Studying? Not me!

[Maria]

I woke up this morning to the startling realization that my exams is less than four weeks away. And I, being the major procrastinator that I am have not by far studied as much as I ought to. So I sat down with my books, put on some good studying music (Sigur Ros, anyone?) and started to read.

 

The problem is, I realized after about five minutes, that I have absolutely no self control. And as such my studying goes something like this:

 

Mia: *reads*

The book: *is boring*

Mia: *is bored*

The computer: *calls*

Mia: Oooh.. email. Shiny.

The book: "The new sea route to the East and the discovery of America blablabla..."

Mia: *can't be bothered*

The Internet: Hello. I am the Internet. I love you.

Mia: I love you, too!

The book: *is forgotten*

 

As you can see not the most productive of ways. My question then is as follows: how on earth do you do it? Is there some kind of trick I have not yet discovered? One that allows you to study without being constantly reminded of the fact that you'd much rather be online? And don't say "turn off the computer" that's far too obvious. If I wanted to I'd have done that a long time ago :P

 

Really, though. Share your studying stories with me! I need to be entertained!

[Corki]

For me, last year, I lived in my university library during the exam period. From about 10am to about 4pm, I studied, then went home to my halls to have dinner, and then returned to the library between 7pm and 11pm. I know that seems a lot, but I was in a similar situation as you. I had 8 translations of various Greek and Latin set texts to know, and hadn't done anything for the year, until about a month before my exams, I realised that I knew nothing! It was just complete and utter determination that made me go, and the thought of failing my exams as well. I just forced myself to be as far away from my laptop and the internet as possible. It may sound hard, but it is doable.

[Besolyn]

You seem to be exhibiting symptoms of what I’ve come to call “Ooh, Shiny†disease. I have fought and lived with this condition for many years. Being a procrastinator seems to be a side affect or maybe cause and effect of this debilitating malady. I’ve found that being under pressure really helps me focus. 4 weeks is way too much time for a sufferer of this syndrome to give herself to do anything. The best way I ever found to overcome the “lure of the shiny†is to wait until the night before to study. “Cramming†as this method is called is usually only successful for a small percentage of the victims of “Ooh, Shinyâ€, another method may be better for you. :P

 

In all seriouseness, Mia. I do much better cramming than trying to retain all that information over a long period of time. Good Luck!

[Maria]

Haha.. I am most definitely a victim of the "ooh shiny!"-disease. *ggls* And I have found, like you, that most of my learning is best done as close up to the actual test or exam or due-date as possible. With exams that limit for me is four weeks. It's a huge step that I am even sitting down with my books. At least I get *some* done, and the amount of studying seems to increase the closer I get to the actual date.

 

But yeah.. I could never understand people who are able to keep up with their studying through the entire year. People who are all "yes, I do study at least two hours a day". I don't get it. I don't see how it is possible, actually. *pointed look at Nia*

 

Thanks for the support, guys. It means the world. =)

[MsDanya]

I ahve the same problem Mia! I have two classes, and one of them is very interesting, so not too many problems there. but the other class.. *rolls eyes* is so unblelievably dull, and I wasnt even supposed to have that class! it jsut happened to turn out that way. so I have a thousand pages to read, and I havent even started yet. so, we are in the same boat here Mia *sighs* I will use any advice offered ehre as well :D

[Nailea]

It's nice to finally know the name to my disease. I work much more efficiently when I do something last minute so I keep telling myself I'm wasting my time if I start too early :P No only does my computer call to me, but I also feel an overwhelming urge to clean the house, organize my desk, or anything else that will keep me away from my homework :P

[Jhaenara]

I don't have to study for anything anymore, so neener... lol... j/k.

 

I'd have to say I was a crammer b/c I'm a huge procrastinator... HUGE. Also, like people mentioned, learning the stuff closer to the test usually meant I could retain it long enough to do well. The only problem with that though, is it's short term memory. That's why I don't remember much of my four years of Latin... lol. So there is some benefit from studying over a period of time, though I myself, barely ever did it... lol.

 

I hope to get back to college but I'm kind of scared about that. For one, I'm older, but mainly I am such a procrastinator and I'm distracted by stuff. I didn't even have the internet back when I was in school... just think how it would be now for me... >< I also have a husband and young child. It's just not something I'm looking forward to work-wise. The learning is great... the work, not so great... lol.

