Thread: Post how you study here!

My method's a bit... unorthodox.

First, I grab my notes, a sheet of looseleaf, and a pencil.

I read the notes out and at the same time, I write down what I'm reading really quickly on the looseleaf, in scribbles that are just barely legible. By the end of a 15-minute session, I've got a few sheets of paper with writing going up in one direction, but then other stuff going in another because I'd tilted the paper to make more room to write. xD

Somehow if I do this two or three times, I retain the information really well. I just throw the papers out after.

creative ways to study are awesome

In high school I attended the lessons, listened to the teachers, and did some of the exercises they asked us to do. Preparation for tests were mostly just to read through the material once.

In the university, I do pretty much the same, except I have to do more exercises, and I prepare for the exams by doing exercises. I read minimally.

That's brilliant Puffin!! Writing things down really does help you to retain them better.

What's even better (but takes more time/work) is to write it in your own words - sort of translate it if you will. I mean, not just re-write things, but completely rephrase them. That really forces it into your brain. Only works if you got the time for it though.

My metod of studying is pretty lame. Read, make various anotations. I believe that writing and doing exercices helps me memorize things better. I don't study alot and have a couple of bad grades, but I am getting better. I am trying to study more... that's it. From now on I'll dedicate at least 1 hour per day to studying! ...or maybe on wednesday, tomorrow I'll play Dungeons & Dragons and do some stuff... or maybe friday... okay, till next friday I will already have started studying!

You're probably going to hate me for this, but I don't need to study. When I have to study for something I just read through the material once, and I'll remember it for months.

However, there are exceptions. For example, right now I'm studying Japanese, and I can't remember all those characters just by looking at them once. In this case I'll write them down about twenty to forty times each, while repeating the pronunciation of the character.

Well it depends on what type of class it is. I admit I've used the "cram the night before" method too many times, but when I'm not an idiot, I'll usually do it like this:

To memorize what terms and words mean, I almost always start by looking for associations between the word and the definition. It can be anything that comes to me. I take advantage of whatever associations (and sometimes they're very odd) my brain happens to make. For example, if I'm trying to memorize that the word "naranja" means "orange" in spanish, I'll take the fact that "naranja" sounds like "orangetang" to me, and those live in the jungle, where tigers also live, and tigers are orange. It sounds strange to someone who isn't me, but that's the most immediate association my brain happens to make. Then I'll make up other associations to memorize the exact letters in the word. A few minutes after doing this, or after doing all of them, I'll quiz myself to make sure that it's in my long term memory, and if it's not I'll repeat. I've gotten pretty good at this, and think everyone should use the method. I can memorize license plates and phone numbers very easily using it.

Also, for learning languages, I've made a little python program that quizzes me based on text files I give it. It's come in really handy. Maybe I'll make another thread about some issues I have concerning it.

For parts in which I have to learn how to do things, like a process by which to solve a math problem, the best way for me seems to be to practice. When I first come across the method, I'll do a bit of memorization, and go over it in my head to make sure I remember the basic steps. But then I'll usually just do a lot of practice problems. So that my brain learns how to do it, what steps to take in certain situations, etc.

It's only with learning how to do things that repetition works for me. Pure repetition does not work to help me memorize the definitions of words. There has to be some thought involved in it.

Then there are things which I don't need to study for. If I have an amazing teacher who made the lecture interesting, and I was paying attention during class, and the subject isn't complicated, I'll often have memorized most of what I needed to in class already. This is rare, and only happens with easy subjects, like a Critical Thinking class I'm taking now.

I do that too Dianeva. I think I just do it naturally too, and not just with things I'm trying to learn. I'll make random associations with things all the time in day to day life. Sometimes it's annoying as hell lol

But yeah I also remember things really easily so I dunno, my method is good memory mostly lol
But it only stays in my memory for a long time if I am utilising that information over a certain period of time, of course.

Also, with the thing darkmatters mentioned - writing things in a different way - that only really works if you already understand it.
Like if you read an article, and cannot write it in a completely different way to the original, without looking at the original, than you didn't read and understand it properly.
Which means you need to read the article again and try writing your own again.
So you aren't copying the article, you're digesting information, understanding it, and writing about it.

