How do YOU STUDY? Share your Tips, Habits and lots of your Experience here

Look up stealth studying. It really works.

Do your calculus homework whether or not professor collects it

I am actually planning on writing an article on this (for SDN publication) after trying to figure a method for myself.

I find it easy if I know the book itself rather than just diving in. For example, I will Chapter 1's title, its headings, subheadings, and the first sentence for each subsection, draft a list of questions I hope to have answered and then read.....

OR

I read the summary at the end of the chapter first, then I read...

This is What I do, so I am not sure if it will work for you...

For chem I made flash cards and did practice problems. I did 10-20, depending on the section, everyday. Before a test, I would do the practice problems I didn't do from each section. As for the flash cards, I would go through them a few days before the test.

This method worked for me as I pulled an A in both semesters of general chemistry- just to offer some perspective, avg final grades were a C+/B- for both semesters

As for physics, I am basically doing the same thing with some minor adjustments since I'm taking physics 1 and 2 right now over the summer.

I think for science and math courses (even biology, though it is not a math heavy science, to some extent) practice problems are the best form of studying. Also, I don't think it helps to do loads of problems the night before the test. It is much better to do some everyday and then do problems from all sections the day before the test so the material stays relatively fresh.

However, everyone learns differently, so your mileage may vary.

How to study? Uhh... maintain your study habits and don't wait until the last week before a midterm to study, 2 hrs per 1 hr of lec each day (2 hrs per 1 hr lec is the mininmum), on days with no class review and preview new material.

It's pretty simple really. Although, I goofed with this during my early part of my college career. Just don't procrastinate lol.

I think just going to class and taking notes is really helpful. By going to every class session, you are absorbing the information which helps you remember it long term (especially if a teacher is particularly good/interesting). Not having any distractions while studying is an excellent tip I've gotten a lot also (like facebook, cell phone, etc.)... having an iPhone is the ultimate downfall, for me .
It depends a lot on the subject, but it also helps if you have a "study buddy" or study group, because being able to explain a concept to someone else helps you feel more confindent in grasping it yourself. If a subject/class is boring, find a way to relate it to something fun or interesting.
Also, not saying this is a GOOD tip, or you should use it, but I find if I've procrastinated on a test and I only have time right before to study, I turn things I have to memorize into bizzare acronyms, then write them down as soon as I get the test. I did this for psychology (ugh) frequently last semester.
If your prof gives you a list of terms to study, define them in your own words instead of copying down the textbook definition. For some classes reading the textbook is an absolute must and sometimes it's a complete waste of time (and money). Anyway, don't know if this was helpful but hopefully someone will find it so, instead of everyone just ragging on my horrible study techniques

Take it from a seasoned veteran who owned an SMP - how you study is entirely based upon you function. People will have a variety of methods but it all comes down to how YOU study. Focus on YOU. Developing that method is something you should have before you end your freshman year of college. If you've come from a **** HS where studying never happened, then figuring out your studying habits might vary. Some people can study 20 min before a test and get an A - that's because they've developed this ridiculous ability of taking tests from a while ago. Others take hours in a library. In the end, it's all upon YOU. Books will say various methods, but it's going to take trial and error. Me? I have to be in a library away from a computer and have paper lecture/notes of everything. I cannot study with computers. My methodology is simple - study your notes before and after class. It's not a gunner mentality. I review the notes *try to* before class and then take notes. That way I have some clue about what the hell the professor is talking about. THAT WAY, I can know what to jot down. I study the notes after and rinse/repeat. In the end, it's ultimately how I function. I cannot do group study, I cannot do flash cards and I cannot do computers. Books are only there for a minor reference for things I forgot in class. It's just a system I've developed.

