5 real tips to stay focused at Uni - That actually work

You know you should be studying. You want to get things done. Let’s be honest: staying focused at university can feel impossible sometimes.

You sit down to revise, and suddenly… you're deep-diving into conspiracy videos or reorganising your sock drawer.

5 real tips to Focus when your brain feels like a browser with 47 tabs open

But your brain keeps yelling: “Let’s just check TikTok one more time.”

We get it. Focus is hard. Concentration is harder. And discipline? That feels like a myth.

But here’s the good news: you're not broken — you're just living in 2025.

If your attention span is hanging on by a thread, here are 5 actually helpful tips to get it back:

1. Accept that you’re not a robot

You’re not meant to be switched on 24/7.

So stop beating yourself up when you zone out or procrastinate. It happens.

The trick isn’t to never get distracted.

It’s to notice when you are, and gently pull yourself back.

Start by asking:

• What’s the one thing I need to do right now?

Not ten things. Not the entire semester. Just one.

You can’t out-discipline burnout. But you can start small and start again.

2. Make your phone your enemy (at least for an hour)

Hot take: your phone doesn’t want you to focus.

It wants you to scroll, click, tap, and buy another tote bag you don’t need.

So when you’re studying, put your phone:

• In a drawer
• In another room
• In a sock, in the freezer (desperate times…)

And if you need help, use apps like Forest, Freedom, or Focus Keeper to block distractions.

You can’t study if your thumb keeps unlocking Instagram on reflex.

3. Forget motivation. Build a routine instead.

Motivation is great… until it's raining, you're tired, or your flatmate is making garlic bread and watching Netflix.

Instead of waiting to feel ready, rely on routine.

• Set a specific time each day for studying — same time, same place.

After a while, your brain goes, “Oh, it’s focus o’clock,” and shows up (almost) on autopilot.

You’re not lazy. You just need fewer decisions and more rhythm.

4. Break your work into embarrassingly small chunks

Writing an essay? Don’t think “1,500 words.”

Think: “Open the doc. Write the title. Type one sentence.”

Studying for an exam?

Don’t plan to read 10 chapters. Just read for 10 minutes.

When things feel overwhelming, shrink the task until it feels doable.

Tiny steps are the secret to momentum.

Big goals look sexy on vision boards. But small wins get stuff done.

5. Create a spacewhere your brain can breathe

Let’s talk environment. Because where you study matters just as much as how.

Here’s how to level up your setup:

• Clear your desk (yes, that includes the half-eaten snack stash)
• Use a comfy chair that doesn’t scream “back problems at 25”
• Keep your notes, pens, and water bottle close — don’t give yourself excuses to wander
• Use background music, white noise, or complete silence — whatever helps your brain get into flow

Bonus tip: don’t study in bed. Your brain associates it with sleep (or doom-scrolling).

Train your brain to recognise: this is my get-things-done spot.

Real talk: it’s getting harder to focus, not easier

With notifications buzzing, deadlines stacking, and a world that never shuts up…

Focusing is basically a superpower now.

But you can train your brain. You can get better.

Not by being perfect. But by showing up again. And again. And again.

So next time your brain feels like it’s juggling fire, remember:

• Breathe.
• Do the next small thing.
• Keep going.

Because in the end, the most disciplined student isn’t the one with colour-coded notes and a 5 am wake-up time.

It’s the one who keeps showing up — even when it’s hard.

You've got this.

Want more tips for surviving uni life?

Check out the Hallbookers blog — your go-to spot for study hacks, housing help, and low-key motivation.