Concentration skills and intelligence

[AceofSpades]

When learning a particularly detailed/difficult subject it seems like the ability to concentrate is directly linked to ability to understand the material. Intense concentration is (for me) mentally strenuous, and I can only do it for short periods of time. I'd like to be able to concentrate for longer because this would increase my learning/studying speed.

So is there any way of increasing the concentration ability/ability to hold concepts in head without using drugs like adderal, etc? Or is this just a absolute limitation imposed by biology?

[FortunaMaximus]

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So is there any way of increasing the concentration ability/ability to hold concepts in head without using drugs like adderal, etc? Or is this just a absolute limitation imposed by biology?

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Probably has more to do with the nature of your intelligence. Whether you learn by rote memorization or just can absorb and make the leaps...

Elasticity of learning functions. You can improve the methods and the speed at which you memorize things, but pretty much not anything else. Which I suppose is what you're asking.

You might try looking into memory palaces via google/wiki. Some improvement can be gleaned in learning how to implement this, it's an associative memory aid, I suppose. Unless you have this trait naturally, I'm not sure how easy it would be to learn.

The mind retains concepts and memorizes things better when in a rather relaxed state.

[madnak]

Concentration can be learned to some degree. I'm not really sure how, but my concentration has improved by orders of magnitude over the course of my life.

One thing that helps concentration is interest - if you're interested in a subject it's much easier to concentrate on it. So you might try to apply the subject to you, or find something interesting about it you want to explore. Also, make your focus active rather than passive - instead of just reading the words, think about them and form impressions. If you're interacting with the material, rather than just trying to pour it into you, that will help you absorb it.

[Speedlimits]

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When learning a particularly detailed/difficult subject it seems like the ability to concentrate is directly linked to ability to understand the material. Intense concentration is (for me) mentally strenuous, and I can only do it for short periods of time. I'd like to be able to concentrate for longer because this would increase my learning/studying speed.

So is there any way of increasing the concentration ability/ability to hold concepts in head without using drugs like adderal, etc? Or is this just a absolute limitation imposed by biology?

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I take adderral it helps A LOT.

[Bill Haywood]

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I take adderral it helps A LOT.

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Could you be a little more specific about what symptoms you have and that it addresses? I want to say the right things :-)