I personally make flash cards - I have a short attention span, so If I am writing the stuff down it gets ingrained into my head. Also, it prevents my mind from wandering off

Kaustikos said:

Take it from a seasoned veteran who owned an SMP - how you study is entirely based upon you function. People will have a variety of methods but it all comes down to how YOU study. Focus on YOU. Developing that method is something you should have before you end your freshman year of college. If you've come from a **** HS where studying never happened, then figuring out your studying habits might vary. Some people can study 20 min before a test and get an A - that's because they've developed this ridiculous ability of taking tests from a while ago. Others take hours in a library. In the end, it's all upon YOU. Books will say various methods, but it's going to take trial and error. Me? I have to be in a library away from a computer and have paper lecture/notes of everything. I cannot study with computers. My methodology is simple - study your notes before and after class. It's not a gunner mentality. I review the notes *try to* before class and then take notes. That way I have some clue about what the hell the professor is talking about. THAT WAY, I can know what to jot down. I study the notes after and rinse/repeat. In the end, it's ultimately how I function. I cannot do group study, I cannot do flash cards and I cannot do computers. Books are only there for a minor reference for things I forgot in class. It's just a system I've developed.

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True.

So the OP is just entering college huh?

For me, attending class was a huge waste of time (for some of the classes). I didn't understand the lecturer (either bc they didn't speak English well or because they were incomprehensible [to me] in their presentation of the material) and I did much better off with the notes and the textbook so I was able to figure it out for myself. Exams given in prior years by the same professor can be very helpful to figure out the high yield material.

cbrons said:

True.

So the OP is just entering college huh?

For me, attending class was a huge waste of time (for some of the classes). I didn't understand the lecturer (either bc they didn't speak English well or because they were incomprehensible [to me] in their presentation of the material) and I did much better off with the notes and the textbook so I was able to figure it out for myself. Exams given in prior years by the same professor can be very helpful to figure out the high yield material.

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yeah definitely, for one semester of gen chem I was better off just reading the text and ppt slides too.

Felixor90 said:

Look up stealth studying. It really works.

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...interesting

I usually open up my book and use my eyes to look at it.

from my experience, I'd say time management is the most important thing.

Actually study. Don't zone our or check facebook. I turn my cell phone OFF for the day except for lunch time. I'm not that important. No one will die if they can't reach me until my study time is over. The biggest mistake I see people make is that they 'study' for three hours but really if you discount the time they were on the phone, on facebook, checking email, etc, they really only studied for an hour - and not even a good solid hour, just a few minutes at a time punctuated by another break.

When you study, leave your laptop at home. Turn off your cell phone and put it in the bag. Study for the full time that you wanted. If you want to take a break, go to the bathroom and stretch for a minute. DON'T turn on your phone or your laptop because that five minute break will invariably be 30 minutes if you do.

cbrons said:

True.

So the OP is just entering college huh?

For me, attending class was a huge waste of time (for some of the classes). I didn't understand the lecturer (either bc they didn't speak English well or because they were incomprehensible [to me] in their presentation of the material) and I did much better off with the notes and the textbook so I was able to figure it out for myself. Exams given in prior years by the same professor can be very helpful to figure out the high yield material.

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Only times I go to class are when attendance is mandatory - i feel likie it is a waste of time too

I personally feel that going to class is usually never a waste. Even if the professor is just rattling off exactly what your book says or something, it's useful to get the repetition and have it drilled into your head.

That said, how I study really depends on the class. In my experience, science classes are all about mastering concepts, and some memorizing here and there, and the best way to hammer that home is to practice. Just do examples/problems that are in your book with every chapter as you go along and make sure you understand them, and you should do fine. For nonscience classes with tests, I usually just take copious notes in lecture and study them for exams.

Inex said:

Hi, this is my second post on this forum.

Essentially, I will be a first year student, and for that matter I want to perfect my studying habits.

What I really do want to know, is how other people study for tests, keeping up with the material, organizing their weekly planner, how many hours a day studying, what time(s) in the day, how you organize your notes, flash-card usage, and how to really succeed in school etc.

I've heard about this book called "How to Become a Straight-A Student"; what are your thoughts about that book?

I hope that many of you will write down how you do it, so other people like me can better our studying habits in order really get to show our potential, and to succeed in college.

Thanks.

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I have just finished my fourth semester and am 1 semester away from finishing all of my prerequisites. I have a pretty good GPA so I think I can give you some advice.

