How do you study???? .... advice please

[pete_owntbychem]

this may be a really stupid question.... im sort of looking for inspiration?  :uglystupid2:

but seriously.... I can't study
This year I have been going well in every subject (except chem) and I know I could do a lot better... but I just can;t study.... every day I tell myself Ive got to do work, but I get home after school and just go on the computer and waste time.... and before I know it, its like 10PM... so I quickly finish off homework but never actually study, I'm worried about next year when everything is going to actually count more

Can someone give me advice, how can I stop procastonating....... So far I've deleted all my games but I still find ways to distract myself EG - internet... etc

How can I just sit at my desk and DO SOME WORK
how do you guys do it

please help

[squance]

Hmm....
In VCE, I used to force myself to study...by depriving myself of tv and internet and reading manga until I had done at least 2 hours of study (that's excluding homework and sac prep I had to do for school....)

But now in uni....welll...im procrastinating to the max!! Which is bad....but I can't help it....

[ice_blockie]

Don't worry it's not only you who finds it relli hard to get to work. Everyone gets sick of the routine some time or another. The key is to realise that you are in fact procrastinating. Try some of the following, they work for me:

• Physically remove the computer cable from the socket of the wall and then disconnect the cable/modem connecting to internet.
• Always start homework within half an hour of getting home. (where possible)
• Use a procrastination strategy. See my previous post for some ideas.

AHG! Procrastination. Don't we all love it??? I think I waste ages each day procrastinating (well it includes getting home and sitting in front of the tv until its almost dinner and quickly doing 15 mins of hw out of guilt...LOL.

Anyway, enough said of my personal disorder, here's 2 weirdass procrastination strategies that WORKED!!! I got my homework done and study amazingly finished. (before the novelty wore off).

1. The (10+2)*5 technique. This is for people who have REALLY low attention span. Its plastered all over the internet but heres the lowdown. Spend 10 minutes intensively doing work and then spend 2 minutes for down time (i.e. going for a stretch, a quick drink or snack, or some activity unrelated to what you're doing...maybe a sodoku!). Then spend another 10 minutes doing work and followed by 2 minutes break. 10 minutes plus 2 equals 12. 12 times 5 equals one hour! DONE! NOTE: You must be ON TIME.

Best used with timer (gives you motivation to finish before timer does too . This technique attempts to reduce amount of time day dreaming because you are continuously under the pump. Maybe not so good for long periods of time but good for when you have a VERY BUSY schedule and you need to get things done.

If your attention span is not as low, adjust where necessary. If you think work time needs to be more change it to maybe (15+5)*3 and so on.

2. The Pendulum technique. ( not real name...i forgot it ) This is for people who get bored with doing one thing for a extended period. Choose 3 activities and write them done on a list. For example:

1. Read 4 chapters of 1984
2. Finish 20 methods questions
3. Clean up bedroom (its an example okay!)

After them write down the numbers 5, 10 and 20.

What you do is for 5 mins do activity 1. After exactly five minutes, STOP. STOP IMMEDIATELY. Cross out the number 5 next to activity one (yay I reached my first goal) Then go on to activity 2 for 5 minutes. Then STOP and do activity 3 for 5 minutes. Then go back to activity for 10 minutes and so forth for 20 minutes.

The aim of this technique to gradually increase the amount of time you spend, reducing the chance of getting bored easily. If you feel numbers need changing go ahead. But you must keep the same the idea that the time is increasing gradually. Do not have chunks of time like 1 hour then 2 hours then 3 lmao.

These techniques are provided here as a guide only for those who need a structured study session. If you don't need them don't use them!!! Each person knows how long they can concentrate for, so no one else can tell you that 50 minutes is the best amount of time for a study session as opposed to a 20 minute session. Anyway...signing off.

• Do everything to a time, ie. set a goal - finish english homework in 30 minutes...bring out timer set time go!
• Always have timed breaks. ie. dont say ill have a break and then start to lounge around and bum around the house. You'll most likely (if your like me) see something on tv or muck around with your bro/sis etc. Say 'i will have a 15 minute break' or 'I will take 20 minutes off to get something to eat and start work at 6:30pm'.
• Use rewards as squance said. Say I will only get to watch 'House' after I have finished my methods hw. - this relli annoys me sometimes i miss out on the first 5 minutes...
  
  Anyway, hope theres some benefit!
  

[millstone]

haha you are me! whenever i have a sac the next day, i'll be like SHIT i have a sac but it'll be like midnight so i'll stay up all night and study i am so bad at studying, but i still have almost perfect marks so far

i only ever study when i have a sac and i always have overdue homework, but hopefully starting from next week i'll start doing work and year 12 will be smooth sailing from now on

[elaine]

this is cool, that's like me as well. i can't even work effectively in my frees, i don't 'study study' until the night before a SAC and i'm always behind in every subject (except english because we don't get that much homework). but i'm still getting good marks, so it's good...for now.

[clinton_09]

haha thats the same here with my frees i never use them efficiently occassionaly i might do something but that is rare. I only study when i have a sac and i try to do it a few days before.

[RD]

yeah i likewise here, only really do any work the night before.

[droodles]

it's not like accumulating someone's study habits is going to get you a good ENTER. everyone is different, you need to work out what your weakness subject is and work them in order of priority.

[beezy4eva]

bribe yourself with chocolate to do study

[polky]

I mostly stay at school after school has ended and make myself finish all (or most of) my homework.  This works well for me because it is very quiet in school after everyone has left so I can concentrate better and there are also less distractions (like no internet).  Also it means I don't have to bring as many books home, which is a plus for me!

Other than that, I don't really do that much homework at home. 

[dcc]

I do little->no homework most of the time, just the occasional practice exam.

[BA22]

I mostly stay at school after school has ended and make myself finish all (or most of) my homework.  This works well for me because it is very quiet in school after everyone has left so I can concentrate better and there are also less distractions (like no internet).  Also it means I don't have to bring as many books home, which is a plus for me!

Other than that, I don't really do that much homework at home. 

I did this occasioanlly, but other students were there and we'd just have a relaxed discussion over stuff that was bugging us.

As general advice, i advise people to seek out peers who are talented at subjects, or a certain section of those subjects and just talk about any issues you are having, or just to revise and priortise subjects of importance for further study. You'd be suprised how well it can work

[Chocoholic]

bribe yourself with chocolate to do study

lol I've done this soo many times but I just end up eating the chocolate...so much for self control!! I try, but the chocolate looks a zillion times better when you know you can't have it.

[gfb]

bribe yourself with chocolate to do study

lol Chocolate . I bribe myself with Counter-Strike or any other pc game.

It works .

[Hughie]

classical music (its not lame). I have Beethoven's 7th Symphony on repeat whilst studying. I'm normally a rock/rap kinda guy but this gets me in the groove...