The world today is filled with distractions that make achieving consistency hard. Studies are mostly affected in the current world of social media and digital fun games.
These are distractions that are highly addictive to an extent that even the most committed students can fall victim to. They make students lose the urge to explore and damage their motivation towards studying.
If you find that you are struggling to be consistent in your studies, then it means that there are some things that you are not doing right. When you make a plan to study and fail to stick to it for a day or two then you are likely to find yourself adapting to the habit of inconsistency.
The way you perceive studies can be a cause of this inconsistency and change is needed to achieve consistency.
How to be Consistent in Studies
To beat the habit of inconsistency you will have to do the following:
1. Make a Schedule
Before you start studying, make a plan of what you will study. The study schedule made should be strictly followed to maintain consistency. Even on days when you are caught up in other important activities, always make sure that you have compensated for the planned study time.
Also, do not give yourself a day off that is planned for studies to avoid excuses for not studying
2. Avoid Distractions
When it is time to study, you must keep off distractions such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp. Also, make sure that you do not play video games or go out with friends during time set aside for studies.
Keeping distractions away will help you increase concentration and avoid skipping your study hours.
3. Keep Necessities Within Reach
Before you start studying always keep everything that you need in the study room. When you have to grab something in the leaving room you can easily find an interesting program on the TV and decide to watch it hence postponing your study time.
This breaks your cycle of consistency something that may then start occurring simultaneously.
4. Set Goals
To achieve consistency in your studies you must set goals that you aim to achieve. For example, you can set a deadline for the completion of a certain complex topic that has been troubling you.
Once you achieve the goal set another and maintain the focus and dedication.
5. Avoid Procrastination
When you find that you have a lot of time to study avoid saying that you will study later. When you postpone your assignments or study time it is usually hard to get back on track because procrastination is additive.
Once you start doing it maintaining consistency becomes harder to achieve.
6. Take Breaks
The notion that you have to study for long periods to be consistent is a myth. Always take breaks in between your study hours to freshen up and digest what you have studied.
The breaks however should not be long. Studying with short breaks is more productive and achievable than studying for long periods without breaks
Causes of Inconsistency when Studying
The following are the main causes of inconsistency when studying:
Lack of Concentration
When you are not concentrating on your studies then there will be inconsistency because you are likely to forget something you have read after a few minutes and may not remember anything completely once you finish studying
Preoccupation
The time you set aside for studying is not time for other things. Once you begin your study sessions then it is not time for doing laundry or any other work. Always set time for every activity to make sure that nothing disrupts your study time
Electronics
When you have your mobile phone or iPad then you can easily get distracted while studying because you can see a notification pop up and decide to look at it.
This can be the start of a very long period on the phone either interacting with people or reading through social media posts that make you forget that you were studying
Disturbances
When you have your young siblings and pets in your study room then you are likely not to be consistent in your studies. This is because you will constantly get distracted and make you lose concentration which is essential in maintaining consistency.
How to Study Consistently for Long Hours
If you have been wondering how you can study consistently for long hours then the following can help achieve that:
Find a Suitable Environment
Finding a place where you work best is crucial for any study session to be consistence and successful. These places can include a quiet study room or a library where disturbances will be minimal.
The reading surface should be flat and the seating should be comfortable to avoid early fatigue.
Blocking Distracting Websites and Apps
Sometimes you need electronic gadgets to facilitate your study. To make sure that they do not cut short your study hours due to distractions make sure that all websites and apps that can distract you are blocked or disabled.
These include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, shopping, and gaming websites.
Creating a Study Ritual
A study ritual is important in giving you the flow and focus when studying. For example, you can make sure that you have cleared your desk, assembled everything you will need, have a to-do list or listen to something that inspires you before beginning to study.
Through study rituals, your brain can easily transition from activities you were doing to study mode.
Divide your Work into Sessions
When you want to study for long periods divide the work that you will do into sections that you will have to complete in intervals.
If you start without a plan then you are likely to get stuck in the middle and find it hard to continue with your study session.
When you set the plan, you have to adhere to it to achieve the long consistency periods you want.
List of 9 Habits of Consistent Successful Students
The following are the habits that consistent successful students exhibit:
- They follow effective study plans
- They don’t attempt to cram what they have studied but study it more to understand
- They have daily study routines
- They have specific study goals
- They avoid procrastinating their planned study sessions
- They keep distractions away during their study time
- They are highly motivated to study and do well in school
- They often review their notes and school work
- They are disciplined