[Maria]

Speaking of finally finding the energy to do other stuff: I just cleaned out the fridge!

 

This has been needed for months, and on the day I finally sit down to do some "real" studying I find the time and energy to clean it. *lol* I wonder if there is some kind of psychological name for this. Seems there are a lot of us around this place.

[Niamh Sedai]

I'm not that awesome really *lol* I get really distracted easily. I find it's best to do my work well away from the Computer. This is usually in my bedroom.

 

I also take regular breaks- I can't work for more than 2 hours straight so I tend to take a ten minute break every 90 minutes or so when I am essay writing, or revising for exams. This can involve a game of Spider Solitaire or whatever, but it really helps.

 

I also listen to music =)

 

And my final tip on how not to procrastinate is I make lists. LOTS OF LISTS. This gives me something to aim for and focuses me. I have to stay organised otherwise it would all go wrong! VERY WRONG!

[Corki]

It is also human nature to leave things to the last minute, so it is only natural! ;)

[F Horn of Valere]

I tell everyone I'm talking to on msn that I have to go study. Then if I try to go back online I am stopped by the thought that they will all bombard me with questions and I'll never get back to my book!

[Guest Majsju]

When I seriously need to get some reading done, it's either the top floor of the university library, where they don't have any computers, or some obscure cafe downtown where i can be sure noone I know will ever dream about dropping by. Cafe is actually ptrefreable, not being allowed to drink coffee in the library means many breaks, every break means risk of meeting someone you want to talk to (and during studyiong periods, those people tend to be far more than when you have a calm period with actual time to be social)

[JenniferL]

My best studying was when I worked at a day care during nap time. We had to rub the kids backs to help them sleep (a sign of a quality day care. You WANT this for your kids.) and its such a mind numbingly boring activity, that I started pulling out my notebooks and reading them while I was rubbing.

 

The trick was that I was away from distractions. No computer, no TV, just me, my books and the sleeping toddlers.

 

Another trick you might want to try is using a timer. Set your timer for five minutes. Study for five minutes. Stop. Take a twenty minute break. Do something you enjoy. Then go back and study for another five minutes. Gradually increase your increments to ten, fifteen, twenty minutes. Don't try to do more than forty minutes. There's lots of research that says human brains can't focus on one activity for longer than that. If you try to push past it, you'll actually begin losing information.

 

By not forcing yourself into marathon studying sessions, you avoid creating an aversion to studying. You stop feeling guilty for the times you aren't studying, because its okay. You're on a break!

[Guest Yveva]

Maria. You and I are study-twins. I've found the best way for me to do it is to start the day with studying, before even putting my feet on the floor. It can be for 20 minutes, it can be for two hours... whatever.. it starts the day off right.

 

Here's my metaphor (which is also true). If I eat a good, healthy, breakfast I am more inclined to eat healthy things all day. If the first thing I eat is sugary I find it nearly impossible to resist sweets the rest of the day.

 

If I start the day roaming about the internet, watching tv, etc, I'm starting an uphill battle to get anything done. Starting with reading for fun is prefereable to internet or tv, it reminds me how much I like reading, which makes reading textbooks much easier as well.

 

Speaking of, I have to go write the syllabus for the class I start teaching tomorrow!

[Maria]

Yveva that's actually a really good top. Everything else I sort try already. But yes, I will definitely try the whole "reading a chapter or two at the beginning of the day"-thing. Thank you =)

[Alarwyn Liande]

I'm very much a procastinator too, so I've learned to take my studying to extremes... Because I know I'm never able to do anything related to studying at home, I always study for the exams at the library. Even there I've found the most boring looking place (right next to knitting magazines). Every 45-50 minutes or so I take a break and eat a snack or walk around, but I try to spend there at least three hours a day after school (not including weekends). The good thing about this, there are no distractions (except the shiny books if my studying place is already taken) and you get thing done. The best part is, of course, that for the rest of the day I don't even think about studying. :D

[Besolyn]

It may seem strange, but one of my best study tactics was to have something going in the background (music, tv, etc) I can’t study in a library or outside, too quiet. Because I don’t find most subjects so enjoyable that I want to soak up EVERYTHING about them (to bad there were no Robert Jordan classes offered :P ), if I give my subconscious something to focus on, then it’s not thinking about the next episode of Family Guy, the dirty dishes, or the toilet needing to be scrubbed.

