Go Deep: Practical Ways to Improve Your Ability to Concentrate
Friday November 6th: 12 – 1 pm PST – ONLINE
Facilitator: Graham Dover, Success Coach
Academic assignments are complex and often involve multiple steps (e.g. reading, research, writing) that require focus and concentration. Many students find that they can struggle to fully engage with their material . They are unable to “deep work” – to fully immerse themselves in the material in order to master it. It’s especially hard to concentrate on subjects that are unfamiliar and not instantly accessible. The result is “shallow” learning. Tragically, some students end up with a minimal understanding of issues that doesn’t instill confidence or future engagement in the topic. Too many students interpret their lack of ability to concentrate as either an inherent weakness in themselves or the material or the teacher. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Graham Dover, a Success Coach in the Learning Commons, will lead a workshop on how to increase your ability to concentrate. He will draw on the work of Cal Newport, author of Deep Work and How To Be A Grade A Student.
This interactive workshop will cover:
- practical ways to increase your powers of concentration
- ways to manage classic distractions (ie social media)
- the importance of “grand gestures” – raising the stakes to get things done.
A must for those who often find themselves struggling to motivate themselves to get things done, or get easily distracted, or want to take their study sessions to the next level. Deep Work was written for people who want to “learn hard things fast and produce at an elite level” (so people like TWU students!) and you will walk away with ideas and tools you can immediately use.
About Graham
Graham is a Success Coach in the Learning Commons who serves Learning Community One. He has a PhD in Business from Simon Fraser University, a Masters from the London School of Economics, and a BSc from Aston University so he knows something of the challenges of academic work. He has also worked in the “real world” as a manager and coach in all three sectors – public, private, and non-profit – and has had the privilege to work with leaders and entrepreneurs able to fully concentrate on their work to achieve incredible results.
