I am interested in what y'all have to say on the matter, especially those of you who are either well into the undergraduate career or beyond. Anything goes, from tips, techniques, time management habits, personal motivation techniques, et cetera
What are your top 5 essential study habits/techniques?
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My big thing is to not waste time. If I have a free hour/half hour in between things, I'll take that chance to do some homework or look over/read ahead on a lecture/slides for classes. When you consider how much time you spend aimlessly browsing your phone or whatnot, it starts to add up.
And if you procrastinate, it's time to stop. Write papers weeks ahead of time so that if anything unexpected pops up, you can manage. Start studying for tests a week or two in advance (maybe more if you know there's a lot of content or it'll be difficult). Time management is a skill that has to be developed and it is often neglected.
And if you procrastinate, it's time to stop. Write papers weeks ahead of time so that if anything unexpected pops up, you can manage. Start studying for tests a week or two in advance (maybe more if you know there's a lot of content or it'll be difficult). Time management is a skill that has to be developed and it is often neglected.
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1. Get all the personal stuff (such as working out, hobbies, chatting with friends) out early in the day.
2. Study at home. No distractions if you have the discipline and nobody to bother you with talking.
3. Study in advance.
4. Set small goals that lead to larger ones.
5. Sleep faster.
2. Study at home. No distractions if you have the discipline and nobody to bother you with talking.
3. Study in advance.
4. Set small goals that lead to larger ones.
5. Sleep faster.
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I think you'll find a treasure trove of information on this with a few small searches. It's a useful topic, but certainly one that a lot of people have already contributed their thoughts on in the past--you don't want to miss out on that.
My top 5:
1) Work early and moderately so you never have to work late and frantically.
2) Be realistic with your goals. Do not set a plan of studying 5 hours straight, a 30 minute lunch break, and then 5 hours straight again.
3) Avoid working where you play. It's hard to shake the mixed messages it sends to your brain.
4) Don't work in groups with people who talk to you all the time. Most research shows that studying in groups is usually counterproductive (though obviously this doesn't mean it can't ever be effective).
5) Do problems, flashcards, and other methods that require you to actively recall the relevant information, much like you will have to on a test. This works better (for me at least) than simply rewriting notes or reading slides over 50 times.
My top 5:
1) Work early and moderately so you never have to work late and frantically.
2) Be realistic with your goals. Do not set a plan of studying 5 hours straight, a 30 minute lunch break, and then 5 hours straight again.
3) Avoid working where you play. It's hard to shake the mixed messages it sends to your brain.
4) Don't work in groups with people who talk to you all the time. Most research shows that studying in groups is usually counterproductive (though obviously this doesn't mean it can't ever be effective).
5) Do problems, flashcards, and other methods that require you to actively recall the relevant information, much like you will have to on a test. This works better (for me at least) than simply rewriting notes or reading slides over 50 times.
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Narmer guy's number 3) is especially true for me. I find my study/work time to be most effective if I do my homework/study in the library and then play at home in my apartment. I find it very difficult to settle down and get to work at the same desk in the same chair I like to eat and watch television in. Definitely make yourself a work space and a play space!
Other than that, I would recommend you have at least 2 regular hours every day that you study. For me I know I will always have study time from 7-9 so when those hours roll around my brain is programmed to settle down.
Other than that, I would recommend you have at least 2 regular hours every day that you study. For me I know I will always have study time from 7-9 so when those hours roll around my brain is programmed to settle down.
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I've found that planning to study via content and not time has really helped me. It's very hard to just "sit down and study" and it be focused and productive. So I also generally try to be writing something or whatnot to keep from just staring.
In upper level classes it's very helpful to stay in front of the material. That way lecture is your 2nd time learning things.
In upper level classes it's very helpful to stay in front of the material. That way lecture is your 2nd time learning things.