I call it “The Art of Distracting the Distracter.â€

 

Everything in this world depends on balance. I love knowing that the balance to being a procrastinator is that I've selftrained to work very well under pressure. People who spend all their time preparing, just don’t get that “it’s the last minute, what am I going to do†training.

[Guest Mevey Sedai]

ugh! I scarcely know the meaning of study! I'm dreadful....

 

But I do know how to make myself do it. I just have to sit down as far away from anyone else as possible, and listen to Baroque music *lol* it makes me pay attention *nod* If I play ANY other music, I start to sing along or tap or do something other than study *lol*

 

But that said... I really have to push myself to start haha. I'm so damn lazy!

[Chang]

I'm also a procrastinator when it comes to studying. And because of this, I tend to cram all the material I need to know at the very last second. Being a little lazy may have something to do with it as well, I think. :P

 

So when ever I really need to study, I either go to the library or the local coffee shop and cram for those dreadful tests! ;)

[Guest Yveva]

I've never studied much for tests. I tend to go with the theory that if I learn it well the first time around (when we discuss it in class) then I will be fine and dandy when it comes to exam time. I will have a refresher study, but that doesn't take me long. I am, however, a world class paper procrastinator. I can research for 10 days (or less), and then sit down and write the whole paper in one sitting. That wasn't bad for eight pagers, but when I hit grad school I did the same thing with 20+ page papers. My best was writing a 24 page paper in 24 hours. Literally. I sat down at 10am and started, and at 10am the next morning I handed it in. No, no sleeping (overrated anyways). Got a good grade on it too!

 

(I don't recommend this method though)

[Leane_Shariff]

LOL

 

hello my name is Leane and I have oo shiny disease *giggles* I love that title

 

But yah I have four weeks till finals and I am not even looking at my books yet..that is just too far away lol.

 

I will cram the last week for them like I always do.

 

But yes it always works best if I study before I turn on the computer or TV because once they are turned on, they call to me. Also helpful to have snacks nearby so that I can't walk away and find something else shiny to distract me on my way to getting food.

[Dwynwen]

I usually put things off until the night before too (and for 20+ paged papers, about two days before). I have so much work to do in grad. school that there's no time to do anything early anyway (as if I ever do that). Teachers usually assign much more reading than can be accomplished by any human who wants to have a life, so I usually skim a lot of it and only read the things they indicate are important. I take LOTS and LOTS of breaks to keep my sanity (that's how I can go on DM every day with such a busy schedule; I build it into homework breaks). I also block everyone on MSN Messenger during the schoolweek and unblock them on weekends because I have some friends who have actually gotten offended because I've turned them down to study. It's much better if they never know I was online in the first place, lol.

[Besolyn]

I fell in love with Cliff my senior year of high school.

I took AP English that year. The teacher gave presentations on the two summertime books, then assigned the other books on our reading list to groups that were given pretty much free reign on their presentations. My group was to give presentations for “Tess of the D’Ubervilles†and “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Manâ€. Tess was a great read, and our group made a 90 for the presentation. I know I was not the only one in my group to not read Portrait. That’s where my friend Cliff came in the picture. His Notes were awesome! :P My group made a 96 on the presentation! If that’s not a bid for laziness, I don’t know what is!

[Adanza]

Ur...I have a paper due in 8 hours on a book i finished reading twenty minutes ago. so i guess i'm a procrastinator too!! it doesn't help that one of my classes is online...every time i sign on to do something for class i end up here...i swear there's something wrong with me computer :shock:

 

for studying though...one of the best things you can do (oh, i love this one!) is SLEEP!! your brain encodes memories during REM sleep (episodes of deep sleep in which you dream). so all nighters are supposed to not work...of course that never stopped me from pulling a few! i usually pay really close attention to lectures and read through my notes and textbook an hour before the test. it's worked for me so far, although i've always wondered what would happen if i actually applied myself.

[Guest Yveva]

I used to wonder that too... and then I started applying myself and my grades went way up and I was a lot less stressed.

 

Too bad that didn't last longer! :)