How do I focus?

I find it hard to study most of the times. This is not to say that I am not aware of the importance of studying for my exams or any other reason. I just cannot focus. There are two aspects of finding it hard to focus on your studies. When I ask the class geniuses that it’s hard to study, they simply reply that I don’t like studying that is why I don’t study. But when I ask the average guys at class about the same problem, they reply that it really is a hard task to study and it needs a lot of energy to focus. I have been discussing with some of my teachers and friends about the studying strategies that I should adopt to be good at it and I have come up with two ideas that I would like to compare in this essay and try and argument to find a solution to the problem in hand, which is finding the energy to study. The first strategy is to study in small chunks and have breaks. The second strategy is to study continuously for longer periods.

My prior discussion provides an overview about my study habits. And the mind that is made about my dull studying habits is very true. I would here like to discuss what I think of the two strategies. Let suppose I am applying the chunk strategy. I set my alarm for 30 minutes and wait for the alarm to let me know that the time has passed. I keep waiting for the clock to tick and not study at all. I keep looking at the clock while I should be focusing on the study. I turn around the pages and look for something that interests me. What is there at the back of my mind? I guess it’s the clock not the book. Now 30 minutes have passed and I stand up as if I have finished my whole course within that 30 minutes. I talk to my self and say that I need a real break as I have broken the previous records of my studying for the exams. I go to watch a football match. As if I had a 5 hour break. I had decided that I will take 15 minutes break but as the football match is too interesting, I will just skip the next 30 minutes studying and watch the match. This is the exact chain of events that are supposed to happen with me. The break chunks take over the study chunks and after some time there are only breaks and no studying.

Now let’s discuss the other scenario where I am studying for extended periods of time. I start to look at the book and I know that there is no break for the coming few hours. There is no TV break and no football. What happens is I look at the book in search of the material that I suspect will be a part of the exam paper and suddenly I start yawning. I have in my mind that I could not sleep well in the night and it’s better to have a nap before I can study for a few hours. I decide against it and try to focus on my studying. Now during the studying I will not be aware of when did I crashed my forehead over my. It has been three hours and my mom comes a wakes me up. The time I had designated to study has been taken over by sleep. But I have an excuse at the back of my mind, and that is I didn’t have a nice sleep at night.

So I would like to know what is wrong with the two study strategies. Honestly speaking, there is now problem with the two strategies. The problem is with me. It’s me who is not ready to change the usual habits of procrastination and carelessness. If I get myself together and decide from my heart that I will focus on my studies, there is no one who can stop me from doing so.