How to Study for Long Hours With Full Concentration?

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how to study effectively for long hours

As our exam gets closer all we want to increase our study hours and therefore we decide to study for long hours. Isn’t it?

However, you don’t have to just sit with a book and study for 8 -10 hrs. Your long hour’s studies should be effective and productive as well.

So in this article, I have 10 hacks that will tell you exactly how to study for long hours without getting bored, sleepy, and losing focus.

And, through these tips, you will also get to know why you can’t or someone studies for long hours effectively?

But before we dive into tips, let’s look at the important query which is often asked of me.

Q. Is it good to study for long hours?

If you’re in between and thinking, Is it good to study for long hours then first I want to give my honest opinion on this.

It’s good to study for long hours or 8+ hours but with one condition, you should keep taking breaks and should maintain your energy according to the long hours of study. However, many factors affect your energy level while studying (which will be discussed later).

Remember, studying for long hours can be only harmful when you sit and study continuously for long hours. Hence, here I am going to discuss how you can make your long hours of study successful.

How to Study for Long Hours?

1: Find a Dedicated Study area

study place

A place where you study really matters for your effective studies, especially when you have to study for long hours.

Many research has shown that a good study environment can make a person’s mood to study while a noisy place can annoy you while studying. So, find a dedicated place for your study where no one can disturb you and you can study for how long do you want.

Also, make sure you use a study table and best dorm room chair while studying. Studying in bed or couch while lying can make you feel sleepy and you won’t like to study.

On the other hand, studying on a study table and chair gives you the best position to study for long hours. It also helps you to maintain better concentration for long hours without getting tired and without feeling sleepy. 

Despite this, if you still want to study in bed here is my guide on how should you study in bed.

2: Make a To-do list

How to study for long hours

After finding a perfect spot for your study now it’s time to make a plan for your long hour’s study. Because without planning you won’t be able to study effectively for long hours. But the question is what should be the plan?  

Here is the deal:

You have to make a to-do and write all subjects or topics that you have to study today. This to-do list helps you to organize your tasks to study or finish all subjects’ homework on time. Along with this, this to-do list will also help you to stay focused and be more productive.  

You can also make your to-do list a little bit more interesting. Allow me to tell you how…

After studying any topic from your to-do list, make a cross (✖️) on its name which will motivate you to continue your study and complete the rest of the topics or subjects.

This was my key point when I had a bunch of tasks and I have to study effectively for long hours. Even, this thing never made me bored.

3: Cut off distraction

study for long hours

Distraction is one of the big reasons why you can’t study for long hours productively. Whether it is getting disturbed by your surroundings or else by your phone.

Research has shown that most students can’t focus on their studies just because of the distraction of phones. If you too feel your phone is hampered in your studies then avoid your phone while studying.

And, the good way to avoid this is to keep your phone aside from your study area or switch it off unless you finish your study and you can use it during your study breaks.

If you find any other things that distract you while studying then throw them away from your study area.

(If you get distracted by unwanted thoughts while studying then do a small meditation to clear your mind before studying, it would really help you.)

4: Be ready and convince yourself

Long hours of studies might seem like a burden to you but you only know how it’s important for you.

Assume your long hours study like a 9-5 Job and be ready for study. I don’t know you study at this time or not but you get my point.

So, before starting your study according to the to-do list, first, convince yourself and motivate yourself that you can complete this list. Visualize the benefits of long hours of study and think about why you want to study for long hours.

Until you’ll have a specific reason and purpose then it can be difficult for you to maintain consistency in your studies. If you can visualize the purpose and benefits then you must get motivated to study and once you get motivated to study then you must be able to study effectively for long hours.

5: Prioritize your subjects

When you decide to study for long hours then your energy level is on peak and you might be too motivated to study for 10 hours or a whole night today and as your time flies you start losing your focus and interest while studying.

So in this case, prioritizing your tasks or subjects can help you to achieve your long hour’s study goal. Let me tell you how you can do it…

According to the to-do list, start your study with the subjects or topics that you find tough or boring, and once you finish them then at the end when you don’t feel like studying more then move on to the subjects that you find easy and enjoy studying.

I know kicking off the difficult subjects first won’t be easy for you but it’s gonna be worth it for you. In the starting, when your energy and motivation are high then it will be very easy to deal with the difficult subject than later on.

This way you can study for long hours without feeling bored and tired.

6: Use Pomodoro Technique

Pomodoro Technique

Pomodoro Technique is a great time-management technique that is often used by professionals and students. If you have not yet come across the name Pomodoro then let me tell you what it is and how it works.

This technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. In this study technique, students have to study in small chunks while taking short breaks. It uses a timer to break your work or study into intervals traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks (5 minutes).

