How do you study for exams?

[ofcourse]

Hey Guys,
I'm new in this forum, having a really great time.
Tons of interesting and high topics hehe, this site is definately unique.

Exams and Final Paper due dates are coming...and I have no idea how to approach all this cramming...how do you study? what helps you? do you study high? whats your day like if you have at least 8 hours of studying to do....any hints/suggestions?

I usually just read/memorize notes...when I feel my brain is overloaded I might blaze...and hope I wont get too stoned to read the pages hehe...sometimes I do and I end up watching family guy and listening to amazing progressive, making me go off schedule...
So yea...How do you study?

[texas grass]

with a bong in my lap, game on and enjoyin myself, oh wait thats how i relax, lol sorry

[Storm Crow]

Hon, do it the easy way! Get a little cassette recorder and read your text book or notes into it. Play it in the car, while getting ready for school, during commercials, whenever you have a couple of minutes! I work in education. I did a post a while back on study tips... let's see if I can find it.... There it is!

http://boards.cannabis.com/cannabis-com-lounge/130638-going-back-school-great-study-tips-2.html

"I want all of you to get straight "A"s, to break the "dumb, underachieving stoner" image and maybe amaze the parents and teachers! I work in education and I'm darn good at it. Here's a few things you can do to get better grades. You may not get all "A"s the first semester, but your grades should improve greatly!

First, get a cassette recorder- even an "el cheapo" will do, you aren't recording music! Read your text books into it and replay the text often, while driving, doing housework, etc. I guarantee you will learn it! It is easier than reading and re-reading your text book- just click and play!

Second, begin work ASAP on all assignments. The kids in college though I was crazy because I started on term papers a couple of weeks into class. By the time finals came around, I was done with it and could focus on JUST the finals- while everyone else was going crazy trying to do both for all their classes. I graduated with honors.

Third, type out your notes! Retyping them makes you pay attention to what you wrote. Try to read a sentence, then retype it from memory. Be sure to read it again to check for accuracy.

Fourth, Study in a group! The feedback from fellow students sticks in your mind (usually more than what the teacher said in class!). They did a study on this and kids who worked in groups got better grades with the same amount of studying as students who studied alone.

Fifth, I had a lot of luck writing my papers stoned and cleaning them up straight. The ideas just "flowed". Math (for me) was a disaster when I was stoned, however.

Sixth, Use a reward system. "I won't play my Xbox/get stoned/ have a cookie until I finish this assignment. Just don't do a hurried job- be patient!

Another thing you can do, if you are creative, is to take a tune you know well and set new words to it- the facts you need to learn. I can still recite Poe's poem "El Dorado" that I learned in the 60s! I set it to some music and sang it through over and over. Remembering a song uses a different part of your brain than learning nonmusical stuff. So basically, you have it "written" in two places in your memory, making it more likely that you will be able to remember the facts.

As a tutor, one third of my job is getting kids to believe in themselves. The other thirds are- teaching kids how to study (tricks and tips), and the actual teaching of the facts and formulas. Most of you are just lacking the "tools" you need to learn- you're not stupid, you just don't know how to learn! And HOW to learn is not something most schools teach! I just gave you a few tricks that work for a lot of people. You DO have to work, though. Facts don't just jump into your head, you have to put them there. Very few of the kids I've tutored have remained stuck in their low grades. And I am proud of every one of them! Go for it! Make me proud!- Granny

And a little more!
OK, Let's add flash cards to the list of good study aids! In science, learning the vocabulary is half the battle! Pick up some 3x5s and use them for vocabulary, history, whatever! Again, they are easy to use in those "wasted minutes" (waiting for the microwave to cook a potato, commercials during the game, riding in a car...)"

Well, that might help you a bit. - Granny:hippy: (who graduated with honors)

[Ghengis Chron]

I got a rough two weeks ahead of me, it's making really anxious. However, knowing I would feel anxious and such, I started studying during Thanksgiving break.

I only have one cumulative exam this semester....I definitely lucked out.

Anyways, I usually put on some relaxing music, sometimes classical, sometimes some bob marley, sometimes some pink floyd, something soft and not distracting. Then I plan out a schedule as to how and when I'm going to study each subject. It's good to ration out what you're going to study, don't overload just one subject. Spend some time on one subject, then move on, then return to that subject. It's all about pacing yourself.

Depending on what you're studying, try to identify certain material with your life. It's a good way to remember stuff. Try to apply the material to your life.

Get lots of sleep and eat well. Your brain works better when its properly nourished. Good luck! :rastasmoke:

[ukmonkey]

"
Third, type out your notes! Retyping them makes you pay attention to what you wrote. Try to read a sentence, then retype it from memory. Be sure to read it again to check for accuracy."

Thats good advice, I'm gonna do that myself.

Also using weed only as a valued reward is so important.

