Keep your study space clean. Clear your desk or table clean of any food crumbs, candy wrappers, dirt, or anything that isn’t something that will help you study. This will give you more room to place any textbooks, laptops, or papers on your surface and you won’t have to sweep away chip bags or accidentally get a stain on your work. All that should be on your surface is your study materials and a refreshing drink.

One of the biggest distractions is going to be your phone. Notifications from apps, phone calls, texts, and many other things will attempt to take your attention away from what you need to focus on. It’s best to put your phone on silent and keep face down so that you won’t get distracted when it lights up from getting a notification. This goes for your desktop computer and/or laptop as well. A lot of assignments are started, completed, and then submitted digitally through an online portal. So, you’ll likely get notifications from social media or messages from friends. See if you can turn off notifications temporarily during your study session.

If you live in a noisy area or have trouble clearing your mind of thoughts in order to pay attention, getting some noise cancelling headphones or earbuds may be something to think about. This should block any noise from a TV in another room, cars passing by, or loud talking that may be going on in your home. You can play calming music, relaxing sounds, or just enjoy the peaceful silence. For me, I have trouble clearing my thoughts and focusing on a project. I can easily get distracted with my own thoughts and I’ve found that the sound of rain falling, thunderstorms, and lo-fi music thunderstorms help me focus on my task better.

It can be hard to just sit down for several hours and stare at a textbook. At some point, knowledge refuses to penetrate your mind and the words start to blur together. I have found, for myself, that the Pomodoro method has helped me focus more when I am having trouble focusing on an assignment.

According to The Pomodoro ^® Technique website, the method is, “Choose a task. Set the Pomodoro^® Timer to 25 minutes. Work on the task until the Pomodoro^® rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper. Take a short break (Start with 5 minutes). Every 4 Pomodoros, take a longer break.”

I enjoy that this method has you take short breaks to recharge. That way, you have something to look forward to. Use that time to scroll on your phone and catch up on any messages, get something to eat, or rest a bit. There are also plenty of pomodoro timers on YouTube that you can use as a timer as well. Some set the timer to 30 or even 45 minutes if that is what you prefer. Some even include the relaxing music that was mentioned before. Overall, I believe this method is a good thing to try out when you need to focus on your studies.

Creating a space that helps you focus on your subject is important, but it’s also important to make that study space a place that you enjoy. Personalize it and make it your own! Study in a place that fits your aesthetic and makes you excited to sit down and focus on your work. Decorate your walls with posters or wall hangings. Put a vase of flowers or succulents on your desk. Put all of your pens, papers, and pencils in cute organizers that fit the theme or aesthetic of your room. 

That goes for study supplies as well! Into the gothic lifestyle, love all things pink and girly, are you a minimalist, or can't get enough of cottagecore? There are plenty of themed pens, pencils, folders, staplers, stamps, sticky notes, organizers and any other office supply that you can think of that will fit your personal style!