How to Stay Focused Throughout the Work Day

How to Stay Focused Throughout the Work Day via Unsplash Get A Good Night’s Sleep It’s time to set a bedtime for yourself, just like when you were younger. It’s crucial that you get enough sleep so you can stay focused throughout your work day. Time your day just right so you get enough sleep to go into work the next day refreshed and motivated, even if that means waiting until tomorrow to watch the next episode in the series you’ve been binge-watching. Organize Your Desk Before you even think about what you have to do today, organize your desk. Clean up anything that may distract you throughout the day. Starting the day with a clean desk will make you feel like you have a clean slate. Declutter your desk by throwing things away, putting them in drawers, or organizing folders so you don’t get distracted. A lot of people will use the excuse of cleaning their desk to procrastinate from doing a task. With a clean desk, you’ll be able to stay focused throughout your work day. Make a To-Do List One of the best things to do so you stay focused all day long is to make a to-do list. Physically write down on a piece of paper all of your goals for the day. When you visualize all that you have to do, sometimes it makes your day less intimidating. It’s a great feeling to realize that you don’t have too much to do when you were feeling overwhelmed. A to-do list will keep you on track and focused. My favorite part of a to-do list is crossing off the things that I have done. It’s one of the most satisfying feelings in the world! Time-Block Now that you’ve created your to-do list, it’s time to time block. Time blocking is making yourself a schedule for what you will do and when you will do it. For example, if you were to time block your entire day it may look like this: 7:30-8 AM: Wake up 8-9 AM: Shower and eat breakfast 9-9:30 AM: Commute to work 9:30-9:45 AM: Organize Desk 9:45-10 AM: Read emails Time blocking can help you stay focused and keep you on track. This will help you to prioritize what needs to be done first and how long it may take to do it. Many successful people, like Gary Vaynerchuk, swear by time blocking. via Unsplash Block Distractions Stay focused at work by blocking distractions. This can be wearing headphones and listening to some calm, mindless music while you work so people don’t stop and talk to you. It can be putting your phone on “Do Not Disturb” so you aren’t distracted by emails, texts, and other notifications. If you’re someone who cannot be trusted to stay off of social media, you may want to download apps that block websites for a certain amount of time. This will be sure to help you stay focused throughout your work day. Take Breaks You aren’t a machine that can work for eight hours straight. It’s important that you take breaks in between tasks. You may think that this would distract you and pull you out of your mindset, but it will actually leave you with a refreshed mind and new thoughts when you come back to your desk. If it’s a nice day out, take a short walk and enjoy the weather. Grab a snack or cup of coffee to keep you from burning out. via Unsplash Exercise in the Morning If you’re ambitious enough, get up early and exercise for 30 to 45 minutes before going into work. When you exercise in the morning you will stay focused throughout the day. Not only will you stay focused, but you will be more conscious of what you eat, have an increased metabolism, and just feel better all around! Stay Focused Throughout the Day It’s easy to be distracted by whatever is going on around us. However, by making a to-do list, time blocking, exercising, and organizing your desk before you being your day will increase your productivity and help you to stay focused. Make sure to take breaks throughout the day and do whatever is necessary to block distractions.

How to Survive the First Big Test in College

How to Survive the First Big Test in College 5 tips to survive the first big test in college The first big test in college can be extremely overwhelming, or it can be an opportunity to shine. College exams are different than those in high school in many ways. For example, new college students will notice there are not as many opportunities for extra credit or bonus points on the exam, and the test questions may seem a fair amount more difficult. However, most college professors will let students know well in advance of any major test, which occur two or three times throughout the semester or quarter. There isnt a class that teaches students how to study for a college level exam, so it ends up being a learning experience for most students. However, there are some universal tips students can follow to have the best chance of success on these all important tests. 1.   Time management One of the best things new college students can do is focus on time management. Attempting to study for an exam until 2 AM the night before will results in an exhausted student and a low grade. University level exams are complicated and take at least a few days to study for. As a result, students are encouraged to start early and leave themselves plenty of extra time in case something comes up or if they need to get in touch with the professor in regards to a tricky set of questions. Time management is a challenge for anybody, but its one of the key elements to doing well at this level. 2. Create a study guide Some professors will provide a study guide as a suggestion for what topics to study. However, anything students have learned up until that point is considered fair game. Its beneficial when students create their study guide based on key elements of each chapter and topics that have been discussed extensively in class. If a professor didn’t provide a study guide; students need to start from scratch and make sure they leave enough time to update or add to their study guide as needed (READ: 4 Differences Between College and High School English Courses). 3. Clarifications If a student is ever unsure of what to study or in what format the test will be given its always helpful to clarify. Students will have access to the professor and a TA through email, class time, and office hours. Students should make sure they have enough time to get questions answered, so they have time left over to study appropriately. Many students go into their first big exam feeling confused about what they should’ve focused on or what theyll be tested on. However, this is 100% preventable as long as students have great communication with the teaching staff. 4. Reading One of the most important things college students can do to prepare for an exam is read any assigned text in full. Many professors know that students run out of time and try to take a shortcut when it comes to reading comprehension. To encourage students to read fully, professors include questions that can only be answered by students who have read the entire text. The test may include obscure vocabulary terms or concepts that are only covered within these chapters. Reading is one of the most important things college student can do to score high on any given exam. 5. Review The first semester of college can be very stressful, leaving many students with the inability to remember everything they have learned in a given day. This is normal and happens to most students who are expected to learn a ton of different subjects in a short period. As a result, leaving time for review is one of the smartest things a student can do. When students take in new information, their brains need time to digest it. If students take a break and then go back another day and review the important elements, theyre more likely to remember it completely on test day. Also, review allows students to take a second stab at difficult concepts that they didnt understand 100% the first time around. Although review is extremely helpful, it can only be done if students leave enough time to focus on it before the day of their exam. Our San Diego private test prep tutors will help you score on any test. Call us today for more information. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.