Many teachers do not understand this and that's why so many people just end up rephrasing the original thing.

Photographic memory. To an extent.

Usually what I do, is associate words with certain parts of other words, or making a catchy tune.
That works good too.

I usually never study though (besides occasionally studying before the test) But I have a pretty good memory, along with word association and remembering the image of the words on the paper....

Usually it just takes staring at the paper and internally repeating the words/my association.

Like I remember, when I took a driving test, I couldn't remember that diamond stood for warning, and I had to associate the first part of diamond ("Die") to "War" in Warning, (get it, dying, war, eh eh) and bam, I remembered it without even having to look at it again.

It works that way with many things, and it is really helpful.

I don't get mnemonics and weird connections like that. I remember everything intuitively and just read lots of material; and take notes during lectures. But I don't study the notes, I just write them down to reinforce what I heard. Usually I just toss them out unless they have maths or something on them. I do not like clutter D:

Reading stuff on the internet is also easy and very helpful and I am pretty much always on the internet, so that's where I get a lot of supporting information. Repetition is a pain in the ass though and I never do it for reading or writing things.

I really like learning, so I make connections with other things that I'm doing (for example, I was writing a really awesome essay about the death of the American Dream, and in my Film class we were discussing ideology and film as a propaganda/reinforcement technique, and most of it related perfectly to me through connections! It's hard to explain the connections to people who are not me, but then again, I don't usually understand other people's connections easily.)

If it's something that I don't particularly enjoy (which is less often than not) I draw pictures and diagrams and find ways to MAKE it exciting by connecting it to my interests. If you have a "flow of ideas" that connect one seemingly unrelated subject to another subject, it's a GREAT way to remember all of the "pieces" in between! At least for me, that is.

We should keep this thread going.

You can't just say that.. at least contribute to it.

I've been studying cross-legged on the floor rather than at a desk in preparation for studying outdoors lol I also just find sitting on the floor to be more comfortable than a desk for some reason lol Recently, I've been using my empty top bunk bed for this lol

Originally Posted by Wayfaerer

I've been studying cross-legged on the floor rather than at a desk in preparation for studying outdoors lol I also just find sitting on the floor to be more comfortable than a desk for some reason lol Recently, I've been using my empty top bunk bed for this lol

Yeah, I don't sit at a desk either. I find it more confortable too.

I use the couch... or outside. I don't own a desk >.>

I often want to lie on my bed while studying, but I end up falling asleep. I would prefer to study somewhere without the distractions of the internet. The problem is, I usually need to use my computer while studying. Even in non-CS classes. Like in Math, I always want to be near Wolfram Alpha.

That's why I'm glad I have an empty bunk that I don't associate with sleeping =)

I usually don't study. I just sift through my huge pile of papers ten minutes before I take the test. And that always winds up coming back to haunt me. >u<

I have a prescription to adderall and vyvanse so I have that. Studying is not so much "how do i do it" as "how many weeks ahead of time can I complete my work?". But I prefer using those "medicines" for partying or my own interests over the more tedious schoolwork, so if I'm out of my prescriptions, I find a nice, balanced gin and tonic really evens you out and allows you to focus. The trick is to stay precisely between buzzed and "getting there" at all times. If you stray above the danger zone, you're fucked. No more homework, you've got better things to do. You're going to just keep drinking and subsequently trying to get laid. And when that backfires, you end up posting on forums like this when you should have been studying for the past two hours.

But seriously, stay in the safe zone, and I swear upon YHWH that a properly mixed gin and tonic, when not done in excess, will do WONDERS for the hungry intellect in strive of focus and retaining knowledge.

Easiest and most effective way to prepare yourself for a class is to read ahead. You'd be surprised how late in the game it takes most university kids to catch on to this.

Other than that, I outline whatever I'm reading. If a person or a parrot is in earshot and willing, I explain my notes to them.

I tend to visualise a lot of the material which I am learning. The idea is to express abstract information as an image. When I was learning how to mutiply 3x3 matrices, I imagined my hand moving through the rows and down the columns to get the elements in their respective positions.

I literally just draw the rows and columns lol.

Studying



no but really, one of my flaws is I put schoolwork and stuff off. But I do have a really good memory so if i listen in class i do well on tests, without studying.