1. Always stay on top of your material
2. School is your #1 priority. Period
3. NEVER EVER cram
4. Always study for quizzes. They are easy hundreds and will make your life much easier when test comes.
5. Do everything you can to get an A (Extra credit, etc).
6. Never come to a class expecting it will be an easy A. NEVER.
7. Study at least 4-5 days before the test. I like to read over every materials that are going to be tested and then about 2-3 days before, I would do some intense studying.
8. When you don't understand something, ASK for help. You do NOT want to be behind. (I was struggling in physics in the beginning. I utilized every single help possible whether it is office hours, friends, internet, etc.)
9. I never really used flashcards but if it works for you then do it.
10. Go to EVERY SINGLE CLASS( I have never been late or missed a SINGLE class in my entire undergraduate career).
10. Good luck and don't buy any of those books. Everybody's studying ability and habits are different. You just have to find one that works for you.

SN1 said:

I have just finished my fourth semester and am 1 semester away from finishing all of my prerequisites. I have a pretty good GPA so I think I can give you some advice.

1. Always stay on top of your material
2. School is your #1 priority. Period
3. NEVER EVER cram
4. Always study for quizzes. They are easy hundreds and will make your life much easier when test comes.
5. Do everything you can to get an A (Extra credit, etc).
6. Never come to a class expecting it will be an easy A. NEVER.
7. Study at least 4-5 days before the test. I like to read over every materials that are going to be tested and then about 2-3 days before, I would do some intense studying.
8. When you don't understand something, ASK for help. You do NOT want to be behind. (I was struggling in physics in the beginning. I utilized every single help possible whether it is office hours, friends, internet, etc.)
9. I never really used flashcards but if it works for you then do it.
10. Go to EVERY SINGLE CLASS( I have never been late or missed a SINGLE class in my entire undergraduate career).
10. Good luck and don't buy any of those books. Everybody's studying ability and habits are different. You just have to find one that works for you.

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If you don't mind, I'd like to add to your list because it sounds like something I've been doing.

Get to know your teacher on a personal basis, as in they know who YOU are, I found it most of the times when I do this, the teacher tends to like my enthusiasm in the course and in objective material[lab reports and papers] I always score higher than most of my peers.

A lot of people look down on this and call it "sucking up", but those teachers that I got close to ended up writing me LOR's which you should look into when you start college.

Another thing I found useful is that, unless you are a morning person or can take notes, do NOT ever take an 8AM or earlier class. The same can be said about late afternoon/night classes for some people. I realized I wasn't a morning person in my second semester, so ended up sleeping like twice in my bio2 class while the other days I barely paid attention, but I ended up BARELY making an A[as in i got a 89.95 and my teacher curved for me which is pure luck].

Also for a side note, www.half.com is your friend for books, its cheaper than most places and guarantee to be cheaper than your school.

Everyone is different, but a foolproof method I've been using for the past year or so is this:

1. Go to class, take notes if it helps you, or there is stuff the teacher lectures on that isnt in the book.
2. Review the material the teacher covered in the book, underline everything you find important, then write it down into a notebook. Compile your class notes as well if there are extras and differences in what your teacher says vs. the book, because its your teacher who will ultimately make the test.
3. Now that all of your notes are in one notebook, go over the notes paragraph by paragraph, page by page. By go over, i mean really try and understand the information, memorize vocabulary words (sometimes you have no choice at first) and really understand what those words mean. My test for myself is after every page to recite and recreate what I've learned in my head, and if i cant, then i didnt learn the page well enough.
4. After 3-5 pages, its extremely important to stop and rewrite everything you learned in those pages in another notebook, this notebook should only have what your sure you absolutely know. When you've completely rewritten all your notes here, from memory alone, then you're ready for the test.
5. Now reviewing for the test is simple, you just review the notes in your 'what you know' notebook. After all, you already wrote it down from memory, so you know it. If you're forgetful then review it more often. I've found focusing on the conceptual side of things, really understanding the material, helps in remembering it for a long time.

And of course, if there are additional methods of practice such as practice problems in the book or from your teacher, do those as well.

nola2016 said:

If you don't mind, I'd like to add to your list because it sounds like something I've been doing.

