Dear Advise Me:

I’m having a very hard time sitting down and focusing on my school work at the end of the day. I have all morning classes back to back (3 in a row), and then I go to work right after my last class from 11 to 6 p.m. When I get home, I’m starving, so I sit down with my family to eat, and after that I’m worn out. Even when I go to my room to avoid distractions, I still get distracted and can’t focus on my homework or studies. I need to focus because my first tests in all my classes show that I can’t focus. Can you give me some advice about how I can change this?

Need to Focus

Dear Need to Focus,

Your problem is one that probably half of all college students face today. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to manage everything you want and need to do. My first impression is that maybe you are just too exhausted to focus on your studies. I don’t know how many days per week you work from 11 to 6 p.m., but since your classes start at 8 a.m., by the time dinner is finished, it is probably almost 8 p.m., so you are just settling down to study at the end of a 12 hour work-day. I call this, trying to be “superhuman.” Studies have shown that a typical college student enrolled in 12 to 14 credit hours can usually be academically successful, if he/she does not work more than 20 hours per week. Once a student enrolls in 15 or more hours, that number drops to working just 10 hours per week. So, I would first suggest that you to sit down and ask yourself, “Why am I working this many hours?” Do you really need to work that much, or do you just like the things your money can buy? It is a difficult decision, but one that may save your sanity and your college career. If cutting back on your work hours isn’t a possibility, then I have a few suggestions. First, make sure that you are organized, so that at any free minute in your day, you can pull out your notes and begin going over them. Burning the midnight oil from 8 p.m. to midnight is not going to give you the quality study time you need. Perhaps you could go to bed earlier, and get up at 6 a.m. for an hour of study time before you go to classes. I know this idea sounds like a nightmare to most college students, but your brain is fresh and rested early in the morning, so it is easier for you to focus and learn. Second, after dinner, give yourself a 1⁄2 hour of free time, and use it to take a 15 minute walk, and then set your alarm, and lay down for a 10-minute power nap. If the alarm isn’t enough, ask someone in your family to make sure you only rest for 10-15 minutes. Study in 20 minute sessions, then get up, do a few jumping jacks, dance, or jog in place for few minutes, go get something to drink, and begin studying again. Don’t turn on the TV, but music, especially classical (or at least music without lyrics to distract you) can actually help you remember things more easily. Keep yourself alert, and don’t sit in one position so long that you begin to doze off. And lastly, if you want to improve your study skills, stop by the Academic Advising Center, and we can evaluate your learning style and give you some study techniques that will help you study in ways that fit how your brain learns best. I’m also going to send you a free booklet, “How to Get Good Grades in College.” Good luck!