Turn Up The Volume: Advice for Boosting Motivation and Concentration

If the penthouse at the Ritz is unavailable for your study session, consider the noise and novelty of different study locations to stimulate motivation and concentration.

In past blogs we discussed how to set up for efficient deep learning with all your provisions, how to engage in active learning and self-quizzing, and how to sing and dance your way through memorization.

But what if you are low on mojo? What if the silence is starting to feel really loud? What if your pillow is trying to entice you?

Today’s blog will address study environments to help you boost your motivation and concentration based on the task at hand and your personality, energy, and mood.

These guidelines are based partly on psychology research findings, but equally on my own experience and what students have shared with me. Experiment to see what works for you and view failures and successes as useful data. Reflect back afterwards and make note of how it worked out (maybe even take actual notes on how it went in your phone’s notes app, on a calendar, or using a glitter gel pen in a little notebook).

Choose Your Own Adventure… Environment

Different study environments work best at different times for different people. Do a quick self-assessment when choosing where to work or study and consider the noise and novelty.

Undisturbed quiet is generally best for:

New learning: If you are seeing material for the first time, quiet will allow you to process it and evaluate it.

Complex learning: When trying to understand a complex process, theory, or problem set, you may need uninterrupted quiet to work it through.

High motivation: If you are ready to GO, quiet will let you hit it hard.

Introverts who find too much external stimuli overwhelming or downright painful.

Mild to moderate background buzz (like a quiet coffee shop, near the library front desk, or with some background music) is generally best for:

Reviewing fairly simple material: If you already have a good understanding of the material and just want to retread this information path.

Short study sessions: You have 30-45 minutes before your next class and want to grab a coffee and review the notes from the last class.

Before/after a deep study session: You are building up to or winding down from a heavy-duty deep learning session, and you want to do some lighter review.

Getting organized: You are going through your notes to find any gaps, mark anything to come back and review more later, etc.

Low motivation: Sometimes wanting to look productive or copy other productive people is enough to get you moving in a public setting (but don’t expect miracles if you haven’t slept in two days or are trying to study something you hate… then I suggest you get some sleep and find the useful or interesting parts of what you need to learn).

Low concentration: A few little distractions to block out can help you lock in and get more focused.

Lively environments (like a nightclub or construction area; ok, maybe more like a noisy diner or café or student union) are generally best for:

Middling motivation: You are sort of ready to study, but could use the extra juice from excitement around you (often not so great for low motivation, because you may simply find yourself getting distracted and sucked into what is going on around you. I recently found myself eavesdropping on a conversation that may have been the lead-up to a break-up. It was hard to get back to my own work when I really wanted to know what was going to happen next!).

Middling concentration: You can focus on and off, but a lively environment may push you to actively work to block everything else out and focus more deeply.

Folks with ADHD have told me that loud and busy environments can push them to hyperfocus (kind of an ADHD superpower, which works best when the content is interesting, or it is a high-stakes or challenging endeavor).

Novel environments (road trip to a new town, garden, park, or museum) can help you:

Find the fun: If this is starting to feel like a terrible grind, take advantage of the freedom and flexibility of college life and go somewhere that feels like a mini-vacation.

“Hard reset” to a completely different mindset. Get away from end-of-semester stress. Being near people who aren’t in college can remind you that this is temporary, for a good cause, is actually a privilege, and can be enjoyable with a little creativity.

Have built-in breaks as you alternate between studying, snacking, and exploring this new place. Cal Newport champions “adventure studying,” and his suggestions include climbing a mountain, hiking a trail, or camping out in a museum.

Avoid typical procrastination traps that are easy to fall into at home, like video games and Netflix, or faux productivity, like cleaning and laundry.

Get inspired. If you are in a rut or struggling for a new perspective, going to a new place can offer the jolt you need to tap into your ingenuity and imagination.

If you don’t have a car or a big chunk of time to hunt up an unusual or exciting study environment, think about ways to switch up your usual work locations. A student recently told me she sat under her desk to study, and it took her back to days of sitting in a blanket fort to read. Little changes can make things feel new and different.