to say that you're studying. This aligns your social networking profile with what you're trying to achieve, and makes you more willing to work consistently with your plan to study.
Distraction Tip 5. Arrange to meet up with friends before hand, or study with friends at some point.
Students who went without media for 24 hours complained that they felt lonely and disconnected from the world around them. Setting up regular meeting times with friends, or places where you meet without caring so much about a set schedule, could help with going cold-turkey.
Distraction Tip 6. Plan what you're going to do during the times you usually spend online or listening to music
Since social media is a part of our daily routines, students have times when they instinctively check the internet or email, or switch on the TV. If you're to go cold turkey successfully then you need to manage that time in advance. Find out what clubs and societies, or what other activities you can do during those times, and sign up.
Distraction Tip 7. Leave just enough time to make essential calls, do research, and contact people.
It will take a while without media to reduce dependency on it. Meanwhile, there are family and friends to keep in contact with, and a social life to manage, so how can you do it?
If you've let family and friends know about your studying times as above, then they should be able to leave you to it as not many issues will require your intervention within say, a 12 to 24 hour period.
But to make sure to spend an efficient amount of time contacting people when you get to it, identify the times when you are least likely to be distracted and schedule your Internet, messaging and calling times for then. This could be half an hour before you go to lectures. Just make sure you have to be somewhere at the end of your allocated time.
Distraction Tip 8. Write down your goals and carry them around with you
“I felt like a complete addict on withdrawal mode, once I gave in, I went all out and felt connected to the world again” - a student at the University of Maryland
It can seem almost like a sacrifice to cut out your media distractions even for only 24 hours, like the Maryland students in the study. To sustain your information diet, you need to remind yourself why you're doing it. Write down what you will gain from getting an extra few hours a day. And write down what you have not yet done, but might have done, if you had spent less time using media in the past. Then carry this in your pocket, and review every time you're tempted to use the computer or your mobile.
Distraction Tip 9. Get some help.
No, not a psychiatrist. Just some useful online tools for managing time online. Applications like iFreeFace can be used to set daily time limits on any website, email, and games. iFreeFace is controlled by the user and doesn't send out data. It can also be set to give reminders only.
Distraction Tip 10. Don't give up just because you fail a couple of times.
“I broke my streak by checking into ESPN.com. I couldn’t stand going an entire day without getting my sports fix.” - University of Maryland student
When we're constantly 'wired', it's going to be difficult to give up completely. There may be times when you just give in to distractions. But don't give up! Each day is a blank canvas, which you can start with the best intentions for your student career.
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