I cant seem to sit down and just study. any tips?

[Road2Success]

I can't seem to sit down and just re read the notes over and over again. Even if I lock myself up in a quiet room and away from any distractions. I always end up doing something else rather than studying. Maybe I just have a lack of focus or concentration but i can't just sit there for a hour and read the notes over and over again. Is a hour too long without breaks or what?

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[Djokervic]

inb4adderall

 

[CoolWhipp]

Tell yourself, you only have to read 1 page. It usually results in reading more than one page.

 

[orangeblue]

Take a deep breath.

Take breaks after every 20 mins. The Pimanto method.

Try to break down your study time into schedules.

Give yourself a reward (although it doesn't work for me)

Pack your schedule with things you have to do the whole week so you know that you can't slack off today or else all your dates/deadlines will be missed.

Vision , dream.

 

[Suncrusher]

i have the same problem. i usually end up playing video games...hence why I am awake right now at 3:30 am cramming for a test 😱 and getting distracted on sdn 🙄 I'm really bad at this studying thing...

 

[Road2Success]

i have the same problem. i usually end up playing video games...hence why I am awake right now at 3:30 am cramming for a test 😱 and getting distracted on sdn 🙄 I'm really bad at this studying thing...

How did you get into med school if you have bad study habits 😵?

 

[Suncrusher]

Everyone is different. What I do works for me. I think the fact that cramming doesn't cause me to fail is a big part of why I don't have the motivation I need to develop better study habits.

 

[Road2Success]

Everyone is different. What I do works for me. I think the fact that cramming doesn't cause me to fail is a big part of why I don't have the motivation I need to develop better study habits.

yeah i use to cram and pull B's but that was like 1 - 2 hours before a exam. Can't afford to get B's need A's to not end up in carribean or DO school.

 

[Suncrusher]

well I do have some tips that I use on occassion...study in 45minute blocks with a minimum 10 minute break in between...study standing up to help get rid of restless energy...reward yourself with food or masturbation or something after completion 😎

 

[Djokervic]

well I do have some tips that I use on occassion...study in 45minute blocks with a minimum 10 minute break in between...study standing up to help get rid of restless energy...reward yourself with food or masturbation or something after completion 😎

Really solid advice. I always have a suspiciously muscular forearm the day of a test.

 

[GimpGenius]

The 50/10 breakdown (50 minutes of work to 10 minutes of downtime) seems to work pretty well. I absolutely disagree with the "pack your schedule with crap" method, though. You're going to be under enough pressure as is; arbitrarily adding more pressure to yourself can lead to all sorts of problems (physical and mental).

Also, don't neglect yourself. Set some time out for exercise (30 minutes a day at least), and make sure you get a decent night's sleep (you'll know how many hours you function best on). Taking some time out for yourself can help you "recharge" for the next round of studying, too. I personally like cooking, since it's relaxing for me, and it knocks out that food requirement we all need!

 

[IMSingular]

May be try to train to run a marathon.

 

[Humans]

The 50/10 breakdown (50 minutes of work to 10 minutes of downtime) seems to work pretty well. I absolutely disagree with the "pack your schedule with crap" method, though. You're going to be under enough pressure as is; arbitrarily adding more pressure to yourself can lead to all sorts of problems (physical and mental).

Also, don't neglect yourself. Set some time out for exercise (30 minutes a day at least), and make sure you get a decent night's sleep (you'll know how many hours you function best on). Taking some time out for yourself can help you "recharge" for the next round of studying, too. I personally like cooking, since it's relaxing for me, and it knocks out that food requirement we all need!

This is great advice! I'll try it this week for my Bio exam!

 

[BA11]

The average human attention span is 20-30 minutes, so study for about 30 minutes, takes a 5-10 minute stretch/internet/food break, then study for another 30. This is WAY more productive and time efficient than trying to study straight through for several hours. You might soend and extra hour/hour and a half time wise but you'll retain twice the information.

 

[549]

Sitting and rereading notes makes me space out- I like to make flashcards to stay engaged. Or what works for me is that each time I read my notes, I highlight everything I don't know, and then just reread that stuff. Then I can see my progress once I know more and more of the stuff I highlighted, which is motivating. I stop rereading once I feel like I'm just skimming and I know most of it.

 

[Bartemius]

inb4adderall

I lqtm'd (laughed quietly to myself)

 

[dmf2682]

May be try to train to run a marathon.

I carried orgo flashcards when I ran the Chicago marathon. Didn't work, threw them out.

 

[MIAYO]

Mix it up. If I am not in the mood to read text then I may do practice questions. If I am not in the mood to understand new concepts then I will go over things I need to memorize.
Take breaks whenever you feel overwhelmed.
Exercise. I do yoga, lift weights, and do cardio. Exercise helps keep me focused. Otherwise, I get really antsy while sitting still for so long.