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

Prolific crammer.

Although I find this to be the case more so while doing online classes than while attending actual class. When I'm sitting in on lectures, I pay attention and soak everything in. There's really no need to cram as all of the material is slowly shoved into my brain over the course of weeks between exams. While distance learning however, I tend to put a lot off until just before things are due. This means I have to lock myself in a room and cram like crazy in order to do well.

Comparing the two, I tend to do much better over all learning slowly and attending lectures. I'm exposed to much more information over a longer period of time and it just sinks in much deeper.
 
I agree with you there, Bardeaux, that taking the time is a much better way to accumulate knowledge. I missed many lectures in my time as a student and I paid the price by damn nearly dying as a result of my cramming practices.

However, I just found out it was all worth it, as I have now met the requirements to graduate in my field.

In retrospect I would study much harder over the course of semester to make it easier, come exam time.

I guess we get there in what ever way we can, especially when a drug problem has been involved.

Whether crammer or non-crammer, I cannot overstate the worth of an education.
 
I guess you could say I was a crammer. There were many tests where I'd open the assigned novel/class textbook for the first time in the time between walking into the classroom and the tardy bell when the test was given out. I'm a visual learner, so I'd skim through pages "photographing" their contents. When we'd get our grades, I was usually at the top of the class. Some people hated me for this. My friends thought it was a hoot.

What I also did, although this was more of an accident, was listen to my friends as they discussed the novel/curriculum at breakfast/lunch the day of the test. They studied a lot so they actually knew the material. This, for me, was hit-or-miss as it's hard for me to pay attention to anything and I'm always in lala land lol.

I believe cramming can be useful or useless depending on the individual's learning style.
 
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Nope. But I am excellent at memorizing and retaining information very fast just by reading it, hearing it in lectures, or using intelligence. I would go to classes since I was paying for them and to be there and I rarely if ever skipped or cut them. I would take notes since I enjoy the physical act of writing and note taking or organizing information.

I have however pulled all nighters to write papers and do projects for a class that were due the next day. I did not take stimulants besides lots of black tea and sometimes espresso. I'll admit that some of the books I was assigned to read in a class about 17th and 18th Century UK literature I found to be very boring so I did not read any of them at all, as I had other things to read for and papers due for other classes, and I easily wrote a 12 page paper on the books I did not read for the class in one night, pulling out excellent quotes from the novels I used as notations in the paper, and got an excellent grade on it.
 
nope.
I just read the material at a relatively constant rate as the courses went on. I began essays 1-5 days before they were due, depending on length. I never had the discipline to review material for more than an hour in preparation for tests.

ebola
 
I've never been a crammer. My brain absorbs information around me like a sponge at all times and then runs it's own programs to filter and organize facts and establish correlations between them. It does this on it's own and rarely turns off. At times this can be a little scary but hey...what are ya gonna do you know? HaHa!
 
Studying for Exams

What is the best way to study for closed-book exams? I'm after some pointers. Also, how many weeks in advance of the exam should one begin studying?
 
I am assuming that you already have notes about the lessons you have already tackled. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is not to only study the subjects but also understand the lessons well. This will make it easier for you to study and remember the important information for the exam.

Is this a midterm exam you are preparing for? What subject is the exam for?

I would usually study about two weeks ahead of time to prepare for final exams, and in this time I have already read everything about the chapters included in the exam. Notes are extremely important for me and if there are chapters you need to get a better grasp on and more time to spend on, test yourself on those lessons and mark the ones that you need to remember.

When I was still studying fulltime in college, I had a study partner, we would take turns in asking questions whether it is multiple choice or fill in answers. I think that it is a great way to practice the certain lesson or chapter so at least you have someone who is helping you remember the topics.

Math is a tough subject for me, so I needed at least a month to prepare for final exams. If you are having some difficulty in a certain subject/course, give yourself more time to study and practice. The more prepared you are the better as usual.
 
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Maya said:
I am assuming that you already have notes about the lessons you have already tackled. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is not to only study the subjects but also understand the lessons well. This will make it easier for you to study and remember the important information for the exam.

Is this a midterm exam you are preparing for? What subject is the exam for?

I would usually study about two weeks ahead of time to prepare for final exams, and in this time I have already read everything about the chapters included in the exam. Notes are extremely important for me and if there are chapters you need to get a better grasp on and more time to spend on, test yourself on those lessons and mark the ones that you need to remember.