Get to know your teacher on a personal basis, as in they know who YOU are, I found it most of the times when I do this, the teacher tends to like my enthusiasm in the course and in objective material[lab reports and papers] I always score higher than most of my peers.

A lot of people look down on this and call it "sucking up", but those teachers that I got close to ended up writing me LOR's which you should look into when you start college.

Another thing I found useful is that, unless you are a morning person or can take notes, do NOT ever take an 8AM or earlier class. The same can be said about late afternoon/night classes for some people. I realized I wasn't a morning person in my second semester, so ended up sleeping like twice in my bio2 class and ended up BARELY making an A[as in i got a 89.95 and my teacher curved for me].

Also for a side note, www.half.com is your friend for books, its cheaper than most places and guarantee to be cheaper than your school.

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.


I agree with this.
Also be wise when selecting your professor.
Don't buy books until the first class begins. Some professors don't even require them.

The important thing is manage your time wisely. When you go to the library study the whole time. Don't drag it out the whole day because you get distracted. If you go to class, pay attention otherwise your time is being wasted doing nothing.

Start studying like half an hour each day at least a week maybe two before the exam-this gives you more time to digest the material and see the big picture. Do not ever cram-it may be the cool thing to do but it's risky and stressful.<-- this becomes even more important during finals week.

Definitely stay organized and make a study schedule, whatever you need to do.

When you study for the sciences, study to understand, not memorize everything.

And most importantly enjoy college. Don't worry too much about grades, you will do fine. Don't become obsessed with making A's and trying to maintain perfection. Not worth the time.

salim271 said:

Everyone is different, but a foolproof method I've been using for the past year or so is this:

1. Go to class, take notes if it helps you, or there is stuff the teacher lectures on that isnt in the book.
2. Review the material the teacher covered in the book, underline everything you find important, then write it down into a notebook. Compile your class notes as well if there are extras and differences in what your teacher says vs. the book, because its your teacher who will ultimately make the test.
3. Now that all of your notes are in one notebook, go over the notes paragraph by paragraph, page by page. By go over, i mean really try and understand the information, memorize vocabulary words (sometimes you have no choice at first) and really understand what those words mean. My test for myself is after every page to recite and recreate what I've learned in my head, and if i cant, then i didnt learn the page well enough.
4. After 3-5 pages, its extremely important to stop and rewrite everything you learned in those pages in another notebook, this notebook should only have what your sure you absolutely know. When you've completely rewritten all your notes here, from memory alone, then you're ready for the test.
5. Now reviewing for the test is simple, you just review the notes in your 'what you know' notebook. After all, you already wrote it down from memory, so you know it. If you're forgetful then review it more often. I've found focusing on the conceptual side of things, really understanding the material, helps in remembering it for a long time.

And of course, if there are additional methods of practice such as practice problems in the book or from your teacher, do those as well.

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Great advice, I study this way too

In regards to taking notes, take notes from the book before class, and when in class, jot down information that you haven't learned. That way, you're paying more attention to the teacher, and less attention to writing stuff down. Also, you're recalling information that you have already learned before class, so the repetition helps in locking in the information.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrOC9zdLzMQ[/YOUTUBE]

I never studied for any of my classes or took notes. Just showed up for classes and listened in lectures as well as did the required readings. This has worked for every class except math. Math you actually have to take notes and do the homework. After, I got a 90 on my first math test in calc 2 I stopped doing all my homework and rarely attended lecture. I continued to do well until the teacher changed homework to 10% of the grade to 20% to offset poor test performances. As a result I got a C+. For organic chemistry never touched the book or anything . Just paid attention in lecture to the reactions never wrote them down just pondered them in my head throughout the day and associated personalities with them. Diels-Alder (the stabilizer forms six membered ring), radical hydrogen abstractions ( hydrogen theives). Made the highest marks in the class and was asked to be the TA. When people found out it was me they raged it is a very competitive and sought after position.

I didn't study too much in undergrad (maybe 1-2 days before each exam and usually just 4-5 hours each day then). But when I got to medical school I discovered studying regularly. So for me it is basically a required amount of time in the library with my computer off and just notes or books. Time varied based on unit, how close to test etc. but being in the library and not where I could watch ESPN was key.

raltima07 said:

I personally make flash cards - I have a short attention span, so If I am writing the stuff down it gets ingrained into my head. Also, it prevents my mind from wandering off

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same. flash cards are great and thats how i study for all my science/math classes (which is all i take now).

