Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17

Thread: What is your favorite way to study?

  1. #1
    mamonini's Avatar
    Joined
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    13
    Pronouns
    they/them
    Userbars
    2
    Thanks
    48
    Thanked
    48/13
    Mentioned
    2 times
    Time Online
    10d 8h 56m
    Avg. Time Online
    7m

    Post What is your favorite way to study?

    I've a hard time studying and focussing on stuff most of my time, so lately I've been trying to find out some new techniques.
    Some people like to write, others to just read, some use the pomodoro method, etc.

    What are your favorite techniques? Do you have any tips for fellow students?

  2. #2
    funnybell's Avatar
    Joined
    May 2012
    Posts
    706
    Pronouns
    she/her
    Userbars
    26
    Thanks
    1,892
    Thanked
    1,656/400
    DL/UL
    112/0
    Mentioned
    114 times
    Time Online
    28d 16h 59m
    Avg. Time Online
    9m
    Oh man, I haven't seriously studied in a long time lol.

    But when I did, usually it involved a lot of reading. There were a lot of instances where I'd read a paragraph, realize I hadn't really retained what it said, so I'd have to re-read it. I found that reading aloud, sometimes in a different accent like British helped me lol. Also, underlining/highlighting important bits, and if I have time, recontextualizing everything I've read into some color-coded notes. It might also help to visualize what you are reading - if it's about a person, imagine what that person looks like, see them doing what you're reading about them doing in your head etc.

    Another technique that is super useful for ANY kind of learner is explaining what you have just studied to someone else. They don't even have to be there - you can explain it to a camera or an imaginary person. It's one thing to understand something yourself, and it's another to put in terms that other people can understand. Teaching others is great for your own learning.

    I will also add, physically writing down notes rather than typing them out is proven to help you retain information. Quoted from a (you need an account to see links):
    Taking notes on laptops rather than in longhand is increasingly common. Many researchers have suggested that laptop note taking is less effective than longhand note taking for learning. Prior studies have primarily focused on students’ capacity for multitasking and distraction when using laptops. The present research suggests that even when laptops are used solely to take notes, they may still be impairing learning because their use results in shallower processing. In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning.
    On the subject of multitasking, I find that listening to music or even a TV show can help me focus on more tedious and repetitive tasks. But with things that require me to critically think, I need silence. Or at the very least, non-lyrical music.

    Personally I HATE being timed and it makes it really hard for me to focus lol. I need hours to get into the groove and truly commit to learning.

  3. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to funnybell For This Useful Post:

    dustyc (07-16-2021),♥ GreyFaerie ♥ (07-16-2021),mamonini (07-17-2021),Mario2302 (07-16-2021),MKM (07-27-2021),Sephora (07-24-2021)

  4. #3
    Mario2302's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    2,380
    Userbars
    63
    Thanks
    4,851
    Thanked
    4,681/1,965
    DL/UL
    44/0
    Mentioned
    406 times
    Time Online
    121d 18h 35m
    Avg. Time Online
    54m
    i wanted to comment but @(you need an account to see links) just mentioned every last thing i could come up with :p
    good luck on finding a way that works for you


    Ruygi
    Endlessly indebted to (you need an account to see links) for this cute adoptable and Ruygi and mario on my avatar!!
    Forever thanking (you need an account to see links) for the tweaked background and custom userbar on my profile
    Perpetual gratitude to (you need an account to see links) for the custom "super mario 1 up" userbar on my avatar
    In ultimate awe of (you need an account to see links)animation and art skill on my current avatar background, the animated
    super mario custom userbar and tying it together with the one from (you need an account to see links)

  5. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Mario2302 For This Useful Post:

    funnybell (07-16-2021),mamonini (07-17-2021)

  6. #4
    Alcremie's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    1,095
    Userbars
    63
    Thanks
    1,915
    Thanked
    1,588/686
    DL/UL
    50/0
    Mentioned
    73 times
    Time Online
    92d 1h 45m
    Avg. Time Online
    1h 6m
    For math and science, studying was a little tricky for me. Either instrumental music or no music at all. Unfortunately caffeine helps me quite a bit with studying because it helps me focus. I don't like it necessarily but it helps a lot. Going to quiet libraries rather than sitting in my apartment helped out, too.

