How do you guys study?

[TheDude]

Like I said, the best thing for me at least to stay paying attention to a book and to internalize the material is to mark the shit out of the text. DO something with it. I play guitar, and i can sing a line all i want. I can know how it looks on paper. I can know how it sounds in different contexts. But i am never going to get it fully in my head wihtout playing around with it on the instrument.

Underline shit, cirle shit. Write notes in the margin. It'll help you remember it better, much more than it will give you useful notes later on.

 

[Voodoo]

Go catch a case of slightly photographic memory, flip through textbook, recall it later during class in-test. Works for me, unless its a math related science course. AKA AP physics/ AP chemistry. It doesnt work in those classes.

Listening during teh class is very prudent >.>

If you get bored, try to make the boring part of it fun. Like bet yourself a treat if you can guess the correct amount of number 2's in the answer you find when calculating the specific heat of multiple-compound samples.

Try to avoid Pi jokes.

If you hate anything to do with books try to find an online version of the item in question.

Trying to limit your computer time is pointless and insane, just get the shit done and THEN get on the computer.

Dont't Tempban yourself if you lack self-control *cough*

If a test is coming up, rewrite any notes that didnt fit into your photographic memory. Twice.

Make sure the teacher grading any papers understands that YOUR paper is the key. <-- helps alot!

Dont smoke weed, youll get distracted by the details in the bumps on the wall next to you.

If you go to sleep, WAKE UP STUPID.

Do push-ups randomly, keeps you in shape and on topic.

Most of those were jokes. Push ups while studying, listening in class, dont fall asleep, and rewrite notes before the test more than once, are the ones I would suggest.

 

[TheDude]

Everyone has a slightly photographic memory (everyone with a normal brain). It is not odd at all to recall visually very minute details, or even be able to play around with an image or shape in your mind. Also, there are a lot of cases of people with photographic memories who are socially inept, emotionally estranged, and empathetically retarded (like actually retarded). This is not limited to cases of idiot savants at all. Also, Gestalt studies have been done showing that some of the Gestalt is lost in the mental representation people with photographic memories have, meaning they lose some of the meaning of what they are picturing in their mind, or they may lose sight of the greater depth of meaning coming from the "whole" of the visualization rather than from it's parts. Most people are visual learners and tend to be better at visualizing things in their mind. It makes sense, the visual cortex seems to be a more precisely functioning area of the brain (idk how else to say it). When I say most people, I mean the majority of people.

---------- Post added at 12:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:44 AM ----------

Oh yea, interesting fact. Those who think they are really really smart tend to test better and do better or memory tests than those who think they are stupid. Way to go all you egomaniacs!

And no, it's not just people who are smart knowing they are smart, lol. Psychologists thought of that one!

---------- Post added at 12:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 AM ----------

Smoking weed actually got me throguh a giant paper I had to write and it turned out awesome. Writing shit down doesn't necessarilly aid in visual memory, btw.

 

[PwnSauce]

Here's what works for me.
Since studying really boils down to sticking your nose into a book, do this:
- Read the chapter, highlight the parts you need to recall.
- Type up notes of those highlights.
- Print and study those notes. By then you'll have had 3-4 exposures to the information so you'll retain the info.
- Write up flash cards and drag them around with you through out the day to thumb through.
- Get some practice test software for computers so you can also study test material.

All this has gotten me certifications like MCSE (microsoft) CCNA (Cisco) CISSP (fkn hard-ass security exam) A+ (Computer hardware/software) a college degree in Info Systems and political science and a masters degree in IT Management.

lol. "Be the book!"

 

[TheDude]

Yep, writing notes out has always helped me remember stuff, and I have never once gone back to look at my notes. I would pretty much write out the notes and then chuck them in the trash.

If you're writing a paper on a book, it's good to mark the shit up IN the book. Specially for the Prim Source evidence. Use stickies. In a case like that, use differnet color stickies for different elements of your paper (obv depending on what kind of paper youre writing). Could be for different thematic elements + a character. Could even JUST be the thematic element. Could be a tie to a specific secondary source or other parallel novel that is extremely important to your paper.

---------- Post added at 12:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 PM ----------

Rewording the information also requires you to process and understand it. That is a big part of why writing notes out helps you remember stuff. So in writing notes, NEVER just copy what the teacher has on the board or what is in the text verbatim! If you do, paraphrase it right under the quote and extrapolate. Also, WaLLy, you got a wife. Talk to her about the shit you're reading. Explaining it to someone else will help you learn it really really quickly. It'll also force you to try and make it interesting, and then you'll like it more. And, if you get a positive response for your spouse, that will be a reward for your efforts, which, whether you like it or not, will make you enjoy the subject and learning it more. Explaining it to someone will also force you to notice the holes in what you remember. Teaching something is one of THE best ways to learn it.

 

[Cent0]

Just DONT ban urself from forum and servers like SOMEBODY!

Dunno wut your problem is
Im;' trying to maintain my straight A's, I'm sorry if being asian is a bad thing too you


if you're gonna try to memorize something, take notes, write them down on paper

 

[felon]

yeah, hand writing notes is better then typing them, as you have to think about what you are writing down, you aren't just mindlessly typing away.