Why do people procrastinate and what gets people to focus? I asked myself this question in the midst of my studying for finals. Here I was at the library reviewing for exams, and I couldn’t help but notice how many students were browsing Facebook or watching random videos on YouTube.
To combat the issue of unproductivity I’ve discovered some tools that have helped me boost my concentration, when it comes to times such as finals week.
1. SelfControl
SelfControl is an app that helps users avoid distracting websites. So let’s say it’s finals week and you absolutely need to concentrate, but you can’t resist the urge to go on Facebook, or update your Twitter—that’s where SelfControl comes in. The app has the ability to lock websites that you deem distracting for a certain period (e.g., you can disable Facebook, Twitter and YouTube on your laptop for 5 hours, and if you try to access the websites you blocked you will be led to a blank page).
2. Coffitivity
Coffitivity is an app that recreates the sounds of a coffee shop in the comfort of your bedroom, or wherever you choose to be. I particularly enjoy using Coffitivity because of its ability to increase my overall productivity. Whenever I find myself using the app, I find myself concentrating better and working more efficiently. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the environment of a coffee shop that makes me actually do work. The ability to choose different sounds from its very own cafe library is a plus, and they also have apps for both Android and iOS!
3. Spotify
Spotify is my go-to app when I need to focus on a particular deliverable on hand and listen to music (e.g., writing a paper, looking over a business case study). Many music streaming services have customizable radio options, where you can choose a particular song of your liking and similar songs will play thereafter. Spotify has a “Focus” genre, which includes playlists such as “Intense Studying” and “Superior Study Playlist”
I hope these tools have proved to be useful in studying for finals, or writing that final term paper! If you know of any other similar apps or tools, feel free to share them below.
