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So I don't know about you guys, but I have finals next week. And in my "apply everything in sc to real life" quest, I've been doing some thinking about optimal ways to study. As far as I know, there are some clear rights and wrongs, (you should get a lot of sleep, eat well, take breaks, don't cram too much) but the details are a little hazy. I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask what people have been doing, what works, and what doesn't because I think it's really interesting and important to be efficient when it comes to hitting the books; mostly because the same technique doesn't work for everyone but for certain groups, there are some similarities. Anyways enough blabbering, what are your study habits and special diets?
For me I use to go at 1 hour intervals; 50 minutes of studying, 10 minutes of break. It's a decently long session, you can get a lot done, and the 10 minute break gives you a fair bit of flexibility, to make something to eat, get water, stretch, do a quick chore, etc. Unfortunately I've been getting the feeling that the hour goes by quite slow, and I lose focus sometimes.
As of late, my friend told me about her technique she found online somewhere, founded in something I learned in psychology so I thought it was pretty cool. The idea is that we're really good at remembering the beginning and ending, but the middle gets blurry and we lose retention on it, so it's a series of short study sessions:
12-13 minutes of studying,
2-3 minutes of break,
for 15 minute intervals.
I've been doing this lately and I really like how it allows you to step away, and come back with a fresher head more frequently than my 50 minute-10 minute schedule. I've been adding an extended 15 minute break every 2-3 hours, because 2 minutes goes by really fast.
As for dieting, I've been eating a lot of oatmeal for breakfast, peanut butter, jelly, or nutella sandwiches (on the airy bread because it goes down easier haha) lots of pasta, and some granola bars (I'm a college student, what can you expect). Lots of water, forehead massaging (lol), wrist stretching, and 8.5 hours of sleep a night.
Share share please, and if you're taking finals like me, glgl! :D
Edit: I study economics(international macro) and political science (currently elections, statistical methods and theory, which reminds me that I've seen a guy wearing a protoss tee-shirt in one of my classes...), so it's mostly understanding models, reading, reviewing, understanding philosophy, etc. I'm not sure how much the subject you're studying affects your habits for studying.
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All I can say...so happy I'm done with exams!
But, when I did need to study, I found it really helpful to rewrite things. I'm not sure what your actual study-time regimen consists of, but I find that I retain things better if I physically rewrite them, as opposed to reading textbooks/notes dozens of times.
Good luck!
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I've learned over the years trying to set up times for yourself really just hinders your ability to study more.
1. You check the clock often which is wasting time.
2. As you get close to your destination you will either get lazier knowing your getting close to the finish or start to panic knowing you haven't really done any studying the last 10 minuets and studying while feeling pressured isn't really a great feeling.
3. Personally i learn better on an empty stomach.
But hey if it works for you great!
I to have to study for finals (and stop going on TL! damn you NASL)
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Yea I don't really have that problem with timed studying because I don't view it as a chore. It's more like I try to see how much I can get done in x time, rather than waiting for time to be up. Another part of the short sessions is that it's roughly the length of your attention span for studying. If you were to go at 30 minute, or 50 minute intervals like me, you start studying and then you get minorly distracted, and that's when you start wondering how long you've been going for and etc. I never check the clock because I just set a timer on the computer and put it in the background, and it rings when time is up.
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I find timed schedules like 15-3-2 or 50-10 distracting (agreed with DreamChaser) but I always divide the day into chunks... e.g. if I go to the library after lunch then stay until dinner. No cheating, dinner isn't at 4 pm. Then depending on what kind of work I'm doing I decide when I allow myself to take breaks/mess around on the internet. Problem set, then maybe after every problem. If I'm reading a book, then after every chapter. If it's an essay, then after I finish writing an entire chain of thought down. You could say I adapt my build using scouting information about my work :D
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I tend to section my textbook/practice exam/whatever into parts that look like they'll take me about an hour to two hours, then take breaks between them. Motivates me to study 'cause I know I get a break once I finish a reachable goal, and helps keep me sane. If I'm going for a full day I usually just take an hour or so and make a decent dinner to take a longer break.
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Get the book What Smart Students Know by Adam Robinson and begin applying the information next semester would be my advice.
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I second DreamChaser, especially the point about learning on an empty stomach.
For the past 3 months I've been studying really hard for my A levels(over now btw) and during that period of time, I realized that it's really important to have a routine to studying.
My routine goes like this: I wake up, wash up a little, get a cup of coffee, head down to school, and i study from 8am to 12nn without breakfast, and then I have a heavy brunch, then i resume from 1pm to 6pm, again without food, and then I head home for dinner to relax.
I wasn't the time of person to sit down for really long hours just to study, because I tend to get easily distracted. However, once I get into the habit of not eating and just studying, I find that the hunger keeps me going, and the prospect of having a heavy brunch kind of motivates me. Same goes for the afternoon session, where I look forward to having dinner. I dunno, I guess food motivates me best haha. Again, this is just my schedule, and you really need to find what motivates you to study as opposed to just studying for the sake of studying, i.e. studying for 12-13 minutes "because you have to"
Hope you find something that works for you!
