MEGA - Studying, Exams, Stress, and coping with them

Sooooooooo... I kinda spent the last month (or six) crapping out, so I now have thirteen days to start and finish two long essays if I actually want to think about passing at least half of my subjects this semester.

Wish me luck?
 
Good luck onetwothreefour!!! And also good luckto everyone else who still has school work to do.I have a GPA of 3,4 this semester which for me is like whoa!, I've never had such a high GPA even in high-school. To my surprise I have an "A" in astronomy, I couldn't solve a physics equation to save my life in high school and I took astronomy because I had to take a science GenEd class. This was also probably my drunkest semester from the last 3 years..so I guess more drinking = higher grades :D
 
Already have one person complaining about his B+, and another about her D.
 
How to study, help for an ADD guy

ok, so every time test roll around, for example right now (chem 2 and calc 2 tests tomorrow), I try and sit down and study, but when it comes to memorizing information I just can't do it. Working on math problems is not a problem, but when I have to learn concepts and memorize them i just can't do it. I'll work for 10 minutes and stop and procrastinate (who knows how long that lasts). During the week i never study because i can't sit down and run through my notes, its way to damn hard.

What helps you guys out? Anybody with ADD would like to chime in tell me there tips that don't involve any sort of drug
 
Have you tried breaking the concepts down and putting them on notecards so you're not memorizing large and tedious things at one time?
 
I have ADD and I occasionally wait until the right time of day, sit somewhere where I am least likely to get distracted and put on some headphones while I study.

I am the same way when it comes to studying but I just have to try every way I can to get it done. Once you know it then you feel better and it encourages you to study more. Try memorizing one flashcard and when you know it move to the next one. You'll feel good for knowing it. Good luck.
 
With math, the trick is to constantly use the things you learn, otherwise you will forget them.

Practice makes perfect. NEVER use a calculator to do math. Always do it on paper, so you get practice.

Also, I came here to say this:
you have to force yourself to do it man, theres no other way around it.
Click to expand...
As a Nike commercial once said, just do it.

I find that starting to do something is the hardest part. Once I get started, it is easy to keep going.

It also helps if you make a list of assignments you need to do, and cross them off when you finish. That way, you know you are actually accomplishing something.

And stop telling yourself that you can't do it. That is like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Believe me, you can do it. You just don't want to. ;)
 
I suck at this as well. I find the easiest thing to do is go to a very quiet and boring library and just sit there and hit it hard. I make it so that there is nothing else that i can possibly do there, so my choices are study or stare into blank space.
 
Rogue Robot said:
Have you tried breaking the concepts down and putting them on notecards so you're not memorizing large and tedious things at one time?
Click to expand...

This is what my room mate does (he has ADD) in addition to taking daily adderall and consuming copious amounts of coffee. It seems to work pretty well for him.

Try not to study in your room either. Find somewhere quiet w/o distractions (computer, xbox, TV, etc) also.
 
For calculus, just program everything you need to know into your calculator.

Try to learn it first, lol. But when the time comes that the final is only 6 hours away and you're totally fucked.......
 
Cloudy said:
ok, so every time test roll around, for example right now (chem 2 and calc 2 tests tomorrow), I try and sit down and study, but when it comes to memorizing information I just can't do it. Working on math problems is not a problem, but when I have to learn concepts and memorize them i just can't do it. I'll work for 10 minutes and stop and procrastinate (who knows how long that lasts). During the week i never study because i can't sit down and run through my notes, its way to damn hard.

What helps you guys out? Anybody with ADD would like to chime in tell me there tips that don't involve any sort of drug
Click to expand...

I was just wondering if you are personally against Adderall? You shouldn't be ashamed of your disorder. Some people absolutely can NOT function properly without medication, so don't screw your grades up over nothing. Either way, you've got to find a good method for studying alot during the week....especially with those bitch-classes as I call them.

Most forgetting occurs right after you learn something then levels off. For example, you might lose 80% of what you learned in chem class by the next day. Then, you don't forget anything else during the whole week. The more times you re-learn something, the less you forget the next day. Look up savings research by Ebbinghaus. Also the more times you re-learn something, the less time it takes to learn it again.

So the easiest way to cram is when you've studied as often as you can throughout the class.
 
I would really appreciate more responses to this thread as i have some intense ADD.


the above posters suggestion is a very good one, by taking it day by day instead of just waiting to study right before the test things go more smoothly. ADD people dont like big tasks like a ton of studying, we just never start them, so go to class and pay attention in it.

also adderall is just to hard on a person i think, at least for me it is anyway, i dont want to sacrifice my wellbeing over some 'points.' even if life is all about points. Cant sleep, cant eat, brain frizzle.... too much for me

lists are another good suggestion, however if you have add like i do its hard to keep up with actually writing stuff down:\

another good tip is to eat well (lots of fruits and veggies) and get enough sleep nightly.

I know you said you dont want to hear about drugs but Ginseng has been very helpful with no crash/side effects. rhodiola rosea as well.

id really like to hear more though so if any1 has any knowledge about this please share it
 
I think if hes gotten as far as he has with out drugs then he probably shouldn't take them. But if you start failing then i think you should. >:D

Having ADD, what helps me besides my medication is taking breaks. I got a stopwatch and study 30 mins then 10 min break. Eventhough I'm wasting 10min for every 30min, my brain is less drained when I'm actually doing the work/study, so I'm more effective when its happening. For me, its like my brain is a dopeamine gas-guzzler; once im mentally drained I can't function.
 
i have to study with other people, so i hear it and read it, and you learn it faster plus if theres someone else keeping you in check its easier.

i cant ever study by myself cause i take too many breaks, and i cant ever focus and retain it.
 
hey man, im exactly like you are. I struggled with learning and getting things in my head, if i ever pined my ass down and study.

Things that helped me.

Opiates- Relax me and help me sit down and actually enjoy what im reading, or be at ease with sitting down and studying.

repetition- If i had to memorize something, i would write it over, and over, and over again. That was a sure way for me to remember something.

although im not in the field of math, and i genuinely hate math, if i had to do it, i would use repatition to remember.

good luck man
 
I dont have ADD, but i do appreciate extra focus when i am trying to study.

I love drinking sugar free energy drinks like rockstar when im preparing for an exam. Some OTC supplements you could try are L-Tyrosine, DMAE, Piracetam, Geranium Extract, Mucua Pruriens (sp?), ginkgo biloba is great too.

Goodluck!
 
The best thing I could recommend is to get yourself in a position where your not distracted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top