1. as far as memorizing, they're really great for memorizing formulas that you have to just know. write what the formula is for on one side, or the name of it, and then the actual formula on the other. this is great for math, gen. chem, and physics
2. but wait! theyre not JUST for memorizing. the reason i like flash cards is because you can basically quiz yourself. write the name of the concept that your info you need to learn is related to, and then write ALL that stuff you should know on the other side. look at the title/concept side when studying, then sit back and try to recall everything you know about it. then check the other side to see if you missed anything
3. even the act of just WRITING the info on the flashcard helps you to reread it off your notes.
4. flashcards can be kept when the test is over and re-used before the final exam (though hopefully you remember most of it)

i never used flashcards for stuff like polisci, english, art, etc. that'd just take forever. for those you just make a study guide out of class notes.

When it comes to the sciences, identify which professors are good instructors and which ones are not. By that I mean some will be able to elucidate concepts flawlessly and smoothly to you, making it extremely easy to absorb the knowledge and material. Others will just ramble on about whatever interests them or their research, and then test you on material that you feel like was never covered in lecture. For those professors, READ YOUR TEXTBOOK! As a disclaimer, this unorthodox teaching style does not say anything about the professor's ability as a researcher or scientist, but there is little doubt some people are natural teachers while others are not.

Inex said:

Only 4-5 hours on 1-2 days before an exam, and still you managed to get into Med. school? Wow.

Because there are 4-5 each subjects each semester, how do you allocate your time to read all those subjects each week, and how does a weekly plan look like (examples).

Time management is important, therefore I am curious how you all manage your study time in order to succeed.

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Not sure if you have an iPhone/Mac, but I downloaded the app iStudiez Pro. I haven't begun college yet, but it still seems to be extremely helpful at tracking your assignments/tests and planning your day out. You might want to look at that and see if there's a PC alternative

Couple more things:

About attending: You should attend class for all the reasons people said above, like getting the professor to know you, but ALSO because for YOU to get to know the professor. Especially in classes in the sciences there are always more topics than can be tested on test day, so if you attend class and know your professor, you tend to pick up on what he or she thinks is important in a topic. A.k.a. you start figuring out material that will be focused on for the exam. Its like cheating without actually cheating, lol. But its also a good exercise, my freshman bio prof was known to throw in some tricky wording and flip flop ideas in your head, so my study group would go over notes and try to come up with crazy flip flops and double negatives and junk (he actually didn't use double negatives, but its just an exercise). Turns out...three of the crazy Q's we made up were prettty darn close to three Q's on the final. It was my first perfect test, it was amazing!

Teach other students: Mastering concepts is being able to take an idea, and being able to make new examples/different ways to look at it AND still be absolutely right. It means your critically thinking, and its fun if you get a good one. Sometimes you realize you have know idea what your doing on a topic, and can actually learn it yourself. Your study buddies love you too.

Picking a study group: I only did this for a few classes, and it was really more for moral support at odd hours of the night, but if you choose a group of friends to study, make sure they are not leeching off of you. I mean that, some friends are simply lazy, great people! but lazy... Having friends who don't get things as fast as you is not a bad thing, because they actually want to learn and are trying, and some day they might be better at a class than you. They will no doubt return the favor.

Time Management = Organized from Eyes open to eyes closed:

Simply stated, for most good applicants for med school, 24hours is never enough. Anyone have a dream where suddenly the solar system changed and we gained an hour everyday, 25hrs! I can cure cancer! Or, you gained a super power of never having to sleep, WOW. Anyway...Med applicant has to juggle much more than just classes. Research, volunteering, clubs/org, and Friends <---Good to not become socially inept.
This means managing your time like a beast. Studying shouldn't just be about learning material as weird as that sounds. Studying also has to be efficient. The ratio is more important because as it allows you to use the time saved to do more in 24hours. Thats why, I use this trick:

Plan studying by content per day, and NOT studying time per day.

