Tips for studying?

[lludawg]

I hate this but I always end up cramming the night before the test. What are some things I can do to make myself study better? I need to start studying much earlier but I cannot seem to get the motivation.

 

[Medora]

You'll have to study earlier if cramming isn't working.

Dedicate a particular time each day, or every other day, or whatever works for you, to the work. If you make this particular time an hour long session instead of trying to "finish" in one of two days information will keep "simmering" in your mind until the test comes, and you'll make more connections between facts and concepts along the way.

If the subject makes this advice applicable, make your notes about what in the material interests you rather than what you think will interest the teacher, even if these notes are critical or dismissive of the material (e.g., I might write: who gives a crap about such a such; sure he held the Nazis back for two days with only a screwdriver and pins but I could have done that).

Also, don't try to follow advice like the ones above to the letter; do what works best for you.

 

[Migi]

I know how you feel. And based on experience, I can't really say much except that you have to get over that lack of motivation by pushing yourself hard to go past that lazy line.

I usually think about the consequences when I'm lazy, how troublesome my life will be if I don't study starting now. And I definitely have experienced those troublesome days, so it gives me more push to not let the same thing happen again. That is usually the biggest push.

Maybe it's a good idea to start from materials you're not too confused about. So it's more like refreshing your memory without making you too stressed or taking too much time, as well as getting you into the mood for studying. Proceed to more complicated ones one by one.

And like Medora said, give some time to do it every day if possible. Just one chapter or one topic a day is already good; it removes the pile of studying you need to do the night before exam.

 

[Medora]

And like Medora said, give some time to do it every day if possible. Just one chapter or one topic a day is already good; it removes the pile of studying you need to do the night before exam.

In adding to this point, I recall reading a related passage from David G. Myers' Exploring Psychology (Eight Edition; p. 30):

Distribute your study time. One of psychology's oldest findings is that spaced practice — perhaps one hour a day, six days a week — promotes better retention than massed practice — cramming it into one long study blitz. For example, rather than trying to read an entire chapter in a single sitting, read just one main section and then turn to something else.

Spacing your study sessions requires a disciplined approach to managing your time.

 

[Mrs. Marie]

Studying is perhaps one of the most time consuming things to do both in grade school and college. It takes a lot of discipline to set up a study schedule and stick with it. It's not easy. However, if you create a study schedule and stick with it, you will be amazed at the difference in your grades.

Cramming the night before a test is probably the worst thing to do. Most people do not retain that much information in that short amount of time. Set out a couple hours in the day for studying with a 15 minute break between each hour. I would say a minimum of two hours a day especially if you are studying for an exam.

Just a suggestion though.

 

[Medora]

You might also take personality into account. For instance, if you are the kind of person who needs to keep moving around, you might also study while taking a walk instead of sitting motionless behind a desk. If music is a big part of your life, you might try having music in lowered volume with one ear bud on while studying, or while taking your breaks listen to some music as part of your reward. Maybe you are a big fan of nature: find a bench at a park. The kind of person who learns better when talking to other people? Find a study partner. Visual learning? Try drawing pictures that can be associated with key terms, etc.

Of course, some of these ideas might be inapplicable depending on the subject, but the study routine does not look the same for everyone regardless of subject.