Let’s put this straight… different people concentrate in different ways. I have tried various ways to better concentrate and after a lot of trial and error I found this method works best for me. As I said it does not mean that it will work for you, but I think it is worth sharing the method anyways. However I am very positive that since it worked for me, with some effort, it will work for you too.

First of all concentration requires an effort. You have to have a mindset to concentrate. When I am busy and I need to concentrate on some work I do the following:

I close the door. I want complete silence. I don’t want to hear what others are doing in the house. The faintest noise might make me lose my concentration or make me nervous or curious about what is going on. By closing myself in a room, I eliminate such situations.

I switch OFF music. As I said complete silence works best for me. Some people prefer soft music, classical music or ambient music. I found out that having complete silence helps me immerse myself in the work I have to do.

Switch off all communication devices and methods. I switch off my instant messaging and if I don’t need internet I switch off my laptop. That way I also eliminate the sound whirring laptop fans :P. I switch off my cell phone and unplug my phone. Well, I only unplug the phone when I seriously want to concentrate.

Clear the desk. I clear the desk from all kinds of paper and other stationary. Sometimes I find myself playing with a rubber or a pen. To eliminate such situations I remove everything and only leave the stuff I absolutely need to carry out my work.

Proper lighting. I found that proper lighting is a fundamental ambient property that helps you to concentrate. I tend to like warm tropical light (slightly yellowish) since it feels warmer and less artificial than white light.

Once I enter my concentration zone I try to finish off all the tasks that I planned before I take a break. This is because to get into the concentration zone again it takes time and it does not always work. Once I finish of the task I take a long break in order to recover after an intensive session of concentration. Before I take a break though, I look at the work I managed to finish with admiration and look forward for another session of concentration
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Does this blog post title sound strange to you? First imitate, then innovate! Shouldn’t we always try to come up with new ideas, create new things, and build new stuff? The answer to that is yes and no.

Let me explain.

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Note taking is a skill that every student must get the grips of. At first it might seem difficult and without pattern…but in fact there are patterns in note taking. I am going to highlight three very commonly used and effective note taking techniques.

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It is the dream of every student to get higher grades with much less effort. The reason why most of the students do not attain high grades is not because they do not study but it is that they do not study in the correct way. Studying is a skill and like every other skill, you need to train to master it.

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