Figure out in advance how much material will be in a class for the next exam. Evenly distribute the material (to best of your knowledge at the time), over the period of time before T-day. Give yourself days where your doing other work, so this can be on the back burner, but get the content fixed on days. Hit your goals for content without looking at TIME! The point of this is that instead of using time as benchmark for how much you've studied, you use content. This forces you to be efficient, because if you spend 5hours on a chapter because you spend 3hours on facebook, that sucks for you, cause you still have 2 more chapters you planned to do that night. You learn your lesson, quickly. You have to look at those 3 hours on facebook as the time you could of spent relaxing, its gone now so say goodbye... By committing yourself to a schedule you gain endurance as a student, and its rewarding to get it done.
WARNING: You tend to get over ambitious some days, and set unreachable goals, by experience you gain how much you can really accomplish. Its good for learning about where your abilities are, and tracking your improvement as a student.

Time saving: Travel time! The hours of your life moving from place to place. Shrink it, with a commuter bike, packing food in the morning or night before, planning your errands. This is more micromanage, but I was getting close to 2 extra hours a day from just packing meals and eating on the go, and planning errands to shorten walking time. Never got a commuter cause my campus sucks for bike thieves, but I regret that now.

Lastly about notes. That is completely based on the class. Some classes require you to draw graphs and pics, not happening for most on the computer. I used multiple ways to study because it makes everyday a little different even if your actually doing the same thing. Making things are good learning, but time consuming. Usually a last resort.

The biggest thing for me was to understand concepts rather than to use rote memorization. This idea will save SO much time studying.

Also, study for shorter bursts rather than long marathons. Two hours + two hours break + two hours is better than those 6 hours straight.

So I have taken the best study tips from this thread and combined them into on big thread.

Inex said:

Another thing; do you use good old fashioned pen & paper in class, or a laptop/netbook? And why?

Please, don't stop sharing your study habits, organizing tips etc.

Also, come up with examples of your daily study routine, how it looks like etc, and how you manage your time to the different things. I think that time management is a very important factor, and that's a thing I need to become better at. Please, share thought on the subject, as well as come up with examples on your daily routine.

Again, thanks for all your replies. I hope more will come.

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Before each semester I make a spread sheet of when my classes are and when I should study, eat, etc. My friends and I pass these around and sinc up meals and free times. Not something I strictly follow, but it lets you see exactly how much time you have in your day once your obligations are taken care of.

Get a planner. When you get your sylabi, write everything in that one planner, even appointments.

Go to class, and take notes

Find a space that you can call your own that is quiet. My space changed every semester, and NOT ONCE has it been the library. It gets over run during finnals.

Go to that study space a few times a week (Sunday is the day of the week EVERYONE studys, so you won't miss much, simular with mondays, tuesdays and wednsedays at my school) and review by subject. If you had a lecture, reading assignment, and lab on photosynesis, review them at the same time.

Make flashcard, and make them PRETTY!!!!! Mine are multicolored and covered in pictures and jokes. Otherwise I would NEVER look at them!

Keep your note cards in your pockets/bag at all times. There is a surprising amount of waiting in college. Waiting in line for food, for class to start, for a friend to show up,etc. Whip out the cards for a review. When you master a card put is aside for test time. If you do your cards well, the night before the test you should be able to go through them twice, each time eleminating the cards you know as you pass through, focusing on the cards you have the most trouble with. The jokes help with the redundancy, and are welcome additions to study groups.

...

My number one rule: do whatever you can to AVOID CRAMMING. I've been there many, many times, and it is absolute hell.

Break up whatever you have to study into manageable chunks, and don't try to only study for one particular class per day. This way, you don't end up unintentionally neglecting a class.

DO NOT FALL BEHIND. PERIOD.

Ask questions. Your professor is there for a reason.

Go to class, even if this means just sitting there listening passively. You'll be surprised at what you can remember, and it gives you an opportunity to ask questions and to get to know your professor. I usually don't try to take notes during lecture, at least for bio/humanities classes, because (A) you usually can't write everything down as fast as the professor talks, and (B) it's actually counter-productive to your ability to pay attention. It would be a bad idea not to take notes for chem and math classes, but try to gauge what is and what is not important.

