Wondering how to concentrate while studying? Put your phone in another room, work on one subject at a time in short timed blocks, and quiz yourself instead of rereading. Take real breaks, spread sessions across the week and protect your sleep. None of this needs special gear, and you can start today.
Below are nine habits with the reasons behind them, a 90-minute study session you can copy, and signs that a focus problem may need more than better habits.
Most study sessions aren't ruined by one big distraction. They're worn down by dozens of small switches: a text, a quick look at a feed, a tab you meant to close.
The American Psychological Association explains that each switch between tasks may cost only a few tenths of a second. But those costs add up when you switch back and forth again and again. Researcher David Meyer has said that even brief mental blocks from shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone's productive time.
Very long sessions are the other trap. The University of North Carolina's Learning Center (UNC) notes that long study sessions lead to a lack of concentration, and so to less learning and less remembering.
Put your phone in another room. UNC's advice is blunt: "Turn your phone off." It warns that social media, web browsing, games and texting will severely affect the intensity of your study sessions. If you need a timer, use a kitchen timer or set your phone face down across the room with notifications silenced.
Do one thing at a time. Research cited by UNC found that multitasking, such as answering texts while studying, increases the time needed to learn material and lowers the quality of the learning. Close every tab and app you don't need for this task.
Set one small, clear goal. "Study biology" is vague. "Answer the 12 review questions for chapter 6" tells you exactly where to start and when you're done.
Work in short, timed blocks. UNC suggests intensive sessions of 30 or 45 minutes. If you quiz yourself for 45 minutes and then take a break, you're much more likely to keep your attention than if you plan hours of nonstop work. If 45 minutes feels long, start with 25. Our Pomodoro technique guide walks through a timer method step by step.
Take real breaks. Stand up, get water, stretch or look out a window. UNC suggests you can reward a focused session with a social media break, but time it, so five minutes stays five minutes.
Quiz yourself instead of rereading. A major 2013 review led by psychologist John Dunlosky rated practice testing and spreading study over time as high-utility techniques, because they helped students of many ages and ability levels. Underlining and rereading were rated surprisingly low. Close the book and write what you remember, use flashcards, do practice problems or explain the topic out loud as if you were teaching it.
Spread study across the week. UNC gives a simple example: 30 minutes per class each day adds up to three hours a week, and spreading that over six days is more effective than cramming it into one three-hour session. A short session is also much easier to start than a huge one.
Choose your place and time on purpose. UNC notes that the silence of a library may not be the best place for everyone, that studying on your bed can put you to sleep, and that your focus at 10 p.m. may not be as sharp as at 10 a.m. Try a few spots and save your hardest subject for the hours when you're sharpest.
Protect your sleep. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says sleep helps with learning and forming long-term memories, and that not getting enough can make it hard to focus and think clearly. The CDC recommends 8 to 10 hours of sleep daily for teens aged 13 to 17 and 7 or more hours for adults aged 18 to 60. An all-nighter borrows from tomorrow's focus.
Start with the first two. Getting the phone out of reach and closing extra tabs is the fastest change most people can make. For more on the phone side, see our guide on how to use your phone less.
Set up (3 minutes). Phone in another room. Write one goal at the top of a page. Get out only the materials for this subject.
Block 1 (25 minutes). Do practice questions or problems without looking at your notes. Mark anything you're unsure about.
Break (5 minutes). Stand up, drink some water, move around.
Block 2 (25 minutes). Check your marked answers against your notes. For each mistake, write the correct idea in your own words.
Break (5 minutes). Same as before. No scrolling.
Block 3 (20 minutes). Close everything and write or say out loud what you learned. Turn your mistakes into flashcards.
Wrap up (7 minutes). Write three questions to quiz yourself on tomorrow and note exactly where you'll start next time.
Repeat a session like this on several days instead of saving everything for the night before the test.
Everyone has unfocused days. Talk to a doctor, school nurse or campus health service if:
Trouble focusing has lasted for months and shows up in most parts of your life, not just studying.
It's hurting your grades, job or relationships even after you've tried the habits above.
You often feel low, anxious or hopeless.
You feel very sleepy during the day even after a full night in bed.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
A good starting point is 25 to 45 minutes of focused work, then a break of about 5 minutes. UNC suggests intensive sessions of 30 or 45 minutes. If you can't last that long yet, start shorter and build up.
It depends on you. UNC notes that some people find classical music helps them concentrate, while others find it highly distracting. Try both on similar tasks and compare how much you actually got done.
Common culprits are a phone within reach, too many open tabs, vague goals, marathon sessions, short sleep and passive methods like rereading. Fix the easiest one first. Our guide to improving your attention span covers more everyday habits.
Make it harder to reach. Put it in another room or turn it off, and save a short, timed phone break as a reward after each block.
Attention Age: Focus Test includes a focus timer with free 10- and 25-minute sessions (45- and 90-minute sessions are in Pro), plus a Lock Screen Live Activity and optional ambient sounds, so it can run the timed blocks above. It also has a five-minute attention test with a weekly re-test, presented as entertainment and self-practice, not a medical or diagnostic test. No account is needed, results stay on your iPhone and there are no ads.
Get Attention Age free on the App Store