How To Study And Learn Anything Rapidly - written by Alan B. Densky, CH

If you are someone who is trying to improve your grades, there are a number of shortcuts that can help you to boost your capacity to sharpen your concentration, memorize the data that you study, and recollect it during an examination without suffering from mental blocks or test anxiety. These are the basics of how to establish good learning habits:

(1) Set aside an environment for study and only study in that place! Establish a quiet place that will facilitate concentration without any distractions. Some usual examples would be a library, a vacant classroom, or your bedroom. You will want to create the habit of studying when you are in this special place. So it is best to not use your special place for other activities like daydreaming, socializing, or eating, etc.

Be Sure Your Special Place Has:

(a) A comfortable chair, but not excessively comfortable

(b) A desk

(c) First class lighting

(d) Air flow

Be Sure Your Special Place Does Not Have:

(a) Views that will distract you

(b) A phone

(c) Music that will be distracting to you

(d) A big screen TV set

(e) A companion who talks too much

(f) A refrigerator filled with distractions

(2) Break up your work into small, short-range components.

(a) Set up small precise goals like, "I am going to study my Trig from 1 PM to 2 PM. Otherwise you will only set yourself up to fall short.

(b) Set a accessible work goal for the period of time you have set aside. For example: finish reading chapter eight in my English text, or complete a final version of my chemistry paper, etc. Set your goal at the time that you are ready to sit down and study, just before you begin. Set reachable goals. You might possibly do more than reach your goal, but set a realistic goal even if it seems far too easy.

(3) Test Phobias

(a) Some people mostly experience physical symptoms, like nausea, feeling hot or cold, headaches, or faintness, etc.

(b) Other people experience mostly emotional symptoms, like feeling frustrated, irritable, or crying easily.

(c) The main dilemma with anxiety is that it can cause you to have a memory block. Or it could trigger thoughts that are racing out of control.

(d) Although you may experience some level of anxiety while taking a test, you can learn to greatly diminish that anxiety, or even completely eliminate it!

(e) Feelings of anxiety and the resultant stress are generally the main causes of a lack of the ability to focus your concentration. Stress can also be the cause of a mental block when you try to remember information.

(f) Hypnosis CD's can be utilized to relax your mind and focus your concentration. As your mind calms down, your ability to stay focused will increase. Similarly, a calm mind enhances your ability to retain information, and recall it when it is needed.

(g) Hypnotherapy CD's can also be used to program your mind for the positive expectation of serenity and the ability to remember information during an examination. Relaxation is valuable for reducing or eliminating test anxiety.

(h) There are a number of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) methods that can quickly get rid of a test phobia!