After facing a series of academic setbacks, ultimately leading to taking a semester off, I finally found the impetus to actually do something lastingly about my fucked study habits. This book is 400 pages, dense with different methods to get more out of your study time.

Link to Amazon for book

It seems to be the book on proper study habits. It is super-super dense and reads more like a textbook. Filled with research, helps to put aside many of the questions I've had over the years about how to properly go about studying, such as
1. Should I listen to music when I study?
2. In lecture, should I make overly goddamned detailed notes, or just use the bare minimum for the idea?
3. study with friends, or alone?
4. when (day/night/morning) is the best time to study?

I fuckin' love this book. If you think it is too expensive, just check it out from your library, there has been like 9 editions, but they all basically say the same things, take what you can get. I'm working off a 4rth edition copy and I am really busting my ass on getting down some of the new techniques and concepts.

Now, I'm looking for a book that approaches how to take notes for different subjects/classes. IE - Organic chemistry book/lecture, history book/lecture, literature book/lecture, math book/lecture. Each subject and source (book/lecture) seems to have a more effective note-taking method that some people inadvertently fall into after practice. Anybody have some leads on this?

There is no one size fits all for studying. Some are auditory and really benefit from hearing lectures, others are visual oriented and need to see the material. Some find benefit in going over the material relatively quickly numerous times, getting the highlights the first time and filling in the details in subsequent times (my vote). Others like to only go over material once beating all the details into themselves and taking a lot of time for that one trip through the material.

Gotta find what works best for you.

Answers, please?

The answers for 1 and 3 depend on minimization of distractions. Music can be distracting, and friends can be distracting. If you spend 90% of your mental energy concentrating on the text and 10 percent listening to the cries of Hannah Montana or your overly dramatic friend Jenna, you aren't working at peak capacity. If you spend all your time dicking around, shooting rubber bands and playing footsie under the table, singing and dancing, you are wasting time.

If you need to study with something blocking the audible environment around you, use those sound-killing ear plugs.
If you feel you need the silent companionship of a friend otherwise the alienation blues will start to get you, study with your more serious student friends or make some friends with med-school or Law-school students, who are generally a bit more no-nonsense when it comes to studying. If you can't give up your old clique study group, start leaning on the noisebox of the group to be a bit more considerate.

Studying during the day is better generally than at night. Alertness is pretty even throughout the day, with some lulls around noon (siesta time!), but then starts tapering off as you get closer to bed time. Studying a given amt of info after bedtime (staying up late) takes about 1.5x longer than when studying in before-bedtime hours. The best possible time to study notes taken from a lecture are right after the lecture, even if it is at night, the information is still fresh in your mind, and you can go and clear up any inconsistencies or incoherent stuff written down.


Everyone is different though.

Sometimes people want the distraction because they find the subject boring. Consider this though, what if you could CULTURE an interest in that subject, or any subject at all? What if you could build a desire to study the subject for it's own sake and having assignments and grades being the secondary motivator? How do you suppose you could go about finding that motivation? What steps do you think you would have to take?

Ear plugs are the most invaluable (non-drug) study tool ever. Great thread, BTW, as we tend to focus more on drugs when the topic of studying arises, rather than more fundamental things such as these.

My belief system regarding studying:

No one ever became smarter by taking supplements or drugs in order to enhance studying. Youve either got it, or you dont - taking some magic memory pill wont change much for you unless, maybe, your stuck at 49% and need to get 50%. That is also known as a placebo affect.

Being lazy will not usually work. Organic chem -- do the fucking problems, write them out, dont just read about the fucking reactions. English, read fucking books and write essays. Math -- do the god damn questions. Practice with final exams.

Music, smelling onion while you study, etc. are generally bullshit methods that will do nothing. It's easy to observe the kids that get high grades and the habits they have.

I just saved you a lot of money on future "how to study" books.

Studying is for pussies.

