[pdupiano]

take lots of notes, don't read them, just take them so that you're awake in class. Hope that half the other class is asleep so that you can ride the curve.

 

[Scott_Tarlow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdupiano /img/forum/go_quote.gif take lots of notes, don't read them, just take them so that you're awake in class. Hope that half the other class is asleep so that you can ride the curve.

Like a wave brah!!!

 

[Gatto]

*sigh* make that 3 pens and a bottle of ink

 

[Xyst]

with these...

 

[taylor]

I'm a physics and systems engineering dual major, third year.

I used to computer certification tests. What I would find is that if I went too overboard with it, it would get confusing. Figure out what's important, learn it, and don't bother with the rest. The important thing when taking a test is to be calm, and trust your first instincts. Don't overanalyze the questions. Your subconcious mind knows the answers, let it do the work. If you've read over the material in the month or so before the test, you can blast through it. I got CompTIA A+ certified in 27 minutes. They allotted 3 hours. I knew my facts, and I didn't second-guess myself, and IIRC I got about 85% correct on Software, and 95% correct on Hardware.

When dealing with a mass of information, I take one 8.5 by 11 sheet, put only the most important information on it, and pretty much memorize the entire thing, to the point where I can visualize it. It's important to keep it only the most essential things. If you can remember the correct concept, then you'll remember the details too. Don't overload it with details that you'll remember anyway, and don't make things excessively wordy. Shorthand is fine.

I don't take many exams anymore (we have a little something called a take-home final - it allows them to give you 10-20 hours worth of problems, instead of limiting themselves to a 4-hour exam), but when I do, it's a single piece of paper with important info on it. Studying anything else is futile, because you can't remember pages and pages of information that you read a day or two before the test. You have to know the material from the semester, then memorize the overall structure and any complex things, and be able to recall the material. I usually only take a half hour or so to prepare, and that involves writing down important equations, and looking over homework problems. Either you know the math, or you don't. Physics problems flow from the start. If you can set it up correctly, then it's solvable. Every problem is different, so learn the general equations, and learn techniques to set up problems, but don't weigh yourself down with excessive information. Too many people go into their physics classes with pages of equations, one for everyone possible scenario. Learn the fundamentals. Don't learn the equation for a solenoid, and the equation for a rotating disk - learn Maxwell's equations, and learn Newton's laws. You can solve anything with them. By the time you reach the upper levels, you'll be required to do that anyway. When I took an advanced electromagnetism class, I couldn't just reach into my freshman physics textbook and say "Well, the magnetic field of a solenoid is blah blah blah" - I had to show the appropriate Maxwell equations, and derive the solution from them

 

[catscratch]

It's been a long time since I was a college student. But one thing that I found helped me a lot was not to cram. Basically, study in little increments after each lecture while the material is still fresh in your mind. Then go over it again a few days later, even if superficially.

Cramming does work for regurgitating information right afterwards, but you don't commit anything to long-term memory. A week after your exams it's all gone and if this isn't a final, you'll have to re-learn it all over again. Cramming really nets you nothing in the long term except a grade on a piece of paper, and if that's what you're paying your tuition for, then great, more power to you. But if you actually want to learn something, it's detrimental and a waste of time, in the long-term.

You commit things to long-term memory through repetition. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or complex or even time consuming, but it has to be there. You have to learn material and then use it - in a simple fashion if you must - repeatedly until accessing and using that material becomes second nature. Again, this isn't time consuming, it's just a different approach. But it works.

So study a little bit at a time, and when the material is just freshly presented to you. Assignments and exercises that repeat what you learned and make you apply it consistently over and over help too.

Oh yeah, things like this are usually taboo to talk about openly, but don't use amphetamines to study. They actually hurt your ability to commit things to long-term memory. Again, you may be able to focus better (at the expense of being single-minded) but this does not help you in the long term.

Do this and you will never have to stay up cramming for a final again.

 

[dBs]

Electrical Engineering. Most of our exams are open book so I start by going through the book and tabbing/highlighting the hell out of it. I end it by repeating a bunch of assigned and unassigned homework problems and looking over example problems from the book (professors love to ask questions from those).

If the professor doesnt allow open book they usually allow a set number of equation sheets in which case I read the book and put that information down on the equation sheet instead. Im notorious for my tiny handwriting, lol.

 

[71877]

Alpha studies or anything requiring lots of reading:

step 1: casual reading with music before lectures

step 2: take notes with a netbook. Got sick of not being able to read my own notes or to change them on the fly.

step 3: summarize......summarize your ass off

.......without any music :<
step 3.1: Do not do this a couple of days before an exam. Do a little bit at a time so you finish a couple of days before an exam. Also does wonders for your free time

step 4: study the summary.

step 5: profit!

 

[Nocturnal310]

i wanna do this cool thing in the class.

as the lecturer starts...

take out a bottle on ink...... refill my fountain pen....try to shake it and accidentally drop the ink..creating a mess in the class.

 

[Gatto]

I've come to the conclusion that my study habits are bad for trees, this is only two subjects worth of cards and this is only week 3 of the semester

 

[ZepFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatto /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've come to the conclusion that my study habits are bad for trees, this is only two subjects worth of cards and this is only week 3 of the semester

R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S

 

[applaudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatto /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've come to the conclusion that my study habits are bad for trees, this is only two subjects worth of cards and this is only week 3 of the semester

Oh my... I know that my oldest brother uses a certain application on his Mac, where it's basically doing exactly the same thing as flash cards do, but it's all digital. This makes it (theoretically) more organized and tidy, and also cuts out the tree-killing aspect.

Unfortunately, I don't know what the app is called, or I'd tell you.

My study habits go something like this:

I listen to the lecture, taking notes if I think something is particularly important or likely to be forgotten. I do homework as soon as possible after class, preferably while still at the college. This allows me convenient access to help from college staff, as well as provides me a quiet atmosphere conducive to schoolwork and studying. If I wait too long before doing my homework, then I find myself wasting a lot of time flipping through the textbook, both because the memory is not as fresh, and because I have only the textbook to help me with any problems. Plus, I just can't seem to focus when I'm at home -- there are too many distractions!

At the college, I have one thing to do: study. Problem solved!

When it comes to exam time, I review all the notes I made in or after class, as well as any quizzes, tests, or assignment sheets I got back from the instructor. I usually mark what section of the text the notes relate to as I'm taking them, which helps me later to quickly refer to the appropriate chapter if necessary. Looking over my marked assignments helps me to identify problem areas, and try to focus more on them.

Last but not least, I always give myself at least a week to review before writing a test. No cramming for me, thanks!

The neural connections forged in intense cramming sessions are quickly lost... not to mention the devastating effects that loss of sleep have on your performance.