Tips & Tricks blog
HOW DO YOU REVISE WITHOUT GETTING DISTRACTED?

Are you struggling to focus while you revise for your GCSE or A-Levels?
Same here.
In fact, I got so distracted during my GCSE revision, that – on many occasions – I almost gave up. Even though I didn’t want to.
Life, it seems, is full of distractions: from electronic devices to social media, from X-Box to a game of footy in the park.
Yes – I’ve had every distraction in the book.
So, how do avoid distractions while revising?
Now I’m coming up to my A-Levels, I’ve decided I’m taking a few tips from the Second World War.
Rationing, it seems, looks like it’s the way ahead.
Avoid The Distractions from our Digital Devices
We love our phones, our tablets, our laptops, and our Smart TVs. And I reckon that I’m probably one of the worst. Each time a notification pings through, the temptation to look at the screen is just too much to resist.
This is my scenario:
I’ve got my revision schedule, I’ve prioritised my subjects and topics, I’ve got all the right books sitting around me, and I sit down to study.
Ping.
“Jamie Smith and Olivia Krupa have their birthdays today. Wish them well.”
Well, I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t wish them a happy birthday. It’ll only take a second.
So, I message them. My A-Levels can wait for a couple of minutes.
Resist The Temptation To Immediately Respond
Although it feels impossible, wait until your break before you respond to any social media notification. . .
After wishing Jamie and Olivia good cheer for their birthday, I notice that it was Jake’s birthday two days ago.
Did I miss that?
I click on his profile to see if I sent him a message.
He’s posted a hilarious video of people falling over in supermarket car parks. I know I shouldn’t find it funny; but I’ll just have a quick look.
Refuse To Click on “Up Next”
At the end of a video, regardless of the platform you watch on, the screen is filled with enticing videos to watch next.
Don’t do it.
I watch the video of people falling over. It WAS funny. And a video of cute cats pop up.
I love cute cats.
And before you know it, it’s time for lunch.
That probably sounds familiar.
Activate the Do Not Disturb function on ALL of your devices
Our main tip: switch everything to Do Not Disturb mode.
Just think of all the time you waste, staring at your phone. Luckily, I discovered that my phone has a Do Not Disturb mode.
If you’ve got an iPhone, click on Settings, then scroll to Screen Time.
I was shocked to see how much time I spend, staring at the screen. If you’ve got an Android phone, there’s an equivalent Limit Screen Time feature.
I realised that I could configure my Screen Time app to limit the times and the duration spent on certain types of apps.
I KNOW that I’m addicted to Social Media: Facebook, Insta, SnapChat, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok. I’ve got all of them.
So:
I limited my Social Networking to ten minutes a day!
WHAT?!!!
Ration Your Social Media
Think about Easter.
My mum is really strict about how much chocolate I eat. Because, I WILL scoff till I puke.
But during Easter, it’s different, She lets me eat chocolate all day, every day if I want (I do).
And – without fail – I always make myself feel sick by the end of the holiday.
Then I go back to school, and I’m only allowed chocolate twice a week.
And:
When I do eat it, I LOVE it. It feels like a real treat. I suppose it’s because my mum is rationing my chocolate.
So:
When I rationed my Social Media time, I made sure that every minute counted. I didn’t bother with cat videos – at least, not while I was revising. (I’m only human!).
Resist the FOMO
I switched all my devices to Do Not Disturb mode during the hours I’d put aside for revision.
And FOMO was strong at first.
But I found that I could actually knuckle down and get my head right into my books. And I feel like I’m actually really prepared for my mocks this time. No repeat of my GCSE catastrophe.
And now, when I do give myself my ration of Social Media time, I really love every rationed minute of it.
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