Don't buy any books before you get your syllabus. The professor will usually tell you straight up whether or not you need the textbook or not. And if they don't, ask. I can't tell you how many times I've spent money on books that I never used once.

Make it your goal to get an A, but don't be a douche about it. If you don't get an A, it's your fault and nobody else's. Never ask for mercy points/grade boosts.

Probably one of the most useful things you can do is to keep organized. I've seen people make crazy weekly planner things with excel or whatever, and if that's your cup of tea, go for it. Not my thing. I just write down all the things I have to do in a small pocket notebook and cross them out as I finish them.

Last but not least, lighten up. Even though you're trying to get into medical school (srs business), you don't need to be super cereal 24/7. Unclench your buttcheeks once in a while.

Knowing how many hours people online study doesn't hold any real meaning since 1)You're not us and 2)People lie, a lot.

And @ the incoming freshmen posting study tips

IvyHopeful20 said:

Actually study. Don't zone our or check facebook. I turn my cell phone OFF for the day except for lunch time. I'm not that important. No one will die if they can't reach me until my study time is over. The biggest mistake I see people make is that they 'study' for three hours but really if you discount the time they were on the phone, on facebook, checking email, etc, they really only studied for an hour - and not even a good solid hour, just a few minutes at a time punctuated by another break.

When you study, leave your laptop at home. Turn off your cell phone and put it in the bag. Study for the full time that you wanted. If you want to take a break, go to the bathroom and stretch for a minute. DON'T turn on your phone or your laptop because that five minute break will invariably be 30 minutes if you do.

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Very good advice!
Thanks!

How I study?

Well I'll be honest. The way I study is by first asking myself, "If I was the professor, what types of problems would I put on the exam?" The answer to this question is that you have to know the personality of your professor. Most professors want to put some easy questions, some questions that require background knowledge, some difficult questions.

However, they tend not to put questions on there that take too long to solve or are otherwise full of difficult tasked problems.

It took me a few years, but I really did begin to develop an intuition of what material to study and what not to study. DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

I would go to professor's office hours, honestly I would say office hours are more important than going to class, but still you should go to class so your professor knows you're there. Learning is accomplished through problem solving, the more problems you solve on your own, the more learning is accomplished.

So really the question of how to study boils down to, "what should I do to increase the number and difficulty of problems solved?"

The easiest thing you can do is adjust your time. More time = more problems. I generally study about a week before an exam, I have an outline of things to study, what types of problems I should know etc etc. Go over homework and additional problems in the textbook. Do a little bit a day, but by giving yourself a week, you have plenty of time to cover all of it.

So essentially there are two forces at play here

1.) Wittle down the material you need to study as much as possible.
2.) Solve as many problems as possible from that material.

This is what I like doing

1) pre read/skim : if you have slides, skim those, if you have a book and you know that Ch2 will be covered today skim that.....don't annotate of highlight or anything, just look up the road to see what is coming

2) take notes in class: pen and paper helped me most...never worked well on a laptop....do a good job here....it is important for the next steps

3) read the actual text and do so actively this time......fill in your notes with things you may have missed or were incomplete your first listen through in class....also, make sure that you understand what is going on.....don't memorize until you have understood first....then memorize what needs to be memorized (things like amino acids)

4) rewrite the notes, this time instead of sheets of paper, put it into a nice ring binder or journal type notebook. this one is for keeps, so use different colors/pictures/high detail and neat handwriting.....have pride in your work and notes

5) do practice problems/previous tests to ensure that you have firm grasp of the concepts (more important closer to test day)

Throughout this, keep your mind jogging....recite to yourself what you have just learned, ask yourself about implications and where problems may rise. above all, do not wait........cramming+adderall dont really work, even if a few knuckleheads swear by them.

Also google Vark learning styles, take the test, and determine the type of learner you are. It is only one of many tools you can use. The best thing to do is to do what works for you and to realize that you might have to change your study habits depending on the class. Different approaches will be needed to study Anatomy and Immunology, for example.