how do you study?

[europop2005]

does anyone have really good study advice? how do you like to do it? i'm stuck between math and meteorology and neither is working out well

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I need peace and quiet or I'd never get any studying done. I usually find a comfy chair, settle in and just read until my eyes cross. I also take kickass notes and quiz myself from them.

 

[VintagePunk]

I just saw your thread in ZC. Not sure what kind of math you're studying, but I had to take a math class in university as a prerequisite to my stats classes, and I generally suck at math.

The night before the final exam in math, I e-mailed my prof in a panic, and she gave me some good advice. She said to take my notes into the exam room with me, and before the exam started, to study the formulas (they weren't provided, and cheat sheets weren't allowed). Her advice was, as soon as the exam was handed out, to jot down the formulas I'd been reading over on a scrap piece of paper provided. I did this, and it helped me to pass the exam.

Also, close the blue crack window, and force yourself to get down to work. That always helps.

 

[vaz02]

I dont

 

[UberBeaver]

I show up on the day of the test. I sit. I drink my powerjuice. I write a big A on top of the paper. I slap it down on the teacher's desk. I walk out of the room. I return, open the door and scream, "THAT IS HOW YOU GO POWERJUICE." I then slam the door and go home.

 

[AngelofHarlem01]

If you don't need your computer to study then turn it off. I find I focus a lot better without it being on.

 

[onebloodonelife]

I put on some instrumental music and consciously walk away from the computer. If I stay around it, I get distracted too easily.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Stud?
Y?

 

[coolian2]

How do i study?

Poorly, or i don't.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Step 1: Turn off computer.
Step 2: Cram.

 

[anitram]

All my exams are open book so I don't really study as much as I work on making my notes into works of art.

 

[Liesje]

I don't anymore even though I took a certification test today, but in college I would usually study for an hour and then do something else for half an hour, over and over. I also made sure to get enough sleep and sleep on a consistent schedule. That helped me more than any studying or cramming. I did fine in college, although I did often procrastinate I still got everything done eventually and done properly. I found that if I just got enough sleep I had an easier time retaining what I already learned in class or studied, whereas if I tried to study into the wee hours of the morning I never could keep it all straight anyway.

Another thing I often did was type up my notes into organized outlines. Just re-writing them, organizing them, and re-phrasing them helped me learn them without reading them over and over for memorization. I could also then use these copies to trade for notes I missed, increase the value of the used textbook, etc

 

[phillyfan26]

I never study. I don't have the attention span. I barely do my homework.

 

[EdgeIsTooSexy]

I usually have the TV on for some noise but thats only for certain subjects.
I suck in most maths and this year I'm not taking one but what I used to do is... go through section by section and make sure i know the definitions/formulas/then apply them to problems. If i got the problems right id move onto the next section.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Basically rehash everything learned on a particular day again on that same evening or night. It cements it in your brain a little better, and makes revision a damn site easier. A few hours after learning it for the first time I find is the best time to really glue it in my brain because that is probably when I am most likely to not retain it if I don't water and fertalise it, so to speak.

 

[Total U2 Nut]

Read stuff I have to learn, annotate and take notes, then do practise papers. Mark them to see where I'm going wrong and start over.

 

[redhotswami]

well i guess it perhaps depends on the subject. if maths is fucking with you the best thing you can do is memorize the formulas. make up songs with them. my chem professor years ago taught me "pee vee equals en are tee, do dah, do dah" for PV=nRT. that was like 10 years ago and I've never forgotten it. Just figure out little tricks like that to help you to remember.

Also, some subjects like maths and sciences you just can't cram for. They require memorization and repetition. For these you really gotta make sure you're revisiting the material at least every other day since the first day you've learned it.

Also, you should go to the tutoring center. Even if you feel like you get it they can still offer some advice from a different prospective. These places are free and underused in many universities, so you should definitely take advantage of them!

 

[Zoobaby14]

I summrise everything onto one page per topic.

Also colours are helpful
eg: headings in red pen or underlined
points in blue pen
side notes in black

something like that, you need to work out a system to suit you.

I also write things like a speech, because when you write one you kinda have to know all of it.
And if you forget one section of it then remember the bit you can and it should come to you.

I also read out all my points out like a speech, you may look like a freak but it helps.

Also try and sit with a bunch of friends and talk about the subject as if it was "what you did on the weekend.." thing.

Because something you might not get, some one else will
And if you can teach someone else something it will help you understand more.

 

[mysterious_jen]

does anyone have really good study advice? how do you like to do it? i'm stuck between math and meteorology and neither is working out well

i choose subjects i like that dont suck like meterology and math, what the hell were you thinking !!!!!!!!!


good luck

 

[achtung_girl]

Also, you should go to the tutoring center. Even if you feel like you get it they can still offer some advice from a different prospective. These places are free and underused in many universities, so you should definitely take advantage of them!

Yeah definetly! that's how I got through a really hard exam this semester. I bored them to death with my questions, but you know, they got paid for that. There was this really nice guy who calculated all my exercises I did wrong...that's a huge amount of time I would have lost if I tried to find the errors on my own!!!

 

[Lally1011]

There was a documentary on 60 minutes last night - getting between 7.5 to 8 hrs sleep everynight showed that students had an easier time learning than those who weren't sleeping steadily.

Also, if you can organize time to study math during a specific time every day or every other day, it will help you recall material quicker. It's tough but from what I could force myself to do, it did help.

Try different things and you'll find your zone before you know it.

 

[mono]

Make sure you don't cram...Do practice problems (especially for math). You should use the few days before exams to review material. It took me 6 years of undergrad (2 degrees, 1 minor) and 1.5 years of med school to figure that out.

 

[Liesje]

How's this for studying....tomorrow I have to take the second test for a certification. The first test is like a general overview of all of the material, but for the second you pick which test you want to take. I can't figure out which chapters of the material are relevant to the test I'm taking. I couldn't study if I wanted to!

 

[cobl04]

Past exams, past essay questions, past tests, past assignments are the best way to do it. Not only do you get proper benefit out of it but you become more aware of the tricks in the questions. I did about 15 practice exams before me final maths exam last year.

I also play music in the background.

 

[major_panic]

Past exams, past essay questions, past tests, past assignments are the best way to do it. Not only do you get proper benefit out of it but you become more aware of the tricks in the questions. I did about 15 practice exams before me final maths exam last year.

I also play music in the background.

Exactly, exactly right, although it does vary depending on your learning style.