Ask Alice

There has been a lot of tension at home and I have finals coming up, so I’m finding it really hard to concentrate and study at home. What should I do so that I do not end up failing my finals?

I totally understand what you are going through. I think that everyone’s family can be distracting at times, but if it is really bad, then there are a couple of techniques that I can recommend. The first is to make sure that you have a good pair of headphones, maybe the noise cancelling kind, if it can help you. With the headphones, you can either listen to a podcast, music or even ambiant music like the sound of waves.

If you are one of those people who find it hard to concentrate with sound, there are many locations like the library or Tims and Starbucks (during quiet hours) where you can sit in silence and no one will bother you. If you do want to study or do homework at a restaurant you may need to purchase something in order to work there.

Finally, if you really do not want to spend any money, you can always just have an open and honest conversation with your family/parents, and tell them how it has been hard to study and focus because of the tension in the house. In order to be able to study, you’re trying to find peace and quiet. You’re home is supposed to be a good place to study; so make sure it is. If you share a room, ask your sibling to hang out somewhere else for a while or ask them to be quiet. A lot of issues at home can be resolved by communicating and not letting your frustration build up to the point where being at home is something you dread.

Alice
XOXO