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I use to be an A-class crammer, often studying just studying 2 days before an exam and coming out with a B+ or higher. Of course I was recommended to by a friend to study for 30 minute intervals with 10 minute breaks. I think studying in intervals is the best, but I think 15 minutes is a bit too short for me to exactly get anything absorbed.
Just something to add to the conversation:
When dealing with terms, do you guys say it out? Or do you re-write it? I don't know which method is best for retention, I guess most of the time I say it out, but sometimes I hear people re-writing it is better.
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Interesting, seems I'm more of the odd one out when it comes to interval studying than I thought. As for the 15 minutes thing being a bit short, I agree in some cases. The alarm I use is quite soft and not too disturbing; if I'm on a roll or in the zone I'll just reset it and hit go again, I guess it's more of a reminder to myself to take a breather and think about what I was just doing.
How do you non-interval studiers decide how long of a break to take after each section? is it proportional to how long the section/problem was?
As for memorizing equations(as an econ major), I've really been trying to focus on the assumptions and theory that go into it, it makes regurgitating it later much easier. The actual equation becomes sort of like another fact I happen to know, rather than numbers and letters. When I was studying Chinese, the only way I could learn characters was just to practice day in and day out; when I woke up, before bed, etc.
Also, any thoughts on music when studying?
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On December 04 2011 16:28 phiinix wrote:
Interesting, seems I'm more of the odd one out when it comes to interval studying than I thought. As for the 15 minutes thing being a bit short, I agree in some cases. The alarm I use is quite soft and not too disturbing; if I'm on a roll or in the zone I'll just reset it and hit go again, I guess it's more of a reminder to myself to take a breather and think about what I was just doing.
How do you non-interval studiers decide how long of a break to take after each section? is it proportional to how long the section/problem was?
As for memorizing equations(as an econ major), I've really been trying to focus on the assumptions and theory that go into it, it makes regurgitating it later much easier. The actual equation becomes sort of like another fact I happen to know, rather than numbers and letters. When I was studying Chinese, the only way I could learn characters was just to practice day in and day out; when I woke up, before bed, etc.
Also, any thoughts on music when studying?
During my cramming I would split it up from 3 hours study to 30 minute break. So in a total of 9 hours, about an hour and a half. It was enough time to go outside, eat, and watch something to relieve the stress.
I'm in a statistics course and I have to memorize formulas (don't know if it's exactly as long as an equation in econ) but I just re-write it over and over until I have it embedded naturally in my brain. Other than that, for specific theories (I'm a crim major) I outline all the theories in notecards and recite each particular theory.
For example: What are the effects of prefrontal cortex damage?
- inability to interpret social cues
- inability to adapt behaviour
- interact appropriately
etc..
I would go from 1-5 notecards, then repeat it again if I messed up on one card. Once I perfect a set (1-5) I would move on. I would suggest memorizing 1 set a day, then learning another set another day. Eventually you'll have all the sets memorized, and on the last couple days before an exam period, study multiple sets in one day, and you should be able to retain the information.
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i use the build where you study for 15 min and take 2 hour breaks. This goes on until I absolutely cannot waste any more time. I dont consciously calculate this. Rather, it goes on behind the scenes taking into account how much i already know, how much material i need to cover, how hard the topic is, what my standing in class is, if I had already eaten, If i can possibly pull an all nighter, if I can skip some classes in the morning to prepare, what my mood is, if the subject is interesting, etc etc
Now I actually work best under time constraints. I can absorb and process info quite efficiently when I gotta finish this in X hours. My subconscious calculations are generally pretty accurate in figuring out how much time i TRULY need to finish so I would often find myself finishing the chapter like 30 minutes before the exam. There are however, quite a few times where I get fucked over by miscalculation. Namely, I overestimate my stamina. During the earlier hours of the night, i would browse TL and screw around thinking id just pull an all nighter starting from 1am or whatever. Then I get sleepy as fuck and tired around 4 am.
Yea my build sucks
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On December 04 2011 16:41 zZygote wrote:Show nested quote +On December 04 2011 16:28 phiinix wrote:
Interesting, seems I'm more of the odd one out when it comes to interval studying than I thought. As for the 15 minutes thing being a bit short, I agree in some cases. The alarm I use is quite soft and not too disturbing; if I'm on a roll or in the zone I'll just reset it and hit go again, I guess it's more of a reminder to myself to take a breather and think about what I was just doing.
How do you non-interval studiers decide how long of a break to take after each section? is it proportional to how long the section/problem was?