Each 25-minute session is called one Pomodoro (i.e. an Italian word for tomato). When you complete four Pomodoros while taking short breaks then this technique allows you to take a long break (20 minutes).

Isn’t it great to set a timer and stay focused on your studies for 25 minutes and then take 5 minutes break and again repeat the same cycle until you complete the 4 cycles?

With this technique, you can study for long hours easily. However, if you are not satisfied with 25 minutes of study and 5 minutes of a break then you can use the 120/20 study technique (i.e. study for 120 minutes with 20-minute breaks).

But don’t study continuously for longer than this duration, otherwise, it can’t affect your health.

7: Avoid Multitasking

Watching television or munching on snacks while studying might sound good to you but it’s one of the unproductive study tips and this is what we call Multitasking.

When I was in 12th, I would live with a roommate who was my batchmate and neighbor also. I noticed him many times, he always used to keep a mirror and comb on his study table, and wherever he had to study, he used to look a look at the mirror and make his hair while studying.

Because of multitasking, he had been distracted and couldn’t be able to study effectively for long hours. And, this is the reason why he got bad grades even after studying longer than me.

In your case may be, it could be your phone, television, or anything that you like to do while studying. It’s harsh true it won’t make you productive when you study for long hours.

Multitasking does not allow you to make focus on one thing and when you perform other activities while studying it can be harder to focus on your study properly.

8: Try Group study

Group study is one of the best study tips if you want to study for long hours. What do you think about it?

Group study not only helps you to study longer even it will so much fun to study in a group. In group study not only do you share your knowledge but you also get an opportunity to grab others’ knowledge too that you might not know.

So if you have some good friends or if you can find any study buddy who supports your idea and would be interested in studying with you then must arrange a group or combined studies with them.

Whether it is understanding a subject together or taking practice tests together for exams, group study is always gonna be beneficial for you. Also, make sure when you study in a group you should be active and the other members should be also willing to share their thoughts.

9: Stay hydrated and eat to maintain your energy level

low GI foodS

Drinking water in the right way is a secret to a healthy lifestyle. Some research has also shown that drinking plenty of water helps one’s brain work faster. The study found that when adults drink water, they tend to perform better on mental tests.

Staying hydrated, not only boosts your energy level but also gives you a better focus and concentration while studying. With water, you should also include low GI (Glycemic Index) foods in your meals that maintain your energy level for a longer period of time.

It is also found that High- GI foods (like junk foods, potatoes, chocolates, etc.) provide a quick burst of energy whereas low-GI foods provide sustainable energy.

So, here are some Low GI foods:

  • Fruits
  • Oats
  • Salads
  • Peanuts
  • Hummus
  • Cannellini beans
  • Walnuts

10: Complete your sleep at night and if possible study in the daylight

So, when you’re planning to study for long hours- in the daytime or at night?

Well, if you’re thinking of pulling an all-nighter or studying the whole night then I don’t think it will work for you unless you’re a night owl.

And, if you’re a night owl still I would suggest you complete your sleep at night and study for hours in the daylight.

It is found that students who study during the day benefit from a refreshed and energized mind after a good night’s sleep. This energy makes it easier to focus on what is being learned and absorb the information more effectively.

Studying for long hours in daylight also keeps you away from sleepy feelings, and tiredness while studying. On the other hand, studying the whole night can affect your health and you’ll feel tired the whole day.

Your queries:

Why can’t I study for long hours?

If you have read the complete article then I think you have the answers already.

However, the big reason why you can’t study for long hours could be you get distracted easily and you prefer multitasking while studying. And, If you feel tired and sleepy while studying then chances are you don’t have much energy to maintain yourself for studying longer.

And, if this is not so you think, then you’re not motivated enough to study for long hours.

Why do I keep failing even when I study for long hours?

Many students have this problem, they sit and study for 8-10 hours even continuously but they keep failing.

Well, this happens because they don’t stay focused while studying for long hours. They just maintain themself for 8 hours of studying but couldn’t concentrate even for 4 hours properly.

Avoid multitasking and always find in 8-10 hours of studies how long you studied effectively actually. How long you study doesn’t matter, how productive you are that’s important.

Is it good to study the whole night?

If you want to study the whole night every day then it can affect your health and you’ll feel tired and sleepy throughout the day. However, studying for 1-2 hours before your bed can be beneficial for you.

Conclusion:

Once again I repeat, studying for long hours means you should be more productive not just sit for 8- 10 hours. Therefore, I have given you the 10 hacks that you must follow if you want to study effectively for long hours without getting bored, sleepy, or even tired.

Now it’s your turn to tell me in the comment how do you find this article and are you going to follow these hacks from now on?

And, if you have any queries left then let me know in the comment.

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