Yeah. That's why I'm on M&M when I have an anatomy quiz in an hour...

Google structured procrastination.

Fixed it for you. It should be more accurate. at least according to Benson.

http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Your-Books-J...8114&sr=8-1

out of print, second addition in years to come. No bad reviews. I am slightly biased.

Definitely no one size fits all method works for studying. That being said, this list will help you in your efforts just adjust to your learning style:



Evaluate your detractions/weaknesses - remove them or put time limits on them (tv, girls, M&M forum etc)

Music - personally I can't, speaking with others it is used to drown out distractions (ex office building noise generator)

Studying with friends - see first point, and make sure your use them as a tool not a distraction

Find out how you learn best - visual, auditory, speech, writing/doing, combination etc

How long is your attention span for that subject - it will very greatly depending on your interests

Mini-breaks while studying can work great - stop stand up look out window for a little bit (do not get distracted and prolong break)

Studying blocks work great - 2-3 hr block/workout/2-3hr block

Use your distractions strategically to relax you, or physical activity - clearing your mind before continuing studying sessions works good

Organization can help - personally I like an chaos or an organic freestyle approach but it is highly unorthodox and not necessarily efficient

You wrote a book?

Rock, I smell what your cooking but it smells like a show horn. Hard work is part of the equation, but so are noots/drug and good habits. To discount them entirely is way off-base. If they didn't work the Starbucks on campus would look more like the juice bar and piracetam wouldn't be on the top 10 lists at major supp retailers.

yes, even before I'm out of college..I figured I know enough

nah its my fathers book, and I do think he has some good stuff to say.

I don't think the majority of the people on this site really have trouble applying themselves, or learning things. Where I run into trouble is not caring about what is being taught in class, but rather trying to learn about something totally unrelated that I am interested in.

Dude. That is so true... I have found myself doing this all the time. I love the idea and will make sure and implement it more effectively for now on. I think its awesome that a Stanford philosophy professor (with similar interests to mine) came up with it.

It's funny that I never learn more about philosophy than when I have a neuroscience midterm to study for, and I never learn more about neuroscience, than when I have a philosophy paper to write. Reading about one is only fun if you are doing it to avoid the other.

EDIT: P.S. I picked up a used copy of that book Rod. I'll post what I think of it when I get it.

Word, $4 well spent.

Sent for on interlibrary loan. should be here in 2-4 days. I'm excited.

awesome guys, I hope you like it.

and if you are too lazy to read get some Aterol (ADD/ADHD medication). i dont have adhd but my good friend does and he neglects his medication so i borrow a few from time to time... words cant describe the concentration and focus. i actuallay just snapped out of a 11 hour study session. just thought i'd add.

You mean Adderall, the brand name for amphetamine.

I agree! I have this book and took a course called Study skills for college. it was the best course I took. and the skills learnt in this book are not just for copllege. there for whatever area you study. for quick facts I remember: I did chapter 2 I beleive Time management so im proficient in this.

Study earlier in the day, physical activity later

Light music like classical is benefical while studying

make sure you have bright light. this makes all the difference in the world. (i used to sit outside in the sun, spring semester because Our house lights were to dim)

Great book i agree

I find a study very well early in the morning in the library. Every time I try to study at home the hours seem to pass by without me doing anything.

Now if I can only get up at 5am I'll be set. It's so relaxing sitting in an empty library.

what are you, a pharmacist? yeah thats what i meant.

Actually, yeah. I study neuroscience and philosophy of mind. Think before you post here, you are beginning to look stupid.

Interesting book. Here's what I took from it. By meditating, you train your mind to have the characteristics that would maximize your studying productivity. You teach yourself to deftly dodge distractions and maintain an attitude which should evolve into a love of learning.

Cool. I already meditate every day, mostly to get just what this book was aimed at doing, making study time more productive. The book really helped put some solid backing and reinforce this daily ritual of mine. Thanks!