Shana Lebowitz highlights a few key ways you can increase your attention span, which will help with retaining the information you learn in class and studying for those midterms that will be here soon enough! According to her research, “the average human attention span was 12 seconds in the year 2000 — but it decreased to eight seconds by 2013. That’s one second shorter than a goldfish’s” (Lebowitz). That’s pretty nuts.

We list out our favorite five tips below, but click here to view the full article and read about those other six tips!

Increase your attention span by…

1. Listening carefully to music – Don’t just listen to music in the background while you’re doing other things. Commit to listening to a few songs and really concentrating on just that task.
2. Using the buddy system – Try studying with a friend! Seeing another person being productive will help influence you to stay productive too. Just make sure you save your thoughts about the latest GoT episode to share after your study session; otherwise, your study to-do list will grow longer than Khaleesi’s title.
3. Working out – Grab those study buddies and turn them into your workout buddies too!
4. Standing up – Taking a break from sitting can help you concentrate harder.
5. Meditating – Lower your stress levels and boost your cognitive abilities by focusing on your breathing and reining your wandering thoughts in ever so gently.

Lebowitz, Shana. “11 easy ways to boost your concentration.” Business Insider. Business Insider, 29 Sept. 2015. Web. 5 Oct. 2015.