    When I switched my major and was doing a shit ton of reading and writing, instrumental music helped me out a lot more. My art teacher recommended it to me in high school. Also, making sure you're hydrated and eating enough good food is beneficial too. It's good for your brain and helps you process things/not get foggy thinking. Always make sure to take breaks from studying after a half hour/hour. Look away from the screen once in a while and take a little stroll to get the blood flowing. Concentrating is super hard for me, so I needed to do all of these things. It helped considerably!

  7. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Alcremie For This Useful Post:

    funnybell (07-16-2021),♥ GreyFaerie ♥ (07-16-2021),mamonini (07-17-2021)

  8. #5
    GreyFaerie's Avatar
    Joined
    May 2020
    Posts
    1,388
    Pronouns
    She/her
    Userbars
    65
    Thanks
    6,793
    Thanked
    5,026/1,309
    DL/UL
    42/0
    Mentioned
    426 times
    Time Online
    121d 12h 53m
    Avg. Time Online
    2h 2m
    I am a person who loses concentration very easily. It's very difficult for me to re-read a text and it is something that I need to do repeatedly, because my career is essentially theoretical. Over the years I have found a couple of study techniques that have worked for me: the pomodoro method, using many colors to highlight ideas, concepts, in short to summarize, and making a synoptic chart. I like to make my summaries with the least amount of data possible and then be able to comment on them with as much detail as possible. I try to make it as entertaining as possible.
    It is also very important for me to have a specific place to study. I usually study in the dining room at night. Our body learns the routines and when I sit there, my body and mind are better predisposed to the task.











    Pixie♥ ~
    Hatched 11/13/2020
    Chibi Grey Faerie by ♥ Wooloo ♥









    (you need an account to see links)
    (you need an account to see links)
    Both Grey Pixel Pixie by the Honeycomb

    my ubs by Lyrichord


    Ryupocalypse 07-15-2021
    Grey love faerie by Houndoom


  9. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to GreyFaerie For This Useful Post:

    funnybell (07-16-2021),mamonini (07-17-2021),Sephora (07-24-2021)

  10. #6
    dustyc's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2019
    Posts
    473
    Pronouns
    she/they
    Userbars
    33
    Thanks
    7,015
    Thanked
    1,127/360
    Mentioned
    37 times
    Time Online
    36d 13h 55m
    Avg. Time Online
    33m
    Agreed with @(you need an account to see links), I always always always take notes in handwritten notebooks rather than my laptop. It just helps me retain the information better.

    I have also found that when trying to memorize things, my go-to is to make up random little acronyms that relate to what I'm trying to remember. Or relating the information to something random that I'll remember, tied to phrase from a song or TV show or movie or anything that I like. I wish I had a better way to explain it, it's been so long since I've had to do it so I can't really think of any examples. But I find it also especially helps when I'm studying last minute.

    Also! When going over notes, saying them out loud and repeating them to myself helps me remember things. It's a lot better than just reading over notes in my head, because I'll just forget them.
    Custom Userbar made by (you need an account to see links)

  11. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to dustyc For This Useful Post:

    funnybell (07-16-2021),mamonini (07-17-2021),Sephora (07-24-2021)

  12. #7
    mamonini's Avatar
    Joined
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    13
    Pronouns
    they/them
    Userbars
    2
    Thanks
    48
    Thanked
    48/13
    Mentioned
    2 times
    Time Online
    10d 8h 56m
    Avg. Time Online
    7m
    Quote Originally Posted by funnybell View Post
    Oh man, I haven't seriously studied in a long time lol.

    But when I did, usually it involved a lot of reading. There were a lot of instances where I'd read a paragraph, realize I hadn't really retained what it said, so I'd have to re-read it. I found that reading aloud, sometimes in a different accent like British helped me lol. Also, underlining/highlighting important bits, and if I have time, recontextualizing everything I've read into some color-coded notes. It might also help to visualize what you are reading - if it's about a person, imagine what that person looks like, see them doing what you're reading about them doing in your head etc.

