I coasted through high school with no problem. I never found out what GPA I graduated with because we don’t do it like that. All I know is that I graduated with a 87% and got into university with absolutely no problem. 87% isn’t that big of an achievement compared to some of my classmates, but it was a lot better than a bunch of kids I graduated with. Thing was, I never studied for that. I never felt the need to, actually. I hardly ever did any homework either. I’d do it when I felt like it, but by the time I got to my senior year, a majority of my teachers had the attitude of “You’re old enough to decide what you need to do” and never assigned us homework for grades. Often, they’d assign projects, but that was perceived to be completely different. The only thing I can say I did was show up to class and listen to the teacher. To me, all I needed was to listen to the teacher explain the concepts or explain why and I’d get whatever the subject was.
Now, the problem is, I’ve been spoiled by the previous high school experience. Now that I’m in university, it’s an entirely different ball park. For my Econ midterm earlier this term, I guess I can say I half studied, and I got 56%, and that’s with my prof doing the whole bell curve thing. Now classes have let out and I have a little less than two weeks to study for both calculus and econ. I don’t have that much of a problem with calculus because I took it in high school and more or less get the concepts. It’s econ that’s getting me worried. I’ve actually tried to study today. Well, I’m using tried somewhat loosely. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t bring myself to get committed to my textbook. I read the chapters and I copy down the notes, but after about half an hour or so, my mind starts to wander and I get distracted. The words start becoming a blur and nothing sticks to my brain. I start skimming over the words and when I realize I’m skimming, I try to focus, but by then, I’m lost. So, I start reading again and my brain thinks “You already read this” and I lose interest even more.
After all this frustration, I decide I can use a break and get up to get a snack or a quick stroll around the house. When I get back to my room, I see the books and I think “Yuck.” and I either reluctantly go back to the books and start the whole processes again only to zone out half an hour later again, or I avoid it completely and end up here.
If I don’t start studying seriously, I don’t think I’ll make it through university.
Sorry for boring everyone with this immature drivel. Blegh.
Where are you trying to study? Sometimes you have to find a place that forces you to focus.
I never studied either. I finished high school with a 4.11 gpa (weighted… 3.64 unweighted) and graduated college with a 3.71. Still, I never really figured out how to study either.
Personally, I love colored pens and highlighters. I never studied much (okay, ever) in HS either, except for US Gov’t and Psychology. But the colors and color coding and having to change pends and keep straight what color was for what really helped me focus. Otherwise, I was looooost. But I’m a visual person.
It sounds weird, but the secret to studying for me is a whiteboard. Get a nice big one, and some different colored markers. You can write down equations, draw graphs, etc…then erase them and draw them again until you’re sure you understand them. It helps you figure out what you’re unclear on, and also makes you actually interact with the material (as opposed to just sitting there blankly reading notes), so you don’t zone out after half an hour.
I never studied in high school either, and I don’t think my habits have improved much over the last few years in college. I have found though that making myself turn off my computer and writing the important things in my notes over and over on scrap paper has really drilled the main ideas into my head.
Of course, the hard part is getting away from the computer.
We sound similar in our aversion to overt studying. The things that worked, in so far as anything did for me, were a combination of finding some reason, however tenuous, to actually care about the material, turning the study process upside down by starting with questions on the material (either from a study guide or from old tests or students who’d already had the course) and using the study time as an exercise in finding the answers to thsoe questions (really just a specific instance of the first idea, if you think about it), and plain old determination. Don’t take as many breaks, no matter how badly the material seems to be bouncing off your frontal lobes. Stay at it, and stay at it some more. Don’t give in to the temptation. For me, it helped to wait until everyone else I knew was asleep before starting in earnest – there wasn’t anyone else around to talk to or distract me. Because of that, especially in college, I also generally worked someplace other than my dorm room, because my roommates would be asleep there. By going to the computer center or someplace else on campus that had none of my personal stuff in it, the triggers for distraction were minimized. And finally, recognize that you’re not likely to have some breakthrough after which studying is easy for you. It’s never gotten any easier for me, and I’m nearly 40. When I have a major work project that involves writing or digesting a lot of material, I still often have to wait and tackle it in the middle of the night, and I still have to fight the constant urge to take frequent breaks and put it off.
I don’t see any reason why you should force yourself to focus on a subject for more than an hur at a time. I used to make up a schedule that included, 1 hour blocks for studying 1/2 hour and 1-hour blocks to breaks, blocks for eating and doing chores, etc. The one trick is, schedule yourself something to do in the break, like reading, tidying up etc. Don’t leave anything to free-form time. When you break up your day like this you move from one thing to the next: wake up, 1 hour studying econ, 1 hour shower/breakfast break, 1 hour calcusus practice questions, 1/2 hour put away laundry, 1/2 hour lunch, 1 hour read for fun, 1 hour review econ class notes, 1 hour go for a walk, etc. etc. etc. You’ll find that by the end of the day you’ve spent four productive hours studying, instead of 1 productive hour and 3 useless one ones.
When your “study period” has a concrete end to it it is easier to focus. Frequent (structured) breaks are important, IMHO most people make the mistake of not giving their brain any down time.
Some people find it helpful to study with other motivated students; sometimes the best way to really understand something is to explain it to someone else. But sometimes other people are just a distraction.
First, you survey. Read the chapter headings, read the captions to the illustrations (if any), read any summaries, read the first line of each paragraph.
Next, you question. Formulate a list of questions you want the study material to answer. If the heading is “The Bimetallic Question”, you list “What two metals are they talking about, and what is the question?” Etc.
Then, read the material.
Then, recite the answers to the questions. If you can’t answer the questions, re-read looking specifically for the answer. Repeat as necessary.
Then, review (for tests and such). Use the answers you formulated to the questions.
It gets better with practice. My problem with frequent breaks is that I wasted time wondering “when is my next break?” Better to set a task, and take a break when the task is done. Once you can answer all the questions for Chapter 1, then you can take a break, but not before.
Find a good study environment. I have actually found that going to the library DOES help me study, since everyone else is studying too! Bring a CD player, drown out all the sounds around you, and allow yourself to look at nothing but the subject in front of you. Take breaks and get up to stretch your legs when you have to, but just focus.
As for taking notes - the first time through, it’s probably best to take notes without trying to LEARN the content, just make sure you hit all the key points. Then reread those notes, and try and rewrite them from memory. Go back an reread what you missed, etc. I find that actively drawing and writing concepts out helps a lot, especially if you are fairly sure you’ll have to reproduce that image/those words on the exam.
Also, give yourself lots of time, but DON’T lose too much sleep. There’s no sense studying yourself into such an exhausted stupor that you won’t be able to think clearly for the exam. Allow yourself a night’s sleep the night before, and also make a point of staying well fed. Jusnk food is great for studying, but try to limit that and stick to healthier foods instead. Eat carrots instead of chips, etc.
And practise! Don’t be afraid to do badly one semester, or on one class, it’s part of the learning curve. The important thing is to TRY YOUR BEST and not let stress get to you too much.
-mnemosyne, 17 hours away from being finished her BSc. Off to the library I go!
