How to overcome study difficulties

In this article, we’ll consider some of the most common learning problems that can plague students at any stage of their education, and discuss some strategies for coping with them.

• You have low motivation

Low motivation is one of the biggest problems you will face during your studies. Without enough internal desire to accomplish a tremendous amount of work, it may seem impossible. The key to understanding low motivation is to find out the reasons for it; they may not necessarily be the same reasons for everyone. Low motivation can be seen in certain subjects or all areas. Here are some of its common causes:

• you are tired and stressed; you have too much to do;
• there are other, more interesting things to do;
• you find the subject boring or you don’t like it for some other reason;
• you don’t like your teacher in a certain subject;
• other things happen in your life, so studying doesn’t seem important right now;
• you’re not at your best or you didn’t get enough sleep;

Do you recognize any of the problems listed above in yourself? We will consider many of these problems as we discuss specific problems one by one in the remainder of this article. In addition to taking specific steps to eliminate these possible causes, making an action plan to combat low motivation also means identifying what motivates you. For example, it is:

• satisfaction with a task?
• good feedback from teachers?
• are you considered successful by your peers or parents?
• short-term rewards, such as a bar of chocolate after a study session?
• long-term success, such as high grades and a place at the university of your choice?

When you know what’s behind your low motivation and have figured out what motivates you to achieve, you’ll be in a better position to take action right away.

• Too many distractions

There are so many external stimuli these days that it’s not surprising that many students get distracted. Social media, friends, telephone, television, video games, and trips are all definitely affecting to damaging students’ ability to focus on their studies. If you feel that your productivity is suffering from multiple distractions, it’s time to change your work environment into one that is more conducive to learning.

Creating the right environment for learning should be a fairly simple solution to help you overcome the power of all these external distractions. Eliminate the things that are distracting you from your workplace. This could be your phone, Internet, television, and so on. Limit your communication to weekends and consider installing a browser app that will prevent you from checking Facebook or your other favorite sites for certain periods.

If you can’t do your work at home because of a lot of distractions, try working somewhere else.

• You have difficulties in concentrating

Even if you have eliminated distractions, concentration can still be a serious problem.  

Like low motivation, difficulty concentrating can be caused by several problems. If you can’t concentrate because you have something on your mind, you need to try to clear your head before you get to work or it will reduce your productivity. Taking a refreshing walk or doing some exercise will also help you get rid of your anxiety before you get to work. If it is a more serious personal problem, talk to a psychologist about it to get rid of it or look at the problem from a different, more manageable perspective.

Another possible reason for the lack of concentration is that the task before you seems so enormous that you don’t know where to start. A good way to solve this problem is to break the task down into smaller, more manageable tasks. 

Finding the right learning style for you can help you focus more easily, as it is sure to be counterproductive to struggle with trying to work in a style that doesn’t work for you. We all learn differently; some of us prefer to work in complete isolation, while others prefer to learn with classmates; some people learn best by making diagrams and drawings, others by writing things down. Try experimenting with different learning styles and see if you can find the best approach to learning – the one that allows you to enjoy what you’re doing, remember information better, and concentrate more easily.

Finally, it’s worth noting that difficulty concentrating can also occur because of too much work. If you’ve been working and not getting enough rest, try giving yourself some time off. Most likely, you will come back refreshed and much better concentrated. As a last resort, you can turn to essayassistant.net for help.

• You have difficulty remembering facts and figures

Students at any stage of their studies often complain that they have trouble remembering all the information they need to answer exam questions effectively. This is difficult enough when you are studying only one subject, like in university, but when you are studying many subjects, memorizing all the facts and figures for each of your subjects can seem like an impossible task. In this case, it is better to prioritize your memorization, use time management, don’t get overwhelmed and give yourself a rest. There are also various assistive techniques for effective memorization.

• You don’t like the subject you’re studying

At some point in your studies, you will inevitably encounter a subject that you don’t like. Whether it’s because you’re just bored by it, or you feel like you can’t make sense of it, or it seems like a pointless subject, or you have a hatred for it. Dislike of the teacher of the subject, or the fact that the teacher is boring, can also lead to dislike of the subject itself.

To overcome this problem, you need to change your way of thinking. You need to see the bigger picture and how this problematic subject fits into it. You need to remember that you will need good grades across the board for a good academic performance. So think about the skills you get from this subject that can be usefully applied somewhere else, even if the actual knowledge may not be relevant to your career goals.