How do you study?

[Aur0ra145]

I mix up this stuff called "Lush in the Dust" it made by adding a bottle of Tobasco to a liter of cheap vodka, then I sip on it all night while studying. It taste like hell, gives a descent buzz and will keep you awake.

Other than that, I'll read, look over my notes, do practice questions and if the situation permits I'll form a bit of a study group where we argues over concepts and ideas.

 

[Kurokami]

Hey Escapists!

I'm a uni student and there's one thing I really dislike; studying!
Ah yes, studying is generally a pain in the ass and well, boring. I do however, have a few methods that help me on a long study grind.

When I study, I like to put on a long movie that I've watched several times (like Avatar or Dark Knight). I cannot study in silence, I get distracted, bored and I want to immediately quit. If I put on a movie I've seen several times, I can listen to what is happening, but also tune it out if need be.

I also enjoy the occassional doodle. If my mind starts so wander from my studies, I'll take a 5 minute break and doodle random stuff. I feel doodling helps get my sillies out and helps me focus.


How do you study?

Once I get my scanner going I'll show you my 'notes'. Thank god I don't actually need them to pass just fine, but still its concerning how horrible I am at studying. Assignments too I only begin on the night that they're due (meaning 12AM).

 

[FalloutJack]

Hoo boy... Well, now that I'm a Bachelor of Arts, I can confess my sins.

Ladies and gentlemen, possible lurking college professors, students of all kind...I am a genius. Not like a super-genius who can memorize ever strain of Malaria by heart (because I only remember one), but the sort of genius that does something really clever that...probably won't work for others.

Let me first assure you that my cirriculum through college was mostly successful and I only withdrew from one class, taking it later instead because that was a rough year. Now, the thing that happened was...this. Somewhere along the lines, I realized that - for me - taking down notes was actually counter-productive unless it was a very important thing I might have trouble remembering. That being the case, I sat in class and just listened carefully, taking down the important highlights only. This worked.

It got to the point where I barely ever took any notes at all, and then the strangeness happened. I looked at all my reading assignments and realized "Wait, this was all in class and it's exactly what will be on any of the tests. I don't need to read any of this.". I ended up skimming only when the subject required alot of review. I ended up not studying for a number of things.

Now then, this would seem unhealthy to alot of people. I didn't study, I procrastinated work, I hung out with my friends... How EVER did anything ever get done on time or decently passable? Dunno, really. Everything in class must've sunk in and was workable to the end results. I suppose I could've pushed myself to a point where I beat the socks off of a number of folks, but I'm pretty certain I would've liked college alot less that way. I preferred to enjoy myself.

 

[Brok3n Halo]

I just programmed all the answers in my calculator. Boy, did my history professor give me funny looks during tests!

J/King

I usually don't bother studying. I usually retain enough from class to survive the test. In those classes I had to study for I mostly just reread my notes before entering the classroom while waiting for class to start. And in the really rare scenario where I really had no idea what was going on I'd copy anything important onto another piece of paper. Rewriting it seemed to help my memory better than just reading.

That was college anyway, never had to study in High School.

 

[zehydra]

This does wonders if you're studying a language:

For vocab:
If your computer has a mic, and you have at least Microsoft Wave recorder (which sucks, get Audacity, it's free), then record yourself saying each of the words in english (or your native language) with a small space between them. After that, say each of the words in the foreign language with a little space between them. To help practice your vocab, listen to the audio file you've just created and when you hear the word in english, try to say it in the foreign language, and when you hear it in the foreign language, try to say it in english. Make sure you double check your answer with a source material if you're not sure about the answer.

This did wonders for me with Japanese.

 

[ottenni]

The morning before a test. Im so glad im out of school, all my luck must have dried up by now just getting me though.

 

[skittlepie345]

I remember what my teacher's tell me. Do all of the homework. Then if there's a book section, I'll read it once, usually minutes before the test. Works out very well for me, but I'll probably take studying more seriously when I'm in college anyways.

 

[Sol_HSA]

I held a seminar about this - making studying more fun; the slides are available here:
http://iki.fi/sol/files/asm09sem.pdf

 

[Koganesaga]

"I'll study straight away after school"
"I'll study this evening"
"I'll study tonight"
"I'll study in bed"
"FUCK, I didn't study"

That's me in a nutshell right there

Agreed, studying is something that get procrastinated on until it's too late.

 

[Queen Michael]

I try to read my textbook for twenty seconds max. Then my ADD kicks in and I switch to a comic book.

 

[moosek]

Well, first I kick out my roommate and his girlfriend.

They ask me why, and I respond "Fuck off, that's why."

Then I read and take notes.

 

[mechanixis]

I can't study until I have EXACTLY enough time to prepare myself before a test. When I do study, my method is to write down the things I need to know over and over and over on a pad of paper until the page is full, then tear off the sheet, throw it on the floor, and repeat. Whenever I finish studying my floor is carpeted in sheets of paper covered top to bottom in random scrawlings.

 

[Mundjra95]

I dont ever study, unless you count the time before we go into a class when the test is. Organisation people!

 

[firedfns13]

I never study, unless you count the female anatomy.

 

[mechanixis]

I have quite a large difficulty studying, so I end up not doing it. It hasn't really hampered my marks yet, but I'm sure once I'm in College, it'll start mattering more.

Really depends on what you take, actually. If you have any aptitude for philosophy, for instance, you can get by without ever really having to hunker down, but if you're into sciences or languages and you don't study on a regular basis, you're fucked.

 

[youkiri]

I bash the book against my head hoping something will jump into my brain.

 

[Blackvegie]

Set your book down on a flat surface, rest your head on top of the book, and take a nap... Learning by Osmosis.

(Yes, I'm aware that osmosis only applies to water.)

Nobody has ever conclusively proved that Osmosis can't occur with information. Until this is disproved, it's true. (Innocent until proven guilty).

 

[Tharwen]

I look at some work, and if I don't immediately understand it, I'll get distracted. Usually by you lot.

 

[mechanixis]

Set your book down on a flat surface, rest your head on top of the book, and take a nap... Learning by Osmosis.

(Yes, I'm aware that osmosis only applies to water.)

Nobody has ever conclusively proved that Osmosis can't occur with information. Until this is disproved, it's true. (Innocent until proven guilty).

Can information be innocent? Discuss.