Looking for Exam and Concentration Tips

[Mellow7]

Greetings to all,

I have a specific request for people who work large portions of their day in relatively quiet environments that require them to concentrate intensely.

The thing is, I've got exams coming up in a few weeks and I have, sadly enough, been trying to cope with my tinnitus by running away from it. I've largely been doing this by actively engaging in my part-time job and watching a lot of anime and playing games (without headphones and at low volumes mind you!).

The onset of my T was during the last two weeks of my last examination period and it was probably one of the most stressful periods of my life, but I had weeks of T-free preparation and consistent work throughout the semester to draw upon. This time, however, I've got to start from scratch and haven't been doing too much work throughout the last three months, hoping that leaving stress behind me would make it settle down sufficiently. It hasn't. Sitting in silence behind my books makes me focus instantly on my T, because of negative association with the origination of the T.

I've been spending some time trying to find out which masking sounds work the best for me, but none of them do any real masking. The ones that do help, are heavy rain and cicada sounds, but this experience is tarnished by 'hearing distortion' (hearing whistles or echoes within certain external sounds), which is increasingly freaking me out as well.

Luckily, my sleep hasn't been disturbed too much lately, so I count my blessings.

Still, I'm quite anxious to see how exam stress will treat me and this whole T/H situation, since coping is sometimes hard enough as it is. At the same time, I know that many of you still power through daily duties such as work, even though they require a great deal of concentration and commitment, which is a state of mind I'd like to assimilate into.

Essentially, I'm looking for all and any advice you are willing to share on improvement of concentration and coping when doing silent activities, that works for you. Positive experiences any of you might have, I'd like to hear of as well, to get motivated again and go get that degree.

Cheers!

 

[glynis]

Make edit notes to down size info you need.
Make sure you sleep well and eat well.
Take breaks every 30 mins for ten mins and build on that.
Good luck...
Love glynis

 

[Mellow7]

Thank you @glynis.

I realize that asking these types of questions are a bit of a shot in the dark, since everyone is different and everyone has their own methods to cope. There probably is no wonder method to find your old studious self again, the same way as there currently isn't a wonder cure for T, but I'd like to hear from y'all. How did you achieve conciliation between T and a semblance of motivation/concentration when it comes to your work or studies?

 

[Ed209]

Hi @Mellow7, I agree with Glynis, sleep and diet are very important. I'd add one very important thing: exercise. Get some fresh air and try going for a daily jog as this will boost your natural serotonin levels, which will not only help you sleep better, but may also help you study better as well. A healthy mind is much better at absorbing and ordering information, so try not to overdo the studying part. Take regular breaks. There are studies which show that new skills, and information that we are learning, are organised in the brain as we sleep. I often tell this to my students because sleep hygiene is often neglected. If we keep learning sessions short, but effective, it's more likely to go in; especially if you have a good nights sleep. You could also look into memory palace techniques as it is a great way of learning and remembering lots of facts.

So remember, Keep stress at bay! If you feel it bubbling up change what you're doing. Go for a run instead and crush it before it overwhelms you. I wish you well!

 

[Ed209]

https://artofmemory.com/wiki/How_to_Build_a_Memory_Palace

I haven't been through this link in particular, but a quick skim and it seems to cover the basics well.

 

[Mellow7]

https://artofmemory.com/wiki/How_to_Build_a_Memory_Palace

I haven't been through this link in particular, but a quick skim and it seems to cover the basics well.

A very interesting technique! I will certainly try applying it. I'm in my last year of law school and only now am I learning of the wide variety of alternative study methods. In the past, I always just crammed everything in, often for hours on end, and forced a few days of revision into my schedule for optimal recollection of information, but there surely are more efficient manners to study.

 

[Ed209]

A very interesting technique! I will certainly try applying it. I'm in my last year of law school and only now am I learning of the wide variety of alternative study methods. In the past, I always just crammed everything in, often for hours on end, and forced a few days of revision into my schedule for optimal recollection of information, but there surely are more efficient manners to study.

The best way to learn it is probably with a book, but the technique is devastatingly good if mastered. A student, and good friend of mine, attributed some of his exam success to this method and swears by it. He now runs his own dental practice.

 

[cspc]

1. Sleep well
2. Don't forget to drink water.
   
3. Take breaks ( 20 minutes study - 5 minutes break ).
4. Exercise.

By the way Good Luck!!

 

[alex01]

I would say :
1)Take melatonine supplements to sleep well.
2) listen to relaxing music when you feel you are stressed out .
3) Listen to relaxing music when your study .
4) Take breaks as often as you feel you need it .

 

[dingaling]

Try "spaceship noise" on youtube - there are different variations. Good for when long periods of concentration are required

 

[Kriszti]

@Mellow7
If you are still around, may I ask, how your semester went?

I'm in your position, ahead of a very frightening and big exam in like 15 days. My last 2 months were preoccupied by coping with the onset of tinnitus. I'm still not doing well, although I would rate my T as moderate, not severe. I have had concentration issues as long as I can remember. And I needed silence, music to study in order to keep the world outside of my thoughts. Now I obviously lost silence, because plugging my ears brings torture, but the outside noises annoy me just as much. I should learn like 600 pages by heart in the coming two weeks, and I'm basically just crying and stressing about tinnitus and not being able to freaking sleep. I'm at the edge of flunking out of law school.

Can somebody offer me any advice what to do?