Staying focused on your studies is never easy. The struggle only gets harder if you have a day job, have a family to look after, or have other demands on your time. Whether you’re learning medical coding or medical billing in a classroom or online, here are three simple tips that can help you stay focused on your studies.
1. Eliminate distractions
If you are attending medical billing school online, the hardest part may be finding a time that you can focus on lectures. When you sit down to your coursework, help yourself focus by going into a room where you can be by yourself. If you have kids, arrange for someone else to watch them, or try to do your work while they are at school, if you can. Once by yourself, silence your phone and put it away. The last thing you need is text messages and Facebook notifications distracting you from your work.
If you’re doing your coursework in a class setting, it’s still important to minimize distractions when you study at home, and when you’re listening to lectures in class. You should put that phone away, too, and block distracting websites while you’re in class so you’re not tempted to let your attention wander.
2. Take notes
One simple way to stay focused while studying is to take notes. If you’re listening to a lecture, write down key points. If you’re reading a text book, make notes in the margins or highlight key passages. This simple task will help you retain the information much better than simply listening or reading.
3. Schedule time for studying
If you’re attending medical coding school in person, it’s easy to let yourself believe that you will study when you have a free moment. But free moments don’t just magically appear. You need to set aside time for yourself to study, the same way you set aside time for class.
If you’re taking the course online, setting aside time is even more important. Plan a schedule for when you will listen to lectures and do coursework. Try to stick to the schedule as best you can. Treat your schedule like a solid commitment, not something you can move around whenever you feel like it. This attitude will help you stay on track.