I agree that students are used to being stressed but as a teaching I find that distressing. Some stress in good, but too much is harmful.

Multitasking is also a great skills to have, but only if you get the work done. I have now found that I work better when I complete one task before moving on to another.

And if you looked at my previous post you will see that your change of scenery is your way of breaking a bad habit – you choosing another street to walk down.

In reply to the last comment, I find a really effective way of studying properly is to get off my computer and get away from it. My PC is in my bedroom, so I set my study area 2 floors away in the kitchen. No distractions there. I find that once I get sucked in to the computer, it often takes one thing which spirals.

For example, I came back upstairs to check my post had published OK. I then noticed I’d got a trackback from here, so I came and checked out your post. I then found myself tweeting my new post and this post, then checked my emails, then went on Facebook (where I started chatting to a friend, organising to go out), and before you know it I’ve wasted 20 minutes of valuable study time.

Damn I need some self control!