So since the (American) semester is coming to an end, most college students are getting ready/taking Finals, right? I know some high schools probably are as well. Well, I found myself doing stuff I normally don't do while studying and I realize I have a set of study habits and a complete different set of habits for finals lol. So I was wondering What kind of study habits do you have? This would also help anybody out there who needs help studying <<
My finals finished a week ago. My study habits go something along these lines: 1. Study hard for the mock exams. 2. Study for the real things the few days before each one. (Cram!) 3. Pass all papers with the highest grade possible. Well, I'm still waiting on that last one. But it'll happen.
Well I aim to be a straight A student, so I look back on all my old work like study guides, tests, notes, etc. I try to stay away from tv and going on the computer and stuff like that. Oh and it's also good to have good nutrition, like snacking on fruits and veggies instead of chips and stuff like that. I hope that helps ^ ^
When I revise ('cause that's what we call it in Scotland) I have a playlist on Spotify which I turn on and listen to wile i study. All of the songs on there are either Classical, Folk or Gypsy type music (random), and none of them have words, mainly because it distracts you if you do have words because you end up singing along. I revise a little bit every week-end, going over what we've done during the week, and taking breaks to either play piano/violin, watch videos on youtube or play a game (FFIX is a big favourite at the moment). I never revise for more than 30 minutes without taking a break, studies have proven that if you study for more, then retention levels drop. I also use sites online to give myself pop quizes if I'm feeling especially massochistic.
Huh. We use both terms over here in NZ. Do you use 'study' at all? And where does the term 'swatting' come from?
When I study, I normally end up drinking tea (helps a lot) and pulling all nighters revising like hell, all my notes piled up in specific categories and I also go to the library to take out several books for revision. When I revise, I tend to go for the extreme ways of getting things stuck into your memory. Sometimes when I get too stressed, I end up scarily calm with no control over my emotions...
Nope, the only time we really use "study" is when you talk about out of school (normally after school) session with teachers where a bunch of pupils go to get help with stuff without the formality of the classroom environment, this is called "Supported Study" or "Study Support". I think swatting is a very English term, I don't know where it could have come from, possibly the noise pages make when you turn the pages of a book quickly?
I'm awful at studying, mostly because I don't do it as much as I should. :l When I do absolutely have to though, I have a block list set up on my computer that will close me out of the forums I go on as well as things like Facebook. Then I usually just take my notes and retype them, typing helps me remember information for some reason. I usually take a break every 40 minutes or so.
I've escaped the scary place known as college, with good grades and a degree to boot, and would be more than happy to share what I used to do. I loved using Powerpoint while studying. I know it's not the first thing people think of when it comes to study materials, but rather for final projects involving slide shows. But my favorite thing was making sets of flash cards in it, that I could use to quiz myself on vocabulary terms or history dates. It also came in handy when I was writing papers, because I could make slides with quotes on them, and group them together by topic. Also made it easier to write up a bibliography if the paper needed one. Very rarely did I study alone. My group of friends and I would meet in the library to study, and we'd bounce things off of each other or quiz each other. We'd also bring things like snacks and games, and made sure to take a break every so often so we didn't get burnt out. That was a big thing; cramming is never a good idea. You need to pace yourself when you study and make sure you can handle what you set up for yourself. I did the same thing for assignments too, sorting them first by due dates and knocking them out bit by bit. It made it easier to take those long term papers or projects too.
I actually don't REALLY study. I tried to get myself off of the internet this school year. However, I found out I really couldn't, since I have to rely on the internet for some things. Thus, I always get distracted and end up finishing homework late at night. I cram for tests or look over some notes a few days before.
You know I thought about this A LOT. And I never really do anything about studying :O! Like maybe for the mock stuff, just to make it seem like I'm doing something. But for when the time for testing comes through, I don't do jack -.- I thought about how come this is. But there's really no other explanation besides getting sidetracked. And thats ALWAYS. In the end, somehow, after my distractions pass and have done all I can for them; it's time for finals and everynow and then I'll miraculously pass o.0 I wish there would be a better explanation for it. It's beyond me XD
Other than picking music to fit the theme, I sometimes make a habit of researching the teacher and coming to a compromise on things that I know I will not get done with what I find. It has gotten me out of test deadlines for a semester. This has only worked once, but it is still a fun habit of mine. On truly studying, I am a hard worker when I feel obligated to do something, but I usually underestimate an assignment by at least three hours if it is an essay of some kind. I will usually space assignments out to do one per day if I have enough days until the deadline, and this is where I have problems. In that case, I do no proofreading. I work well under pressure; usually far better than otherwise, actually, but it could get me a bad grade if I keep it up.
I was actually just talking to a friend about this, I have a tendency to choose something new to listen to every semester, this one turned out to be Alica Keys exclusively (Pretty gangster right?). But outside of that I spend countless hours in the library with groups just doing repetition of problems we have seen on tests and previous finals we have gotten from other students, my major is Math so not to much reading and writing. Spending so much time in the library normally means cracking out on adderall and energy drink, its basically a 2 weeks of be as unhealthy as you possibly can.