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1) Be able to teach myself the material, ie recite and explain it
2) Use a dedicated study space
3) Before and after lecture, ask at least one question to a neighbor or prof
4) Fully review material at least 3 times before an exam
5) Take notes, and always stay current
2) Use a dedicated study space
3) Before and after lecture, ask at least one question to a neighbor or prof
4) Fully review material at least 3 times before an exam
5) Take notes, and always stay current
I'm fairly new since i will be starting college this fall and these topics contain a vast amount of advice . this brought me to the thought about doing something in college that i have done through the last 2 years of high school.
when i study for long times, especially getting ready for tests, i like to use markers and white board. i bought one a few years ago and have enough space in my room. it does help a lot especially when you get tired from sitting too long. i wonder if this would be helpful in my undergrad studying.
when i study for long times, especially getting ready for tests, i like to use markers and white board. i bought one a few years ago and have enough space in my room. it does help a lot especially when you get tired from sitting too long. i wonder if this would be helpful in my undergrad studying.
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I stay organized by dividing the material up and studying for exams a week out. I keep everything (notes, handouts, practice problems) together in a folder or binder and group them. For example if I have four quizes followed by an exam, then I keep each quiz and the material seperate for each. I will study quiz 1 and the material five days out, quiz 2 four days out... and the night before go over any new material. It keeps me from cramming and if I don't understand anything, it give me time to figure it out/ask the prof.
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I think the most important thing is time management.
Start off the semester by making a calendar when everything is due/when tests occur. I mean, include everything in that thing. I even put when my labs were due and when rough drafts should be complete. Then, I print the thing off and keep one in my backpack, one in my binder, one on the fridge and one by my computer. I always make sure I know when things will be coming up so I know when to work on them.
When tests start coming up, I know when I should start studying by simply looking at the calendar. If I only have one test during a week, I can start studying 2-3 days in advance. If I see that I have 3-4 tests, I will probably need the entire previous week and the days leading up to the tests to study.
I think the worst part of college is procrastination and by keeping a track of when everything needs to be finished it makes it less likely that you will procrastinate.
As for studying, I think everyone needs to find out what works best for them. I found that reading the lecture slides over and over helps me remember it the best. I take additional notes on slides, but those additional notes are just there to help me learn it the first time. Then it is all quick review and trying to repeat the notes in my head before I actually read them. In a sense, I use them like a flashcard without ever making the flashcards.
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1. Do all of your initial studying on your own. This includes all necessary reading, reviewing notes, etc. Also, always make out a study guide that is not just copying your notes. Go through your notes, and make out a study guide or note cards that explains all of the materials in a comprehensive way - filling in any gaps with info from your text or on-line. Really try to figure out things on your own - you will understand and remember it sooo much better than if it is just spoon-fed to you from a professor. Once you have struggled with it for a bit, though, highlight the areas where you really need some assistance, and these are good things that you can bring to a review session or office hours.
2. If you know a group of people that are pretty good at studying, set up test review sessions with them after you have completed your initial review. Then verbally walk through each other's notes asking questions, and filling in gaps. This is a great time to get a different perspective on material, and really hammer it into your head by actually having to logically go through it out loud in the presence of others. Teaching material to others is the best test to see if you actually understand it yourself.
3. I personally like to study at the library. If I'm at home, I can always be tempted to watch TV, take a nap, call friends, etc.. None of these things are really available to me at the library, so I can generally stay more focused.
4. Designate portions of the day to get through a certain amount of material, rather than just designating a time frame (i.e. "I will outline chapters 1 and 2 this afternoon", rather than "I will study for 4 hours this afternoon"). This is results-based, so by goofing off or surfing the net, all you are doing is prolonging the amount of time that you have to spend there. If you really hold yourself to this, you will find that you will be a lot more productive with your time, so that you can allow yourself to go do other stuff guilt-free.
5. Plan study breaks for when your brain is feeling really fried. I try to do things that will actually leave me feeling more refreshed and that are somewhat productive like going for a run or taking a 1/2 hour to call my parents. I don't recommend watching TV, playing computer games, etc., as I think that it can be really difficult to get back into studying afterwards, and I never really feel better.
