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If you are a student who is attempting to improve your grades, there are a number of methods that can help you to increase your ability to sharpen your concentration, memorize the materials that you study, and recall it during an exam without suffering from mental blocks or a test phobia. These are the basics of how to establish good learning habits:

(1) Set up a place for reading and study only in that place! Establish a quiet location that will make possible concentration without distractions. Some potential examples would be a library, a vacant classroom, or your home office. You want to create the routine of studying when you are in this place. So it's best to not use your special place for other activities like daydreaming, socializing, or playing games, etc.

BE SURE YOUR SPECIAL PLACE HAS:

(a) A comfortable chair, but not too comfortable

(b) A desk

(c) Excellent light

(d) Good ventilation

BE SURE YOUR SPECIAL PLACE DOESN'T HAVE:

(a) Views of other activities that you will be distracted by

(b) A telephone

(c) Distracting music

(d) A large screen television set

(e) A companion who talks too much

(f) A refrigerator filled with distractions

(2) Break up your work into small, short-range components.

(a) Set up small highly specific goals like, "I'm going to study my chemistry from 2 PM to 3 PM. Or else you will be setting yourself up to fail.

(b) Set a reachable learning goal for the period of time you've allocated. For example: finish reading chapter fifteen in my biology text, or complete a draft of my chemistry paper, etc. Set your goals at the time that you are ready to sit down and study, just before you begin. Set reachable goals. You might do more than reach your goal, but set a reachable goal even if it seems far too easy.

(3) Test Anxiety

(a) Some students mostly experience physical symptoms, like faintness, nausea, or feeling hot or cold, etc.

(b) Other students experience mostly emotional symptoms, like feeling irritable, crying, or getting frustrated quickly.

(c) The main dilemma with anxiety is that it can cause you to have a memory block. Or it could trigger thoughts that are racing out of control.

(d) Although you may currently experience some level of anxiety when taking tests, you can learn to greatly diminish that anxiety, or even completely eliminate it!

(e) Anxiety and the resultant stress are more often than not the main causes of a lack of the ability to focus your concentration. Stress can also cause a mental block when you try to recall information.

(f) Hypnosis CD's can be utilized to relax your mind and focus your concentration. As your mind calms down, your ability to stay focused will increase. Similarly, a calm mind enhances your ability to retain information, and recall it when it is needed.

(g) Neuro-Linguistic Programming CD's can be used to program your mind for the positive expectation of relaxation and the ability to recollect information during an exam. Relaxation is effective at reducing or eliminating test anxiety. There are a number of hypnotherapy methods that can promptly get rid of a test phobia!