    Another technique that is super useful for ANY kind of learner is explaining what you have just studied to someone else. They don't even have to be there - you can explain it to a camera or an imaginary person. It's one thing to understand something yourself, and it's another to put in terms that other people can understand. Teaching others is great for your own learning.

    I will also add, physically writing down notes rather than typing them out is proven to help you retain information. Quoted from a (you need an account to see links):


    On the subject of multitasking, I find that listening to music or even a TV show can help me focus on more tedious and repetitive tasks. But with things that require me to critically think, I need silence. Or at the very least, non-lyrical music.

    Personally I HATE being timed and it makes it really hard for me to focus lol. I need hours to get into the groove and truly commit to learning.
    Thanks a lot for your input! It was very helpful and I'll try some of those today, specially the reading aloud part
    I also had NO idea that writing was better than typing, so guess I'll have to go back to the old pen and notebook now since I've been using my computer for long lol.

  13. #8
    mamonini's Avatar
    Joined
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    13
    Pronouns
    they/them
    Userbars
    2
    Thanks
    48
    Thanked
    48/13
    Mentioned
    2 times
    Time Online
    10d 8h 56m
    Avg. Time Online
    7m
    Quote Originally Posted by Dracarys View Post
    For math and science, studying was a little tricky for me. Either instrumental music or no music at all. Unfortunately caffeine helps me quite a bit with studying because it helps me focus. I don't like it necessarily but it helps a lot. Going to quiet libraries rather than sitting in my apartment helped out, too.

    When I switched my major and was doing a shit ton of reading and writing, instrumental music helped me out a lot more. My art teacher recommended it to me in high school. Also, making sure you're hydrated and eating enough good food is beneficial too. It's good for your brain and helps you process things/not get foggy thinking. Always make sure to take breaks from studying after a half hour/hour. Look away from the screen once in a while and take a little stroll to get the blood flowing. Concentrating is super hard for me, so I needed to do all of these things. It helped considerably!
    Thanks for the advice! I've tried drinking coffee and energy drinks but unfortunately all the do is make me feel high speed anxious instead of focussed lmao.
    I wish I could go to libraries but it's a bit hard here with COVID the instrumental music bit is amazing tho!

  14. #9
    Alcremie's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    1,095
    Userbars
    63
    Thanks
    1,915
    Thanked
    1,588/686
    DL/UL
    50/0
    Mentioned
    73 times
    Time Online
    92d 1h 45m
    Avg. Time Online
    1h 6m
    Quote Originally Posted by mamonini View Post
    Thanks for the advice! I've tried drinking coffee and energy drinks but unfortunately all the do is make me feel high speed anxious instead of focussed lmao.
    I wish I could go to libraries but it's a bit hard here with COVID the instrumental music bit is amazing tho!
    oof, yeah, I was thinking about covid when I wrote libraries, sorry about that. This worked for me pre-pandemic. I live in a tiny apartment with the thinnest of walls, so noise cancelling headphones might be another thing that helps with your studying at home.

    I can't drink coffee or energy drinks either, the only thing that works for me is G-fuel. It's got some caffeine but also vitamins that help with focus. G fuel is a little pricey sometimes but if you have a little extra money it might be worth a try. Being a student is tough, especially during times like this. I hope it gets better for you!

  15. #10
    Menine's Avatar
    Joined
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    2,380
    Pronouns
    she
    Userbars
    61
    Thanks
    6,362
    Thanked
    8,850/1,707
    DL/UL
    95/0
    Mentioned
    505 times
    Time Online
    222d 5h 8m
    Avg. Time Online
    1h 55m
    I learn by teaching, but it's hard to do this after I graduated and started studying alone, specially during a pandemic.
    During classes, what helped me was reading classes notes while listening the teacher saying what was written, but usually it's hard to find a teacher that shares their lecture script before classes, so I used to ask someone that already had classes before me to lend me their notebooks...
    Since I lose concentration easily, I also have downloaded a focus app named (you need an account to see links). It rewards your study time with coins to buy clothes to a virtual bunny. It is a bit childish, but it is really cute and helpful. I like that it keep track at how many hours you was focused, which is really helpful for you to compete against yourself and improve.


  16. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Menine For This Useful Post:

    cuddlypanda (07-24-2021),Sephora (07-24-2021)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •