Nature concertration5 pdf

54 10 SECRETS TO ACING ANY HIGH SCHOOL TEST

• temperature of the area (too hot, too cold)

• smells in the area (burned toast, strawberry incense)

• ventilation (stuffy, good air flow, drafty)

• visual movement around you (your siblings wrestling, people walk￾ing by)

• furniture (comfort and ergonomics of your chair, desk, study

nook)

• emotional connections (relaxed feeling, tension)

Your learning style or styles (see Secret #5) may even contribute to

your study ambience. For example, some of us who are rhythmic or

musical learners can actually review and retain better with music or

TV in the background (sorry, Mom). Marie-Teresa, who is a bodily￾kinesthetic learner, finds that she remembers the conjugations of

Spanish verbs if she paces the room while repeating them! Most of

us, however, prefer not to have a lot of visual distractions while

studying.

Now, consider all of these elements with your personality and expe￾rience. What is your ideal environment for studying?

STUDY AEROBICS

A Concentration Exercise: Use a Study Totem

Strengthen your ability to concentrate by selecting a physical sym￾bol that will become associated in your mind with studying. This

will be your study totem. Select one particular article of clothing,

such as a scarf or hat, or a little figurine or knickknack. Just before

you start to study, put on your red ski cap or set your little study

totem on the desk. The ceremony will aid concentration in two

ways. First of all, it will be a signal to other people that you are

working and that they should not disturb you. Second, going

through a short, regular ritual will help you get down to work. Be

sure that you don’t use your study totem when you are writing let￾ters, daydreaming, or just horsing around. Keep it just for studying.

If your charm becomes associated with anything besides books, get

a new one. You must be very careful that it doesn’t become a sym￾bol for daydreaming.