As for memorizing equations(as an econ major), I've really been trying to focus on the assumptions and theory that go into it, it makes regurgitating it later much easier. The actual equation becomes sort of like another fact I happen to know, rather than numbers and letters. When I was studying Chinese, the only way I could learn characters was just to practice day in and day out; when I woke up, before bed, etc.
Also, any thoughts on music when studying? During my cramming I would split it up from 3 hours study to 30 minute break. So in a total of 9 hours, about an hour and a half. It was enough time to go outside, eat, and watch something to relieve the stress. I'm in a statistics course and I have to memorize formulas (don't know if it's exactly as long as an equation in econ) but I just re-write it over and over until I have it embedded naturally in my brain. Other than that, for specific theories (I'm a crim major) I outline all the theories in notecards and recite each particular theory. For example: What are the effects of prefrontal cortex damage? - inability to interpret social cues - inability to adapt behaviour - interact appropriately etc.. I would go from 1-5 notecards, then repeat it again if I messed up on one card. Once I perfect a set (1-5) I would move on. I would suggest memorizing 1 set a day, then learning another set another day. Eventually you'll have all the sets memorized, and on the last couple days before an exam period, study multiple sets in one day, and you should be able to retain the information.
+1 for notecards. I'm not too sure how effecient it would be to use them for regular school exams and what not, but making flashcards are one of the best ways to study for huge exams (standardized tests, finals etc) where you have a long time to study.
Take a bunch of practice exams and make a flashcard out of every question that you missed. Put them next to your bed. Study them whenever you have free time and before going to bed every night. Add more flashcards every day. This was the best way to study for me ever. Im just too lazy to do this consistently for normal school courses 
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On December 04 2011 18:13 gameguard wrote:Show nested quote +On December 04 2011 16:41 zZygote wrote:On December 04 2011 16:28 phiinix wrote:
Interesting, seems I'm more of the odd one out when it comes to interval studying than I thought. As for the 15 minutes thing being a bit short, I agree in some cases. The alarm I use is quite soft and not too disturbing; if I'm on a roll or in the zone I'll just reset it and hit go again, I guess it's more of a reminder to myself to take a breather and think about what I was just doing.
How do you non-interval studiers decide how long of a break to take after each section? is it proportional to how long the section/problem was?
As for memorizing equations(as an econ major), I've really been trying to focus on the assumptions and theory that go into it, it makes regurgitating it later much easier. The actual equation becomes sort of like another fact I happen to know, rather than numbers and letters. When I was studying Chinese, the only way I could learn characters was just to practice day in and day out; when I woke up, before bed, etc.
Also, any thoughts on music when studying? During my cramming I would split it up from 3 hours study to 30 minute break. So in a total of 9 hours, about an hour and a half. It was enough time to go outside, eat, and watch something to relieve the stress. I'm in a statistics course and I have to memorize formulas (don't know if it's exactly as long as an equation in econ) but I just re-write it over and over until I have it embedded naturally in my brain. Other than that, for specific theories (I'm a crim major) I outline all the theories in notecards and recite each particular theory. For example: What are the effects of prefrontal cortex damage? - inability to interpret social cues - inability to adapt behaviour - interact appropriately etc.. I would go from 1-5 notecards, then repeat it again if I messed up on one card. Once I perfect a set (1-5) I would move on. I would suggest memorizing 1 set a day, then learning another set another day. Eventually you'll have all the sets memorized, and on the last couple days before an exam period, study multiple sets in one day, and you should be able to retain the information. +1 for notecards. I'm not too sure how effecient it would be to use them for regular school exams and what not, but making flashcards are one of the best ways to study for huge exams (standardized tests, finals etc) where you have a long time to study. Take a bunch of practice exams and make a flashcard out of every question that you missed. Put them next to your bed. Study them whenever you have free time and before going to bed every night. Add more flashcards every day. This was the best way to study for me ever. Im just too lazy to do this consistently for normal school courses
You'd do it if you wanted to get an A.
However, I've never gotten an A or higher in Post-secondary exams. I've hit my plateau, ahaha. Or maybe they just mark more harder... I've always been content with a B+ or A-.
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I studied for finals the same way I studied for any test I took in college.
Cram for 3 hours before the test. Take 1-2 shots 30 min before the test, (gets rid of nerves and cleared my head a bit).
Take test... get a B or A. In engineering the difference between a B or an A was a math error. If you didn't apply the correct models on one or two questions you would get a D or C. Any more mistakes get you an F. Typical tests would only run 4-6 questions though. They always ended up taking the full class time. (1.5 to 2 hours).
Engineering was all about understanding the concepts and applying them to various applications. Never had to memorize much myself so this form of study may not work for other folks.
EDIT: The flashcards work for memorization I guess. I think you may need to decide which form of study you need. If you get multiple choice tests with 50+ questions, then you should memorize crap. If you have 3-6 questions which you need to reason your way through, you may need to just understand the concepts and how to apply them. So it all depends on your class / major.
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EPT
