Walls are thin. Roommates are loud. Class material is complex. A situation like this calls for concentration and peace in order for you to be a productive student. Here are three quick tips on how to minimize the noise and increase productivity:

1) Find 3 places to study on campus. Each location serves a different purpose. Perhaps the desk in your room is ideal when your roommate is out. A tree with great shade on the edge of campus might be ideal for reading on a sunny day. The library is great for bad weather and good lighting. Whatever your 3 spots are, make sure they don't encourage napping.

2) Turn of the electronics. Text alerts and status updates interrupt focus and can easily send you off in an entirely different direction than your studies. When doing readings, turn off the phone and the computer.  It'll be challenging to deal with the silence at first, but you'll accomplish much more and feel recharged.

3) Find the time. Your memory loves exercise in the day and early evening. Late night and early morning study sessions aren't as memorable, and you're more likely to lose focus due to the sleepy factor.

More Help? Here's a link to a helpful page from Dartmouth that includes numerous articles about concentration, motivation, and memory: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/study.html

-Rachel McGinnis Meissner, Academic Coach for Student Athletes