If you want to help your college-bound child learn how to study effectively as possible so they can reach their full potential now, and later when they head off to college, one of the best things you can do is help them to learn how they can deal with the various distractions that could make studying difficult.
With that in mind, here are some of the most common study distractions and what you can do about them:
1. Home surroundings
One of the most common study distractions that any student is likely to face is the distraction of the familiar. When students are at home, not only do they have lots of other things they could be doing, from streaming Netflix to making sandwiches in the kitchen, that it can be difficult to focus on their studies.
Not only that but they may have certain associations with various rooms like the bedroom is for sleeping or the living room is for entertainment, and this can make it hard for them to get into the right headspace.
How can they deal with this? The easiest solution is to go and study at the library or if that is not possible, to zone off a particular room or part of a room for study and only study so that the right associations can be formed.
2. Younger siblings
If you have younger kids, then they can prove to be a real distraction for your older child because they may be fussing or trying to engage in lay when your teen is trying to study and the noise can be pretty difficult for them to deal with.
What can you do to help? There are a number of things. For example, if you have a baby, learning more about their need and what you can do to settle them – this guide to if your baby is baby overtired or undertired can help with that – you can also get them into a routine that complements your studying child better.
If your kids are older, then designating a space for them to play that is as far away from the studying child as possible will also help.
Of course, it can be good to give your studying child coping techniques because they will probably be surrounded by noisy students when they are in college too. Things like earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, or finding a quieter space are all good ways of minimizing this kind of distraction.
3. TV, Movies and Gaming
Studying is not always the most exciting option for even the most dedicated student. One thing that can lure them away from the books and drive them to distraction is the availability of existing movies, TV shows, and video games. They can start watching one episode of The Vampire Diaries and still be there several hours later if they aren’t careful.
How can you help them? Encourage them to watch TV shows and movies or play video games only as a reward for completing their studies. So, for every one hour of studying, they do they can watch one episode of that binge-worthy new show or play one hour of that new game everyone is talking about.
If that still proves to be too much of a temptation, you could encourage them to unplug the internet, unsubscribe from streaming services and install apps that will block them from accessing Netflix or whatever for a few hours.
They will need to learn to self-regulate eventually, but these ideas can help them to get to that point.
4. Friends and partying
Of course, it is not just streaming and media that can distract a person from their studies, The lure of good times with friends can also be too strong to resists, especially in these days of social media and FOMO.
Young people really do not like to feel like they have missed out on a big night out because they know it is all anyone will be talking about the next day, but they need to learn that studying is more important.
How can you help them overcome this particular distraction? Talk to your child about how important it is that they study hard now if they want to get into a great college and have a good future. Let them know that blowing off steam with friends is also important, and help them to work out a schedule that will allow them to study first and fit in time with friends.
Also, encourage them to discuss how important their studies are with friends so that although they would love to attend X event, they simply cannot on this occasion. More often than not,m their friends will totally get it and might even be relieved they have brought it up first so they can follow suit.
If social media is a big sticking point, encourage them to avoid logging on until the evenings when everything else is done, and let them know there were apps that can block access at specific times of the day and night.
5. The internet
The internet can be a major source of distraction for the average student because these days, much of a student’s studying is done online and that means they are always connected not only to their study materials, but also to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and the lure can prove too much for some students to say no to.
The most obvious solution to this is to use internet monitoring apps to block any of the unnecessary sites that they are most likely to be attracted to, at least for the duration of their study period, and with their agreement. Turning off wi-fi can work just as well too if that is an option for them.
Distractions are inevitable, but if your student knows how to deal with them effectively, they will become less and less of a problem over time and your child will get through high school and college as effectively and successfully, as possible.