2. If you know a group of people that are pretty good at studying, set up test review sessions with them after you have completed your initial review. Then verbally walk through each other's notes asking questions, and filling in gaps. This is a great time to get a different perspective on material, and really hammer it into your head by actually having to logically go through it out loud in the presence of others. Teaching material to others is the best test to see if you actually understand it yourself.
3. I personally like to study at the library. If I'm at home, I can always be tempted to watch TV, take a nap, call friends, etc.. None of these things are really available to me at the library, so I can generally stay more focused.
4. Designate portions of the day to get through a certain amount of material, rather than just designating a time frame (i.e. "I will outline chapters 1 and 2 this afternoon", rather than "I will study for 4 hours this afternoon"). This is results-based, so by goofing off or surfing the net, all you are doing is prolonging the amount of time that you have to spend there. If you really hold yourself to this, you will find that you will be a lot more productive with your time, so that you can allow yourself to go do other stuff guilt-free.
5. Plan study breaks for when your brain is feeling really fried. I try to do things that will actually leave me feeling more refreshed and that are somewhat productive like going for a run or taking a 1/2 hour to call my parents. I don't recommend watching TV, playing computer games, etc., as I think that it can be really difficult to get back into studying afterwards, and I never really feel better.
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Yes - given that they are challenging, and not just busy-work. I also find them most helpful when you have the answers available, but just use them to check your work (being able to check my work real-time has always been very beneficial for me).
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For gen chem, ochem and physics, absolutely. Bio, not so much.
For me:
1. If the textbook sucks, find secondary sources of material ASAP. Organic Chemistry as a Second Language (for those of you who are about to take ochem) will save your butt.
2. I re-write all of my notes in a way that I can understand. A couple of teachers at my high school made us do this for a grade and it has turned out to be a VERY helpful habit. When I go to lecture I write my notes in a designated "scratch" notebook, and then that afternoon/evening, I will re-write it in an "official" notebook with more legible handwriting, and with added material from the powerpoint slides/textbook/assigned readings/etc. When exams roll around I then have a legible set of notes to study off of that I have organized in a way that I liked, and since I'd written everything out twice I would know it very well.
3. Study in the library in one of the "quiet" floors. NOT in a coffee shop, NOT in a dorm lobby and definitely NOT in my dorm (or apartment, now that I'm off campus). This will minimize distractions and allow you to focus. Also, buy yourself earplugs.
4. When I bring my laptop with me to the library, I do NOT bring my charger. I'll usually make sure my laptop is at ~75% so that I can do schoolwork as needed, but this way I cannot afford to waste time watching the latest episode of New Girl or muck around on facebook.
5. I will use at least half of a weekend day (usually Saturday afternoons/evenings) to do something fun, whether its go out with my fiancee to a park, go see a movie, or hang out with friends. That way I have something to look forward to each week and I don't feel like I'm living constantly in the library.
As an added bonus...if I get an A on an exam, I will treat myself to Chipotle.
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As a med student but I think a lot of this could apply to college too:
1. Evaluate my sources: I go to the first lecture by a new professor/doctor. If I like their style I will go to the rest of their lectures or listen to them online. If not I don't go to class. This goes for books/class notes (slides) too, like sometimes I will go to a book if the slides aren't that detailed.
2. Take notes: If I go to class or listen to the lecture, I take notes from the lecture and look up anything I don't understand in the book or the readings. If I don't, I just take notes from the reading. Taking notes makes it more of an active process for me, and helps me to remember things more than just listening, reading, highlighting, or adding in notes on the class slides. Especially if I am able to take them from the reading, I can organize the material in a way that makes the most sense to me. If I like a lecturer that usually means I like how they present the topic so I don't usually feel the need to re-organize things like I would with readings.
3. Active involvement: If I don't understand something I do something more active/involved to try to process the material like making a flow chart or try to "teach" it out loud to myself. I also go to professors' office hours to ask questions. I almost always make master charts to compare and contrast different topics, like for example on one of our tests we had to know a bunch of antibiotics so I made this giant chart with which ones had side effect A, which ones had B, etc. for all the different things they might have in common. Doing things like that give me a way to look at the big picture and approach the material from different angles like you would on a test.
