How do you study? (1 Viewer)

[lyounamu]

Following my own way of study method for quite a long time, I would like to improve my study method by hearing from you what kind of study method you implement to succeed academically.

For example, my study method is to get to sleep early (7pm) and wake up early (2am or 3am). I use ordinary exercise books to write and memorise contents while reading and use loose leaf(?) to make some notes.

I study every subject that I have on that day except Studies of Religion I and put few more hours for Mathematics

I do my homework at school and rarely do homework at home as long as they are finished at school. I read Daily Telegraph on a train to increase my vocabulary.

Any comment will be greatly appreciated and taken into account to alter my study method.

 

[Rhanoct]

I get home at 4pm most days, chill till about 6pm then I work till around 11pm. After that I either read (school texts as well as others) till 1amish then zzzzzzzz. To increase my vocab I mark (I read with a pencil always ^^) the words I don't understand then once I'm finished reading I go back to where I started and look them up, understand the context in which they're used and bam! Of course, if I don't understand something because of the word then I'll look it up + context first.

My notes usually conform to these formats:

English

Context
- explain context + impact on ideas/composer/text

Ideas
- list them + brief description + how context shapes these ideas
- how are they conveyed (through plot, techniques, characters, etc.)

Values
- list them + brief description + how values emerge from ideas

context -> ideas (+techniques ALWAYS) -> values

History

Main syllabus dot points (events, roles of people, etc.)
- expand into however many sub points that are important
- list of quotes/historical debate
- dates

Maths
- my maths notes are so twisted i'm not even going to explain how i do them because it's definitely not the best way >.>

I usually have 2-3 sets of "notes" for ancient/modern/historyext. I write the first set with great detail then go over them again and reduce them until I have maybe 5-6 pages reduced to 1-2. All of my notes are handwritten, btw.

Once my notes are up to date I look for additional information to sophisticate my essays then I just ask teachers/look for practice essay questions and do them + hand in.

Just so you know, it's taken me AGES to get into a good habit like this ^o^

mmm, hope this helps :x

 

[bassistx]

Wow, you guys are pretty organised.

Try to go to bed at 9 so I'm asleep by 10... To make sure I get enough zzzzzzs but it takes me hours to get to sleep anyway so it's useless.

6AM start.. workout for an hour
7AM get ready and crap
8AM leave for school
3PM workout for an hour
4PM chill
5PM study
6PM study
7PM study
8PM chill
9PM bed

Pretty much it. I can't fit in more than 3 hours on 'normal' days. Wednesdays and weekends are better because I get home earlier/don't have school lol

I make summaries in spiral exercise books so I don't lose them and I can still rip pages out without tearing the thing apart. And I use index cards heaps. I have envelopes for each subject and I write questions and put them in and it's sort of like a lucky dip kinda thing. I have to answer that question, no matter how much I don't want to or how ill-prepared I am for it Good practice..
Also, I use a corkboard and my mirrors (vanity as well as sliding wardrobe doors) and stick stuff on them. Important notes, forumals, etc. Great for reminders about assessments, etc. And on my computer, I keep all the important stuff on my desktop. Folders for each subject and folders for BOS stuff (like the syllabus, etc).
But for classwork/homework I use loose leaf papers so I can put them into my folders (separate for each subject). In class I take notes either on loose leaf or shorthands then type them up at home so I can understand them later haha.
I use highlighters heaps and those tabby post-it like thingos haha

Oh, and don't forget mindmaps on huge pieces of butcher's paper! Love 'em!

 

[gazzalite751]

What I usually do to study for subjects is:
Do the homework whenever I can. I try to not rush it because homework is more about trying to get the main concepts and ideas of the discussed lesson more focused into our minds.

Then after that, I would take a break (usually half-an hour) if I'm doing the homework at home. Then I would take 5 minutes for each subject of that day and just revise the notes that I'd written down for it. That way things stay in my head longer. Apparently that's what a Science Research Report showed anyway >.<"

In my spare time, I tend to write scaffolds as well based on the main points and concepts that we learnt.

 

[bassistx]

I agree, the Financial Review is the best out there for vocab. I got over 20 words from just one article (2 pages long though).

 

[bleu]

Wow, you guys are pretty organised.

I make summaries in spiral exercise books so I don't lose them and I can still rip pages out without tearing the thing apart.

what are spiral exercise books?

@sikhman
why do you get home from school so late at 6:45? are u heaps far away from school or do u work or something?..cos that sounds like a looonng day.

i'm pretty lucky in that i live about 1min away from school so i can go home in my frees and stuffff ...its awesome

 

[ZEROtheHERO]

I have to work on this, but:

I get to school at 7:45, which lets me do school work for a good hour. I usually rely on this hour to do my homework, since i can't be bothered to do it at home.

I get home around 3:45, and i do whatever for 15 minutes. SOMETIMES, if your lucky i do homework and school related random stuff, doing it in priority with which one has a close due date.

I do this up to 6, when friends is on. After six, you've lost me. After 6:30 i bludge, go on the internet and BOS, ranting about my shiet day.

I watch tv and eat. And go to bed around 10:30 to 11.

WOO!

 

[bassistx]

what are spiral exercise books?

@sikhman
why do you get home from school so late at 6:45? are u heaps far away from school or do u work or something?..cos that sounds like a looonng day.

i'm pretty lucky in that i live about 1min away from school so i can go home in my frees and stuffff ...its awesome

Spiral exercise books are basically exactly like your A4 exercise/note books, except there's a spiral on the side. You know, like the kind in school diaries? Visual Arts diaries and sketchpads have the same spiral - if that makes it any clearer.

You are so lucky to live so close. I have to take the bus. Blegh. And they run every half hour, so it takes me an hour to get home. Useless.

 

[bassistx]

PM? Are you serious?

 

[bored of sc]

Summarise a topic when you finish it, that is, write in fairly simple terms the main concepts, ideas etc in a unit of work. That's what I am aiming to do anyway. Except for maths where you just practise with questions.
Personally, I don't study much at all, but I do do all homework and assessments very thoroughly and go over concepts and stuff till I understand it.

 

[bassistx]

I don't do maths, but I found this extremely helpful and I learnt/remembered everything:
Use colourful pastel crayons (like in kindi) and write your formulas (in topics) in really big writing on white A4 pages. Not lined pages, that's a distraction from the formulas/content.
So for area, I had the area of a prism, circle, etc... Just do it in topics. And carry them everywhere you go.
You'll remember them by their colours during the exam.

 

[lyounamu]

Would you be able to learn much just by reading? My friends tell me of how useful their "photographic memory" is whenever they tell me about their study methods or whatever.

In addition, I also use whiteboard to teach myself. I think it is pretty good study method because you can teach yourself even though it will look pretty weird!

 

[Aplus]

For example, my study method is to get to sleep early (7pm) and wake up early (2am or 3am).

Yeah, this is the problem.

 

[lyounamu]

lol.....reading the daily telegraph to increase your vocabulary.....my suggestion is to read the Australian, AFR (it's not just finance), or SMH if you really can't get the others.....but the best one is AFR i've found....daily telegraph isn't exactly reknowned for it's *quality*

I am completely aware of that. But I do not have much time to memorise hundreds of words. That's why I read Daily Telegraph (which is considerably easy) to increase my vocabulary gradually (about 30-50 words)

 

[lyounamu]

Yeah, this is the problem.

Whatever the study method is, if it works for you, use it!

I really do go to bed at 7pm even on weekends. Even if I did not have anything to study, I would still wake up at 2-3am because I am a complete morning-person!

Studying while everyone is sleeping provides the best environment to study in and that's my study method and worked very well for me for several months.

If you observe this as a problem, why don't you tell me how you study because I would like to see what you have against.

 

[Felix Jones]

holyy crap!!! u already study too much.

 

[Felix Jones]

but if u want real advice....dont over study. eveyone thinks that the more u study the better....well they are idiots.

push urself but not the point where nothings goes in ur head. and when studying try to make connections with related materials rather than just memorising. memory is not a sign of intelligence but having a deeper understanding of a topic is. you do that by making connections with other stuff.

 

[lyounamu]

but if u want real advice....dont over study. eveyone thinks that the more u study the better....well they are idiots.

push urself but not the point where nothings goes in ur head. and when studying try to make connections with related materials rather than just memorising. memory is not a sign of intelligence but having a deeper understanding of a topic is. you do that by making connections with other stuff.

I really appreciate your comment. To be honest I do not think that I over-study since I do not become sick of it. But I still really appreciate your comment and put that comment into account, thank you!

 

[Felix Jones]

np.....are u year 11??? if u are , u already have an advangae over 98% of the other students (the statistics were made on the spot and moey cannot be held liable for anything)....cos by the time they realise the importance of staring early it''ll be too late.

 

[Felix Jones]

thats not weird.....wait nvm.
nah jkes....if u can teach urself or other, it show that u actually understand the topic.
for me...i usually taech/help out my mates with school work in class. if i can explain it to them it means that i know my crap aslo you remmeber heaps better by teaching someone else...im srz try it someday and u'll see. also make coections with hat ur raeding or studying dont memorise e.g. you could try to memorise the number 08351992....or u could think of it as an event happenign at 08:35 am in 1992. the seond method is much easier to remeber because u have mde a connection with the number or linked it to somethin else....the thing u link it to does not have to make sense ot be real.....no one knoes ecactly what happened at 08:35 am in 1992.