Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. It is the ability to maintain one’s attention in the present moment. Meditation has however been associated with success in higher education as regards retention. The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will. Therefore, meditation has a way of improving understanding among undergraduate students.
Given that meditation benefits a wide variety of cognitive processes in both the short and long term, educators worldwide have begun to utilize meditation as a learning tool for students across a wide variety of age and education levels. The cognitive skills required for successful knowledge retention may be influenced by meditation training. In education, mindfulness has been shown to improve attention in undergraduate students.
Several studies have shown meditation before examinations and study sessions to result in better scores on examinations compared with students that meditated at other times. It is not enough for students to read, it is also important that they understand what they read as well as retain. Having a good and sharp memory is necessary for a students’ regardless of the level because it is veritable tool for academic performance.
MEDITATION
Meditation is a simple practice available to all, which can reduce stress, increase calmness, and clarity and promote happiness. Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly.
Mindfulness meditation isn’t about letting your thoughts wander. But it isn’t about trying to empty your mind, either. Instead, the practice involves paying close attention to the present moment especially our own thoughts, emotions, and sensations whatever it is that’s happening.
Therefore, when we meditate, we inject far-reaching and long-lasting benefits into our lives. We lower our stress levels, we get to know our pain, we connect better, we improve our focus, and we're kinder to ourselves.
BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
If relaxation is not the goal of meditation, it is often a result. the following are short-term benefits of meditation to the nervous system:
a) Lower blood pressure
b) Improved blood circulation
c) Lower heart rate
d) Less perspiration
e) Slower respiratory rate
f) Less anxiety
g) Lower blood cortisol levels
h) More feelings of well-being
i) Less stress
j) Deeper relaxation
In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate benefit of meditation is liberation of the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated or “enlightened” practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calm mind and sense of inner harmony.
READING AND RETENTION
Reading is the foundation of all formal and informal learning. Future success is dependent on the learners’ reading ability. It is the gateway to success-the amount of time students spends in reading is the indicator of successful academic life in future.
Retention is the process whereby long-term memory preserves learning in such a way that it can locate, identify, and retrieve it accurately in the future. The longer something is in working (short term) memory, the more likely it will move to long-term memory. The method of keeping information in working memory is called rehearsal.
Reading and retention are interrelated in the sense that a consistent reading can automatically lead to retention. What you continually practice, you become. So is reading and retention, when you read often, you get use to the words and sentences and with time they stick in your memory for a very long time. So for undergraduate students to improve on their academic performance as well as their retention ability, it is important they inculcate the habit of reading. A good study habit is encouraged for any student who wants to perform very well academically and otherwise. Just as the saying goes, a reader is a leader. Reading can also enhance your ability in coming up with a very good and articulated undergraduate project topics for your final year project.
MEDITATION AND RETENTION AMONG STUDENTS
Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. It is a simple practice available to all, which can reduce stress, increase calmness, and clarity and promote happiness. Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly.
Therefore, it is an important practice for retention because it helps you focus your mind as well as helps you gain concentration which is good for rehearsing. For students, meditation once in a while is very good especially after intensive reading, it helps you refresh and mediate ion what you’ve studied as well as retain all you’ve read. It also helps you reduce stress and gain clarity.
CONCLUSION
Conclusively, meditation has shown to improve greatly on the level of students understanding and retention. Meditation in its self is relaxing and refreshing. If adopted by undergraduate students, it will go a long way in helping them clarity in their various courses of study as well as an improved retention.

Nice write-up. Thanks!

Meditation is a terrific way to improve your breathing and focus. Online meditation classes help me deal with some of the difficulties that accumulate during the day, so I need to have at least a few classes a week in order to feel better. I'm more than sure that such opportunities would be attractive for many to learn about and try. Since the pandemic, many have moved back to working in the office. Because of the weaning by working remotely, most office workers began to feel very stressed. That's why it's worth taking advantage of this opportunity