4. Quiz myself: When I start studying for a test or quiz I do practice problems. I rank how I do on each lecture topic by "weak" "ok" and "good". I start with the "weak" areas and do the most reviewing (mostly reading my notes/charts) on those, then the "ok" ones, and then only if I have time will I read over the "good" topics. After I review the "weak" and "ok" ones I re-do the problems to make sure I learned the material. Then the day before the test or day of the test I do as many practice problems as I can. That means I repeat questions but I find that helpful to really understand what they are asking and how you might want to think about the material for the test.
5. Study groups: I study with two other friends, and it usually works best once we have done some reviewing on our own because it's a time-suck to try to teach someone else the material. We mostly quiz each other or make charts/diagrams.
I study by myself most of the time but once I'm in the "zone" I don't really get distracted easily. I'll bring headphones and study at school or Starbucks or Panera, or study at home. Mostly I just go other places to get out of the house, I don't really prefer any one location over the other. I really think that's a personal preference thing. Noise, people moving about, etc. doesn't really bother me.
I think the amount of time you spend on studying can be pretty personal too. For me, if I do a good job with my notes and charts, when it comes time for a test I don't have to study that much. I do those all on schedule (usually a syllabus will detail what material you're supposed to cover on which dates), so I'm not really doing much extra outside of the hours I would spend going to class.
1. Evaluate my sources: I go to the first lecture by a new professor/doctor. If I like their style I will go to the rest of their lectures or listen to them online. If not I don't go to class. This goes for books/class notes (slides) too, like sometimes I will go to a book if the slides aren't that detailed.
2. Take notes: If I go to class or listen to the lecture, I take notes from the lecture and look up anything I don't understand in the book or the readings. If I don't, I just take notes from the reading. Taking notes makes it more of an active process for me, and helps me to remember things more than just listening, reading, highlighting, or adding in notes on the class slides. Especially if I am able to take them from the reading, I can organize the material in a way that makes the most sense to me. If I like a lecturer that usually means I like how they present the topic so I don't usually feel the need to re-organize things like I would with readings.
3. Active involvement: If I don't understand something I do something more active/involved to try to process the material like making a flow chart or try to "teach" it out loud to myself. I also go to professors' office hours to ask questions. I almost always make master charts to compare and contrast different topics, like for example on one of our tests we had to know a bunch of antibiotics so I made this giant chart with which ones had side effect A, which ones had B, etc. for all the different things they might have in common. Doing things like that give me a way to look at the big picture and approach the material from different angles like you would on a test.
4. Quiz myself: When I start studying for a test or quiz I do practice problems. I rank how I do on each lecture topic by "weak" "ok" and "good". I start with the "weak" areas and do the most reviewing (mostly reading my notes/charts) on those, then the "ok" ones, and then only if I have time will I read over the "good" topics. After I review the "weak" and "ok" ones I re-do the problems to make sure I learned the material. Then the day before the test or day of the test I do as many practice problems as I can. That means I repeat questions but I find that helpful to really understand what they are asking and how you might want to think about the material for the test.
5. Study groups: I study with two other friends, and it usually works best once we have done some reviewing on our own because it's a time-suck to try to teach someone else the material. We mostly quiz each other or make charts/diagrams.
I study by myself most of the time but once I'm in the "zone" I don't really get distracted easily. I'll bring headphones and study at school or Starbucks or Panera, or study at home. Mostly I just go other places to get out of the house, I don't really prefer any one location over the other. I really think that's a personal preference thing. Noise, people moving about, etc. doesn't really bother me.
I think the amount of time you spend on studying can be pretty personal too. For me, if I do a good job with my notes and charts, when it comes time for a test I don't have to study that much. I do those all on schedule (usually a syllabus will detail what material you're supposed to cover on which dates), so I'm not really doing much extra outside of the hours I would spend going to class.
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1: Study away from home. Cafe, bookstore, library...anywhere but home. At home I want to watch Netflix, talk to my girlfriend, drink beer, or sleep. It's confusing for my brain to be at home and have to study.