When I was still studying fulltime in college, I had a study partner, we would take turns in asking questions whether it is multiple choice or fill in answers. I think that it is a great way to practice the certain lesson or chapter so at least you have someone who is helping you remember the topics.

Math is a tough subject for me, so I needed at least a month to prepare for final exams. If you are having some difficulty in a certain subject/course, give yourself more time to study and practice. The more prepared you are the better as usual.
Click to expand...

tumblr_m6dkjrQk4W1qzoaqio1_500.jpg
 
if i'm not feeling lazy and actually want / need to get a high score on my test, i'd do the following:

review notes once you get home after class. jot down anything you don't understand on a separate piece of paper and work on those.
do homework out of the textbook / additional exercises
make sure to review a little bit every day, even if it's just briefly looking over your notes for 10-20 minutes

"By rehearsing or recalling information over and over again, these neural networks become strengthened. For example, if you study the same material regularly over a long period of time, the pathways involved in remembering that information become stronger and more familiar. The repeated firing of the same neurons over and over again makes it more likely that those same neurons will be able to repeat that firing again in the future. As a result, you will be able to remember the information later with greater ease and accuracy. Think of these synaptic pathways as being similar to a path in the woods. The more often you walk the path, the more familiar it becomes and the easier it is to traverse."
http://psychology.about.com/od/memory/g/memory-consolidation.htm


your brain consolidates info while you're asleep, so the more you look / review your notes in an effective matter, the better off you will be

i never did well with study partners, they always distracted me... everyone has a different learning style though, find out what works for you.
 
Make shure you have a good diet, certain foods help the brain. Study in a environment where you won't get distracted and learn to enjoy it because your brain will absorb things better when your in a happy mood.
 
I'd say start studying as soon as you find out you're having said exam.

As far as pointers go, everyone learns differently. Flash cards, study groups, even writing songs about the subject matter (i.e. how did you learn the alphabet?), doing a presentation, or simply reading the text are all different ways to approach test prep. My best test score on a statistics test came as a result of me turning the chapter material into a comic book, of all things. Don't ask, lol. But don't be afraid to be creative and try something crazy!
 
Should I sleep at all tonight?

Hey all,

So long story short I procrasintated heavily, and had an assignent to work on and I have a test tomorrow. I still need to read 100 pages or so and review some things.

I slept a good 7-8 hours last night and woke up around 10 hours ago. If I read everything I'm basically going to get very sleep if any at all. I also have vyvanse and dexedrine which is helping somewhat.

Should I just pull an allnighter and write my midterm which is in roughly 12 hours or should I manage to get some sleep?
 
Yea id like to hear how sucessful it was staying up all night reading, lol i read at night to put me to sleep.
 
Lol D's I fall asleep if I try to read any type of passage more than a few paragraphs. It got so bad in high school that I fell asleep during some of my AP exams. I loved reading until that started happening.
 
Tude said:
Lol D's I fall asleep if I try to read any type of passage more than a few paragraphs. It got so bad in high school that I fell asleep during some of my AP exams. I loved reading until that started happening.
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I'm the same. I have to do all of my reading before noon, if I read any time in the afternoon or evening I fall asleep after a few minutes. The only exception is if I am standing but I feel weird standing a reading for any length of time.
 
Study methods are highly individual, but as unattractive as the option is, the best way bar none is to start studying immediately. You will commit manageable chunks of information into your long-term memory; when you cram it's impossible to remember everything, even if you read the whole textbook the night before the exam. I mean, that can work, but it's not nearly as reliable, nor does it usually produce such high grades.

I'm terrible at this because I coasted through high school and my first year at university with top marks, even though I never studied for a single exam earlier than two days before. Now I try to keep up with the literature as the lectures go along - this way I can also ask professors about anything I might not understand.

I've also found (and read studies indicating) that writing down notes by hand commits them to memory much more effectively than typing, so if you have lectures, and take notes, write them down on paper first, and then when you get home, type them up onto your computer.

Separate your study environment from where you eg. do drugs. Give yourself breaks. Sleep enough every night.

The golden key to success though, in my opinion, is really just the discipline and motivation to start substantially at an early enough stage.
 
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