how to study

[Lisochka]

I am having a hard time studying. I come to my org chem class and listen, and try to concentrate and understand what the professor is saying, but it seems like whatevery he is saying is just a noise and makes no sense....Sometimes I catch myself thinking about something else and then I have to make an effort to make myself to listen to his leture...
It is like that in many classes. My A and P class and Physics class were like that too....It never happened though in my Calculus class, English, General Biology, Speech and Economics classes... I don't know what my problem is...
It is just seems that for some subjects I have to spend way more time and make myself to listen the lectures instead of thinking about a bikini wax or other crap....
what is wrong with me?
How can I improve my study habbits?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SN2ed]

It looks like lectures don't work for you for those types of classes. Don't worry too much, everyone has different ways of studying. However, it is up to you to find out what study method helps you the most. I suggest you go through the various techniques, such as, reading, listening (by yourself), taking notes, solving problems, etc. Your problem could also be that the teacher and/or material isn't very engaging.

 

[cbrons]

I am having a hard time studying. I come to my org chem class and listen, and try to concentrate and understand what the professor is saying, but it seems like whatevery he is saying is just a noise and makes no sense....Sometimes I catch myself thinking about something else and then I have to make an effort to make myself to listen to his leture...
It is like that in many classes. My A and P class and Physics class were like that too....It never happened though in my Calculus class, English, General Biology, Speech and Economics classes... I don't know what my problem is...
It is just seems that for some subjects I have to spend way more time and make myself to listen the lectures instead of thinking about a bikini wax or other crap....
what is wrong with me?
How can I improve my study habbits?

I never learn jack in any of my chem or physics lectures. I'm the type of person who has to read it for myself then do the problems over and over again to understand it. So don't feel bad... Theres probably some tutors on campus to help you out as well. I know I utilized a lot of the physics grad. students this semester as well but becareful going that route because they tend to do the problems for you which won't help you in the long run.

 

[Marjan Islam]

Personally, I never go to class, ever if there's a BOOK with NOTES that the exams are 100% based on. I just learn infinitely better reading a text book or studying notes. An hour and a half sitting in class listening to a lecture is far less productive than sitting down, and reading/doing problems by yourself for an hour and a half for me. I've had tremendous luck and much more time using this method.

Not going to class has a bad vibe to it, but it really depends on what you do with the time you don't spend in class. If you goof off, yes, it's bad. But if you study, it's time better spent. This is for only me btw, I don't know how you will do. Everyone studies differently. I'm just saying, if you simply can't get anything out of going to class, study the material on your own using the time you'd waste in class.

 

[DrDre2001]

Personally, I never go to class, ever if there's a BOOK with NOTES that the exams are 100% based on. I just learn infinitely better reading a text book or studying notes. An hour and a half sitting in class listening to a lecture is far less productive than sitting down, and reading/doing problems by yourself for an hour and a half for me. I've had tremendous luck and much more time using this method.

Not going to class has a bad vibe to it, but it really depends on what you do with the time you don't spend in class. If you goof off, yes, it's bad. But if you study, it's time better spent. This is for only me btw, I don't know how you will do. Everyone studies differently. I'm just saying, if you simply can't get anything out of going to class, study the material on your own using the time you'd waste in class.

I agree. I also miss many classes and still do fine. Ive seen studies done on the ineffectiveness of lectures.

Back to your question of how to improve your concentration and understanding of a lecture:

Now when i do actually go to class, i can only follow the professor if i had read the information BEFORE the lecture.

The reason i cant understand the lecture if i dont read the information before is that if i miss something that the professor says, i can still fill in the blanks with the background information i had prior to sitting down in class that day.

Maybe that's your problem too. You miss one thing that the teacher says, and then you are lost the rest of the whole lecture. You cant press a rewind button in lecture to get caught back up.

This can also explain why you arent lost in Economics or Speech class. In a physics or chemistry class, everything builds on what came before it. If you miss something your professor says in Speech class, you should still be able to understand what comes next in the lecture.

A lot of times, if i wasnt able to read the chapters before the lecture, i dont go to the lecture, knowing that itll just be a waste. When i do do the pre-reading, I go to lecture now, and its not too bad.

 

[Scarletblack]

Yeah I've taken these classes, and the rule is you don't learn anything from lecture. You just get an exposure to it.

What worked for me was that I took a lot of book notes and I did all the example problems. After doing the example problems, I did just some at the back.

I dunno, but that's what worked for me and I got As in Chem, Phys, OChem.

Also lectures are useless, but office hours are not. Go to those like as many times as you can.