2: Learn by teaching. Immediately after reading/studying something new, I try to think about it in a way that would allow me to teach it to others.
3: Practice problems. They are awesome. I try to do them all.
4: Google/YouTube/McGraw Hill whatever subject I'm studying. Watching a short video or animation is easy, fairly passive reinforcement of the material.
5: Form a routine. Exercise, diet, social life, etc. Personally I have a coffee, watch a show or read, go to a cafe or bookstore and study for a number of hours, go to the gym, and then have free time. It helps to have your expectations consistently managed.
2: Learn by teaching. Immediately after reading/studying something new, I try to think about it in a way that would allow me to teach it to others.
3: Practice problems. They are awesome. I try to do them all.
4: Google/YouTube/McGraw Hill whatever subject I'm studying. Watching a short video or animation is easy, fairly passive reinforcement of the material.
5: Form a routine. Exercise, diet, social life, etc. Personally I have a coffee, watch a show or read, go to a cafe or bookstore and study for a number of hours, go to the gym, and then have free time. It helps to have your expectations consistently managed.
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1) Write everything down in lecture; it forces me to pay attention and keeps me engaged. Re-type it at home/in the library
2) Study in the library, and keep distractions low. Make a couple good playlists for background noise.
3) Solo-study in groups. 4-5 people studying the same topic alone, but it allows you to ask questions to other people
4) Go through everything and highlight what you know, what you understand (but don't know the specifics), and what you don't understand. Prioritize studying with things you don't understand; don't start studying the details of Topic 1 until you understand the concept of Topic 2.
5) To quote Dale Carnegie,
2) Study in the library, and keep distractions low. Make a couple good playlists for background noise.
3) Solo-study in groups. 4-5 people studying the same topic alone, but it allows you to ask questions to other people
4) Go through everything and highlight what you know, what you understand (but don't know the specifics), and what you don't understand. Prioritize studying with things you don't understand; don't start studying the details of Topic 1 until you understand the concept of Topic 2.
5) To quote Dale Carnegie,
D
deleted303591
1. Set phone to airplane mode while studying (but do not play games!)
2. Consult the syllabus at the beginning of the semester (on day one) and write out long-term and short-term assignments and obligations you have to address, including showering and eating. Have the calendar sync with your phone and computer, easily, in addition to your tablet, if you have one. Give yourself 1.5 times the amount of time to complete an assignment. Give 3-4 hours of "study" time for each credit hour of school work.
3. Time all of your work and make "tracker sheets", to figure out progress made.
4. Start homework the day it is assigned, always. Read the material in the book 1-7 days before the class, and take notes. Correct all graded work that was incorrect, so you do not get it wrong again on another assignment.
5. Give yourself up to 2 weeks to "study" for finals and exams.
(6. Find a relaxing activity so you do not get too overwhelmed.)
(7. Scan you books and put them on your iPhone (or phone) and iPad (or tablet) so you can review your assignments on the fly. I scan my textbooks a week before the semester starts. I always take time to scan my paper notes too or homework assignments, and I put them on my Dropbox, so I can use them on the fly, wherever I am. In addition, I take as much class notes on my iPad as possible, using the pogo connect stylus and notability.)
2. Consult the syllabus at the beginning of the semester (on day one) and write out long-term and short-term assignments and obligations you have to address, including showering and eating. Have the calendar sync with your phone and computer, easily, in addition to your tablet, if you have one. Give yourself 1.5 times the amount of time to complete an assignment. Give 3-4 hours of "study" time for each credit hour of school work.
3. Time all of your work and make "tracker sheets", to figure out progress made.
4. Start homework the day it is assigned, always. Read the material in the book 1-7 days before the class, and take notes. Correct all graded work that was incorrect, so you do not get it wrong again on another assignment.
5. Give yourself up to 2 weeks to "study" for finals and exams.
(6. Find a relaxing activity so you do not get too overwhelmed.)
