Build your study stamina and concentration

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Why it matters

As we progress through Higher Education or into more senior roles at work, the tasks we need to undertake, and problems we have to solve, become larger and more complex.

These higher education tasks require more:

Mental energy
Better memory for details
The ability to sustain attention for longer

If we can maintain our concentration, we become more efficient and flexible in how we can work.

Some benefits of looking after concentration skills

We can ...

1. Stay focused for longer without becoming distracted.

2. Stick with a train of thought, holding multiple, complex parts in mind until we reach a conclusion.

3. Learn to stay effective with fewer breaks, saving us time.

4. Don’t have to battle with ‘getting started’ again on a task, if we are poor ‘starters’.

Illustration of colourful sticky notes on a brain.

5. Stay in the ‘flow’ of what we were doing or thinking, making it more rewarding, and boosting comprehension.

6. Work more flexibly to suit the task or the needs of a team.

7. Cope better with longer meetings and events such as exams that benefit from sustained concentration, as we are less distracted, we save time otherwise lost in ‘catching up’.

Build your study stamina

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Know yourself

Be aware of how you use study time now; decide on your priorities from there.

Build gradually

Aim to build your study stamina slowly over the length of your course. Add an extra minute or two to time spent studying; once you are used to that, add a few more. Continue for as long as you can maintain your attention and think clearly.