Studying Advice

[TheEliteOne]

Hi Guys,

I am going to go straight to the issue at hand. I'm looking for any advice anyone can give on studying and dealing with stress with a hectic schedule.

I'm currently a university student, and I am on academic probation, and the stress is really getting to me. I'm asking for some help. Is there anything anybody can give me who's been in this situation?

I appreciate all advice, and thank you all in advance.

 

[mass1926]

I was working full time while doing classes back in september. It was hard, but they key is to make sure that you stay on track and don't make up reasons to push anything off. I went through screwing up in school when I was younger because of poor time management.

First off, get away from anything distracting. TV, phone, computer, ect. Go to the library or a quiet place and force yourself to study. I have a tough time staying focused for long periods of time so the best thing to do is just keep reading the notes over and over. First few times just breeze through them to get the gist. Take breaks every 15-20 minutes so that you can regain your focus. Do push-ups or something to get the blood flowing again and then sit back down for another 20 minutes or so and repeat the process. After you sort of breezed through the notes a couple of times, start focusing in a little harder. Divide your notes up so that you study say 2 or 3 chapter at a time that way you can pay extra attention to details. Take breaks in between each set of chapters you intend to study. Most importantly, on the day of the test get up a little earlier and breeze through the notes one last time to refresh.

Sounds like a lot I know. But, so far since I've been back in school I've gotten 4 A's and 2 B's in my first 6 classes this year. Again, the most important tactic is staying on top of your assignments. Do whatever it takes to get yourself away from the distractions in order to get the work done.

 

[KrazieDog]

Everyone studies, remembers, and/or memorizes in different ways, so what works for one, may not work for the next, but don't be scared to experiment with different techniques. Don't try to wait to the last minute to cram it all in either, as you don't want to burn your brain out trying to remember everything. Being able to take in a little new stuff each night while just re-hitting the previous stuff throughout the course of the week goes a long way.

Another "different" kind of thing that always works with me is play with the stuff in your head in ways that make the things make since. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes relating study terms and what they mean into a story, the more ridiculous and funny the better, helps you to be able to jog your memory in a way different than normal study. See if there are study groups in the class or even a friend or two from class just to bounce study off of. Some of these sessions in college had funny things happy that we could always use to remember things.

You are already on probation, so the next step is not a option, so don't ever hesitate to get tutoring. If the class doesn't offer it, check school bulletin boards or student websites. Hell, look for the smartest person in the class and let them know you are looking for a little tutoring if they are available and see what they would charge. They may just have a study method as to what works for them to offer.

 

[mass1926]

Yea, definately take like 15 minutes or so at the end of each week to review your notes and refresh your memory. Another way to help your grade is to stay in touch with professors. Email them or ask them questions in person at the end of class. Approach them about assignments you have questions about, or email them with the questions. The more seriously a professor thinks you are taking a class can sometimes lead to some generous grading at the end. I have had courses where what I should've gotten was a B turned out to be an A for a final grade because I never hesistated to ask questions.

 

[TropicThunder]

Or you could always do what I do and snort Xanax.

 

[mass1926]

Or you could always do what I do and snort Xanax.

That's always an option.

 

[El Capitan]

go to someplace quiet... or bring a book along with you so you can read it during idle moments like when riding the train or something like that

 

[sasaxrah]

I'm a fan of color-coded flash cards. For example, in a history class, you might put all people on blue cards (or blue ink), politics in red, wars in pink, etc. Then make a "know" "kind of know" and "don't know" pile. Focus on the latter two until all the cards get transferred to the "know" pile.

Works for me, but like Krazie said, everyone's different.

 

[Flatfoot]

Get a full night's sleep, if you can. Apparently, dreaming helps your brain to perform "file-storage", so the more rested you are after studying, the more you'll remember.

 

[WorkInProgress]

What I would add to these good suggestions:

Keep your workload manageable. Don't take more classes than you have time to do a good job with. If you think taking fewer classes at a time slows down your graduation, remember that flunking classes will have that effect too.

