It is difficult to pay attention—but the greatest minds attribute their successes to the simple exercise of their attention span. The psychologist William James describes the attention as a peaceful river often interrupted by rocks and other such barriers to its progress.
James wrote on the psychology of the attention more than a century ago; nowadays most people fall under the category of his description of the child’s mind, which flutters around from idea to idea, whatever the child may be touching or seeing or doing at the moment. This child is described as the property of his attention, rather than the other way around. The adult and his multitasking mind is challenged to overcome this distractedness and thus achieve strong character. After all, the practice and the habitual task of putting away distractions is reflective of mature judgment, character, and will.
The modern college student, often halfway between the adolescent mind and the adult mind, may find the virtue of attentiveness a struggle to achieve. Common distractions can involve social media, listening devices, and various thoughts that result from the constant use of technological devices. These distractions and the inability to pay attention in classes and during homework hours can be detrimental to the student eager to progress in his studies. If unable to focus, the student may be faced with the necessity to drop his studies for a lack of sufficient finances or because his grades fail to let him enter higher learning colleges.
A way for such a student to progress in his studies and move on quickly to his career is to take note of those things that easily distract him and make a list. After this list of common and specific distractions is made, the student should tape it to his wall in his study area and read over it daily. Scheduling a specific time for study in thirty minute intervals with five minute stretching breaks and turning off distracting devices during this time is imperative, as well as three meals a day and a healthy period of sleep.
Financial Freedom 4 College 