[stinkyattic]

Re-type your class notes while you have the textbook open. If there is anything in the notes you don't remember or understand, go to the textbook and read the section, and add NEW notes to your class notes as you type them up. Now you will have a complete study guide, in your own words, that you know you understand.

[dragonrider]

Being high does not help studying.

Budgeting time during the cramming season helps --- make a daily schedule for the next couple of weeks and a list of the things you need to do. Cramming for exams basically involves reviewing the assignments for the semester. Pull out tests and assignments from the semester and remember what you got right and learn what you got wrong. Review your notes.

[MadSativa]

"Study high, taked the test high, get high scores"

[birdgirl73]

I have a rough two weeks in front me, too. Midterms. And some parts of my second-year classes will end at midterm.

I never was one to learn much from recordings of my textbooks or recordings of any books. That's just because that's not my learning style. I'm more of a reader or a hands-on experiential learner than I am a student who gets a lot out of simply listening to words. When a lecturer or instructor is talking and writing on boards, it's different somehow. I guess because I'm taking notes. When I read, I can highlight or jot notes in the margins. The interaction with the learning materials helps solidify the subject matter for me.

The notes I take nowadays are already typed. Most of us med students have our laptops with us in class and our books on CD loaded onto the laptop. So what I do instead of retyping the notes is go back through them and clean up the typos and review.

I have to study in small doses over a long period of time. Twenty minutes and then a break. Then another 20 minutes, followed by another break. After about two hours, I take a longer break and eat or exercise, sometimes just going for a walk. That restoreth my brain and I can sit back down and study some more. I snack on something at every break between the 20-minute periods, but that's how I reward myself. I try real hard to give myself enough away time (usually a minimum of 8 hours) to let what I've learned sink into my brain and let my unconscious mind do the necessary sorting/filing. In the morning before a test, I typically do one last review session and then count on my brain's "batch cycle," the unconscious sorting/filing process, to call the necessary info up to the surface. It seems to work. Getting enough sleep helps, too, and helps with the sorting/filing process.

[snowblind]

i find it helps to make mind maps on A3 paper. i usually fill my whole wall with them. starting with topics, then important data and theories in bold. i put the, up on my wall and around the house. in the bathroom, on doors. so that a brief glance jogs my mind.

after that i usually go over past papers and look for reocuring questions and so on.

but mainly i try to structure my days into 45 sessions and then 15 min breaks.

snack often and try to eat lots of fish, fruit, nuts and dried fruits. these all help.

staying slightly cold can help as i personally find that it keeps me more awake.

it is really important though to have a cut of time maybe 8 9 pm so you have enough downtime to relax and chill. this allows your brain to process the information, but also for you to sleep as otherwise youll just become more purpetually tired.

i find that i function better when i dont smoke. so when cramming i only tok on friday and sat night and nothing the week before the exams.

hope this helps and good luck.

peace

[stinkyattic]

I just considered the funny side of this... you COULD be studying right now!

Stop procrastinating and get to work you slacker!

:D

[Storm Crow]

Ahhh! Come on Stinky, a kid's got to have his breaks! I am quite certain that his post was done during a short study break! lol - Granny:hippy:

[ofcourse]

Storm Crow, I love you!
Very encouraging/helpful post, no wonder you are at where you are right now ;)
to tell you the truth i did start studying a bit late and got to write all my papers too, hehe (just like those kids, that you referred to).
Thanks alot!

[Storm Crow]

We all know who we are...:cool:
We all know who we could be...:(:mad:
We all know who we should be...:thumbsup:
Who knows what we can be???:question:

I'm still working on the "should be"s... Granny (well medicated ):hippy:

[cm8883]

I have to study the major stuff completely sober. Then, after an hour or two, I'll let myself take a break. If the worst of the studying is over for the night, I'll toke, if not, I don't.

I always look soooo forward to that after-exam toke...ahhhh :jointsmile:

[SpadeOfSrh]

read over things day by day start early so you dont have to cram it will save you in the long run. trust me

[Nochowderforyou]

I found writing things down helped me a lot. Simply reading out of a textook does no good to me, so I wirte down the important notes.

The shitty thing about school is you don't really know exactly which parts would be most important, but that's where paying attention in class comes into play. When the teacher goes through the textbook in class, highlight the points they are making. Thy usually don't go over single part in the book, so that's why you have to pay attention.

Missing class is no good either. That's an entire class missed, so you could end up missing a bi part of it.

So when you go to study, really pay attention to your highlighted work that was talked about in class. Study it, then write it down, then read it again.

That's how I learn anyways, is by repeating and reading the same thing more than once. Some people can learn and remeber stuff in one read. Not me. I need to read it, write it down, and visualize it.

Good luck.

[jagarr]

it took me four years of uni to figure it out. i always sucked at school and only got 'good at it' at the end. its all about how you space your work out.