Learning Tips and Study Habits

breath really deeply before you do it (in through nose, out through mouth) and keep calm... seriously nothing will go wrong and if it does its in front of your friends/people you know so it doest matter.

Other ways to stop being nervous include:

• practicing your speech in front of a mirror before you have to give it
• imagining everybody in the audience is naked so you'll feel like laughing instead of worrying
• making yourself slow down and speak clearly - concentrating on what you're saying instead of worrying

Distraction means losing your concentration. This is a bad thing, especially if you are trying to do something important like study or drive a car or finish a job.

The way to deal with distraction is to try to avoid as much as possible. Here are some things you can do to cut down on a lot of distraction:

• Turn off the cellphone (or put it on vibrate if you must be reachable)
• Turn off the internet unless you are actually using it to do your job
• Turn off the chat rooms, IMs, texting, and other forms of chit-chat
• Turn the music down low enough so that you are not paying more attention to it than you are to your work
• Let others around you know that you need to concentrate, and ask them not to distract you by trying to talk to you (or only to interrupt if it is essential)
• Get rid of clutter - having a room full of things to attract your eye is distracting
• Find a spot where you can face your work and be comfortable, where the lighting is good, and where the temperature is comfortable
  

1. Set goals that are intelligent
2. Make a list of your goals and post it where you can see it every day
3. Practice your goals daily
4. After 30 days of doing something, it becomes a habit so keep on doing the goal you had your mind set on
5. Keep the list taped up so it is a daily reminder to keep working hard

• Make a calendar of your goals so you have a deadline to shoot for
• Reward yourself for reaching your goal - put money into a jar every time you take a step toward your goal and when you reach it, use the money to buy something fun - or you can give yourself a gold star or check mark or something else and trade every 10 stars for a "prize" agreed upon by you and your parents or friends or whatever
• Focus - keep your eyes on the prize - look at your goals daily and motivate yourself to keep plugging away until you get there

Here are some ways you can appear to be a smart person:

• Think before you speak. There is an old adage that says "Better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove you are one."
• Have a good vocabulary. Try to learn one new word each day and use it in conversations. People will think you're smart if you know a lot of words.
• Keep up with culture. Be able to talk about current events and whatever is the latest craze, and people will think you're smart.
• Read. People will think you're smart if you're always reading, and if you can discuss what you read, especially if you read the latest best-sellers.
• Ask questions! People love to talk about themselves -- they might not think you're smarter, but if you let them tell you all about themselves, they will love talking to you!

While some people prefer to have background noise (such as music) going while they study, others prefer complete silence. And it also depends on the type of studying you're doing. For instance, someone studying simple math problems might be less distracted by music than someone studying advanced economics.

The key question to ask yourself is "Am I spending more time listening to the music than I am spending on my studies?" If the answer is yes, then you need to cut the music down or turn it off altogether.

The latest scientific information shows that some background noise usually does help most people "tune out" noises like traffic, construction, or people talking, and help them concentrate on what they are doing. However, this music should be slow to medium paced (not fast rock or heavy metal) and have no vocals or loud drum beats!

Music can affect you in a variety of ways. Depending on the type of music you listen to you can change your brain waves to make you achieve a higher state of awareness/concentration. Instrumentals are usually the best for studying/homework as (as long as decently light) they take you into the alpha brainwave state. You get your most heightened sense of awareness and concentration in this type of brainwave. Stay away from rough beats and lyrics as they can be distracting to your work.

Some people (I am one of them) cannot concentrate when it is too quiet around them. These people do benefit from having music playing quietly in the background while they work. Notice the emphasis on quiet - playing your favorite music loudly will just distract you from your work, and will have a negative effect on your studies. Sometimes it helps to play classical music or jazz - music without words - because many people key in when they hear words, and subconsciously focus to figure out what is being said.