When possible, take classes that you're interested in, and that you have an aptitude for. Not all people are equally suited to physical sciences, to math and economics, etc. Within the bounds of the requirements, you should gravitate toward a program of study that fits your talents.

In any given subject, when you're studying for a test, start by looking at the material that you feel most comfortable with. Reinforce your comprehension of that, and use that as a point from which to venture into the harder parts. Related to that, look for ways that different themes fit together, and think more in terms of comprehension than of memorization.

If part of what you're doing involves math problems or anything similar, when you find yourself getting a particular kind of question right, don't make the mistake of leaving it and moving on. Reinforce it by doing a few more, and be sure to come back to it soon after. Big point: take time to reinforce what you already feel you understand.

Try to relax when you take a test, and try to think of the test as having a continuity with your studying. The story is told of a man in the 19th century who, because of his love for theatre, was given a part in a play where, at the very start, he was to run onstage and say "Hark, I hear the cannons roar." All day long he was boasting to friends of this honor he was getting, and was annoying them by saying "Hark, I hear the cannons roar, Hark, I hear the cannons roar," constantly. Well, he got to the magic moment. He was onstage, there was an audience full of people looking at him, and he was frozen stiff with terror. Then he heard a booming sound from offstage, and he cried out, "What the hell was that?!" Don't be like that guy when you take a test.

Make choices about use of time. There should, of course, be evenings when you're out with friends, but there should also be evenings when you're home studying. Work, club, and extracurriculuar activities also have to be balanced. You have to make sure you have enough time for what you have to do.

Don't use any psychotropic drug stronger than a cup of coffee to stay awake. Don't use No-Doze pills under any circumstances whatsoever. They are an assault on your nervous system and are not at all helpful to comprehension of what you're studying. And that leads to another point: you still need your sleep. Treat your body well.

Good luck.

 

[BlackestLily]

I read somewhere that if you study right before you go to bed and then sleep, it helps you retain the information more than anything else. I haven't honestly tried it though.

 

[Capnmad]

What are your classes, and what sort of data are you trying to learn?

 

[TheEliteOne]

First off, thanks a lot guys for your advices and experiences. It's of great help.

What are your classes, and what sort of data are you trying to learn?

Capnmad, my classes are all Political Science classes.

 

[Mitchell]

When I was in college, and I had to do serious studying for a test, I always went to someplace quiet, like the campus library quiet room. Studying with other people, or distractions, around, like TV, computer, etc, is always an invitation to do anything else but your work.

Someone else posted it, but I'll say it as well. Study for short periods of time, say 15-30 minutes, then take five minute breaks. Stretch, walk around, get a drink of water, etc.

Also, if you can, don't try to cram in all subjects in one night. Seperate them, and try to do things like two hours total on one subject one night, and then two hours total on another subject another night. If I had midterms or finals, I would always study the hardest for the first ones that were upcoming, and skim a bit for the others. I wanted to have the info fresh in my mind, when I took the tests.

Hope these suggestions help. Good Luck with improving your grades.

Mitch

 

[Capnmad]

Some good points were made. I'm especially a proponent of adequate sleep and piecing together a mental story of strange elements like KrazieDog suggested to string concepts together. Weird visual imagery and assorted mnemonic devices and learning before sleep (even catnaps) and then revisiting the data as soon as I woke up were key tools of mine in college.

Additionally, engage different senses where possible... Home in on key facts and concepts you'll need to know, and for those you're having trouble with, more than read them from the book, re-write them, read them aloud, and recite them... You're taking the data and actively engaging it, interacting with it... All of these require more mental engagement than reading, during which, you'll miss things when tired. Writing engages you tactilely and visuospatially. Reading aloud reinforces lingually and auditorially. All these help make and reinforce connections that help the information stick.

Good luck.

 

[love feet]

hold on ok!!!!.