Distractions
Today college students are being distracted by so many things and have difficulty to focus on their study. They have many meetings with friends and many friends to meet. They receive many emails and have to answer some of them. They are constantly distracting by text messages every few minutes. Their Facebook accounts are full of messages that they need to share with friends. They “Tweet” often in the Twitter account. Their mobile phones are ringing most of the time and they spend a lot of talking on phone. They do not have time to study so they cram as much as they can into their day without knowing that it often leads to poor performance. Most students start many things but only complete a few. The excuse is always: “I do not have enough time.”
Few months ago, there was a university study about these “digital distractions”. The author concluded: “The in-coming text messages “beep” can create a false sense of urgency that affect student's ability to focus. There is a disruption in student's brain wave activity when they anticipate the arrival of any messages whether it is email, Facebook or twitter. The expectation takes some focuses away from working memory which control study activities. That is why some students continue to text; listen to iPods, tweet, even in dangerous situation such as crossing a street. The attention to these distractions often lead to poor decision making, very bad habits of ignore current situation to anticipate something else.”
Without strong disciplines to control these distractions, students will not have time for any serious study. For example, a student ready to go to class when a text message ask him to join his friends for a cup of coffee. He goes to a coffee shop to meet friends and skip the class. A student studies in the library, the phone rings from a girl friend then he spends an hour on the phone and forgets what he is in library for. A student focus on writing code when a Facebook friend send him news about a movie star, they discuss their idol, then many join in and he lost few hours of study. As a result, most never finish anything that they intended to.
Managing time requires students to put their time and efforts into things that matter most. Therefore, if they are going to accomplish what is most important in their lives, they must learn to manage their time else they have no time for anything. Everything students do can be categorized two ways. It is either important or not important; it is either urgent or not urgent. Disciplined students strive to maximize the amount of time they spend on important and urgent activities. Undisciplined students are often distracted by not important things then spend all night cramming for an exam or staying up late working on homework due the next day. Disciplined students schedule their works and stick to those schedules. They do not deprive themselves of relaxation and enjoyment such as spending time with friends, checking their email, and simply go out for coffee but they have learned how to say “No” to any activity that would divert them away from urgent and important activities. It takes self discipline to do that but that is why they are more successful.
Today, many students fail to complete their classes and achieve their education goals. There are many reasons but most can be attributed to not managing time effectively. Successful students understand this so they plan their time carefully to avoid last minute rushes and assure the most important things in their lives get done.
Every year, university are full of students begin school with a lot of hope for their education. They are going to college to prepare for a career such as software engineer, accountant, or nurse etc... Many do not know how to manage their time, and often let distractions impact their time. Eventually they will realize that the time and effort they put into college was not directed at what is important to them but by that time it is too late. The successful students always put a priority in their learning. They invest their time and effort into planning a future. They have goals in mind that they are motivated to achieve.
When you decide that something is important, you need to eliminate or reducing any interruption to what you do so you can complete it. Look at your week and identify times when you could benefit from fewer interruptions. You might decide that every evening, from 8:00 to 11:00 is your time for study without interruptions. Once you have selected your important study time, think carefully how interruptions can be reduced. Here are a few suggestions: Make yourself unavailable during your special time to focus on study. Turn-off your phone and do not look at email or text messages. Go to a library or somewhere where your friend cannot find you. Let them know your study time and ask them to avoid disturbing you during that period. Ask them about their preferred study time and provide the same offer.
Some student said: “I must be available to my friend, that is what friendship is; or my friends expect it.” But if you allow yourself to be interrupted continually, then you would never accomplish anything. Instead, think more objectively. You have seven day a week, set aside one day for your friends and for you to relax and enjoy with them. In that case, you do not feel bad but the rest of the week is your time. I am sure no one would be angry because you are not available. My guess is that your friends may not notice because they are being interrupted by somebody else.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