(7. Scan you books and put them on your iPhone (or phone) and iPad (or tablet) so you can review your assignments on the fly. I scan my textbooks a week before the semester starts. I always take time to scan my paper notes too or homework assignments, and I put them on my Dropbox, so I can use them on the fly, wherever I am. In addition, I take as much class notes on my iPad as possible, using the pogo connect stylus and notability.)
I've found that planning to study via content and not time has really helped me
I'm going to start doing this. Never thought about it before.
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A lot of these are really great! Here's mine:
1. Get over the procrastination hump. It's really hard to motivate yourself to do something sometimes, so I always say, "I'll just get one easy assignment done." If that's all I get done, okay, because I don't feel guilty. More often than not, I'm motivated to keep working and get much of my work load done. (This also works with exercise!)
2. If you have "mindless" stuff to do, i.e. making flashcards for your foreign language class, put on a favorite TV show or some good tunes. It doesn't seem like such a monumental task anymore.
3. For your content heavy courses, sit down 1-2 times a week and make a study guide that covers the material you learned since the last study guide. It's a great refresher, often pays back when your profs quiz you over details from previous lectures, and allows you to "pick up" your study guide when it comes to crunch time before the test. You can even save these on your iPad or tablet and pull them up when you have a few moments.
4. If a lecture bases exam material solely on powerpoint (or predominately anyway), don't waste your time frantically scribbling notes. Print out the slides before lecture, take minimal notes on what the prof points out or adds extra. You'll have a better understanding of the material, be more engaged in the class, and your grade will benefit.
5. Take your lunches or dinners by yourself. I know it can be fun to socialize, but I always found myself wasting hours a week just chitchatting after meals. Pick one meal a day, grab some of your easier homework or a study guide and get things done. I completed ALL of my Spanish busy work this way, and was able to get in time to review for my next class.
6. If it's a small class (and I dont know if this is possible at larger universities), make nice with your professors. Your borderline A/A- just became an A, because you say "Hello" "Thank you" "Have a nice day" etc. If you show genuine interest in their class, come to office hours, raise your hand, your life will be so much easier when you need recommendation letters. I've had complete BEARS of professors acknowledge that I was a favorite, support me, and told me I could ask them for "anything" simply by doing what I stated above. Biochem was a BREEZE, and that teacher was not easy. People left her office in tears, and tbh I could not understand why for the longest time.
1. Get over the procrastination hump. It's really hard to motivate yourself to do something sometimes, so I always say, "I'll just get one easy assignment done." If that's all I get done, okay, because I don't feel guilty. More often than not, I'm motivated to keep working and get much of my work load done. (This also works with exercise!)
2. If you have "mindless" stuff to do, i.e. making flashcards for your foreign language class, put on a favorite TV show or some good tunes. It doesn't seem like such a monumental task anymore.
3. For your content heavy courses, sit down 1-2 times a week and make a study guide that covers the material you learned since the last study guide. It's a great refresher, often pays back when your profs quiz you over details from previous lectures, and allows you to "pick up" your study guide when it comes to crunch time before the test. You can even save these on your iPad or tablet and pull them up when you have a few moments.
4. If a lecture bases exam material solely on powerpoint (or predominately anyway), don't waste your time frantically scribbling notes. Print out the slides before lecture, take minimal notes on what the prof points out or adds extra. You'll have a better understanding of the material, be more engaged in the class, and your grade will benefit.
5. Take your lunches or dinners by yourself. I know it can be fun to socialize, but I always found myself wasting hours a week just chitchatting after meals. Pick one meal a day, grab some of your easier homework or a study guide and get things done. I completed ALL of my Spanish busy work this way, and was able to get in time to review for my next class.
6. If it's a small class (and I dont know if this is possible at larger universities), make nice with your professors. Your borderline A/A- just became an A, because you say "Hello" "Thank you" "Have a nice day" etc. If you show genuine interest in their class, come to office hours, raise your hand, your life will be so much easier when you need recommendation letters. I've had complete BEARS of professors acknowledge that I was a favorite, support me, and told me I could ask them for "anything" simply by doing what I stated above. Biochem was a BREEZE, and that teacher was not easy. People left her office in tears, and tbh I could not understand why for the longest time.
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