This has been my #1 struggle through the whole thing. For me, different things have worked at different times. Here's a list of things that helped me remain focused at one point or another during this exam process:
1. Go to a very quiet, dark place. Put a bright lamp over the area you are studying (this was easy for me in the winter when the sun sets at 5pm and rises at 8am).
2. Mini-sessions. I do this other thing where I set a timer for 30 minutes. Before I start studying I tell myself I'll give 100% focus for 30 minutes. Then I'll take a break, and repeat.
3. I bought noise cancelling headphones. I blast instrumental music (O'Neal Brothers, Brooklyn Duo, Simply Three, 2Chellos, Dallas String Quartet are some of my favorites) from iHeart and for whatever reason, I can stay focused for longer periods of time. I think it's because all other noise is drowned out.
4. What's worked best for me so far, is kinda like the mini sessions. I have a calendar setup for how many hours a week I plan to study. For some reason, when I say “I'll do 50 mcqs” today, or I'll complete unit 4 today, it never gets done. Instead, if I say “I must study for two hours today” and that's all, I'm able to follow through. I have a tendency to meet the hour requirement, vs the task requirement. If it's going good and I want to study longer which does happen often, I just log how many extra minutes/hours I studied.
Let me know if you come up with any ideas to stay focused. I'd be happy to hear them too.
I'm going to be the person who says "I finished even though..." not the person who says "I didn't finish because..."
B - 77, 76
A - 57, 64, 72, 76!
R - 78, 72, 78!!! DONE
F - 54, 73, 71, 64, 69, 76!