Study habits

reposted from /sci/

I can chase the rabbit through the maze by listening to lecture.

But when I have to tackle it myself, I'm lost.

Usually I brute force it, my memorizing all the steps taken, instead of thinking and formulating for myself.

What works well for the humanities, falls apart for the maths and sciences.

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Okay, laugh, but the Navy taught me how to study.

After 6 months at Naval Nuclear Propulsion School, Florida State awarded me and everyone else who graduated an associate's degree in nuclear engineering and two more semesters' worth of credits. In 6 months we covered physics, thermo, calc, fluid dynamics, particle theory, electrical theory, you name it.

Have a "rough" and "clean" notebook for every course. Each day, copy that day's notes from rough to clean while reviewing the work. Rework every problem presented that day, every problem even if you already get it. Each day review a portion of that course's previous notes. Not all of them mind you, just a portion of them. A week before a test, begin reviewing all the associated materials and review them every night.

Set aside a specific time to study nearly every day. Study 5 or 6 days out of every 7. Some sessions can be shorter than others, but try to keep most the same length. Take breaks every 30-45 minutes for 5-10 minutes. Don't allow any distractions, music or TV is okay just as long as it stays in the background. Study at a desk where you can arrange your materials and sit comfortably. If you begin to grow sleepy, stop and go for a walk. If you're still sleepy, don't force it, but be sure to catch up with your work the next day.

It will take some self discipline and we were actually under orders to study in this fashion, but it worked and worked well enough for us to get roughly 3 years of college down in roughly 6 months.

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Studying the material in advance really helps. Hell, I just skim through the introduction to get a gist of a chapter and mark down any parts I'm unsure about. Come lecture time, I'm writing down answers to those unsure parts and following along. I find it to be the equivalent of knowing how the road will look ahead, so later on when you look back, you know where you went.

Also fucking up on problems is a 100% way of reinforcing material for me, though learning from mistakes isn't the most productive idea ever.

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>>68285
Since Piracetam increases bloodflow in the brain and all that jive, the effects of alcohol and amphetamines are greatly increased. I don't remember where I found the info, probably Wikipedia in all honesty, but it's not something I'd risk unless I'd talked to an expert beforehand. Knowing my luck, I'd take them together and have a fucking stroke.

>>68277
Separately. I don't currently take any Piracetam (discretionary income going towards spring break and buying a Jazzmutant Lemur, shit's so cash), but I take 10mg Adderall at 8:00am, noon, and 5:00pm.

If you're interested in Piracetam, the place to get it is relentlessimprovement...it's a bit more expensive than other sites, but they have a 3rd party come in and test their batches for heavy metals, fungus, and other nasty shit you don't want to introduce into your system.

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i'm graduating in physics with all A's (except one or two subjects that weren't of my interest).

my method... well there ain't one. what always makes me learn a subject is finding a interesting (and very hard) problem within the subject, and spending the night learning whatever it takes to solve it.

that said, i cram sometimes, sometimes i don't. i study at home, at the bus, at the library.

i never take notes, in any class. nor do i copy my colleague's. that's just a plain waste of time.

i also drink a lot of coffee and smoke a lot. cigarettes, that is. weed is not good.

when a subject is very boring but i feel that i need to learn it i find someone who knows less than me, and begin teaching him.

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The average human brain can only stay attentive to lectures, studying, and retaining information for approximately 25 minutes. What I would do is study for 30 minutes, go take a walk for 30 minutes or do something else productive, and then study for another 30 minutes for a maximum 2.5 hours a day per course.

Also, cramming before a test is not helpful. You will only waste your time trying to retain all the information and realize your preoccupation with stress is overwhelming your short term memory instead of being confident with the information you should have retained a while back and focusing on retrieving your memory.