What helps you study?

[mattlanta]

Is there anything in particular that helps you study? Do you listen to music? Drink coffee? Lock yourself in a room for intense silence? What?

[dickey1331]

Re: What helps you study?

I like to listen to music or maybe have the TV on ESPNEWS or a sports game but I dont like actual people talking.

[mattlanta]

Re: What helps you study?

Personally I have to have every thing off. ESPNEWS or any sports game usually makes me procrastinate even during commercials. When I'm sleepy I like to drink coffee, and if there's any around... Red Bull!

[Cebby]

Re: What helps you study?

My roommate and most of my friends take Adderal.

Personally, I was never a big studier. The only thing I ever really studied were Art History and Russian where I used flashcards.

[SqueakyD]

Re: What helps you study?

I learned about state-dependent memory in my cognitive psychology class... Many studies have shown that you can retrieve a higher percentage of memorized words or facts when you're in the same physical state as the time you had first learned them.

There was a funny instance where some scientists did a study on marijuana and memory/word recall. The results showed that folks that studied while sober didn't do so well when they were high during an exam. But if they studied a bunch of words while high, then they were able to remember more words while high as well. The uh... unfortunate case is that the folks that were high in either the study and recall portions of the experiment did way worse than those that were sober in both cases. haha

But without the weed, I live by that state-dependent notion... I always get a cup coffee while I study, and I'm sure to get the same stuff just before taking the exam. Seems to help.

[Blzer]

Re: What helps you study?

Seclusion, needs fulfilled (not hungry or sleepy), working with others, periodic breaks, lack of stress (getting it done earlier than later).

[Chaos81]

Re: What helps you study?

Personally I have to have every thing off. ESPNEWS or any sports game usually makes me procrastinate even during commercials.

Same here.

Having the TV on even makes me procrastinate posting on OS. I've been sitting here for about 5 minutes trying to make this post, but I keep watching ESPNEWS.

[Laffer]

Re: What helps you study?

Monster energy drink, full water bottle, power bars, and a nice big table in the library. That is the recipe for success.

[bukktown]

Re: What helps you study?

Coffee shop, Ipod with classical/instrumental music. And a 90 minute time limit.

[youvalss]

Re: What helps you study?

I could study well alone, never with people. Other than that I can handle almost anything: music, noise...whatever...

[Koolie G]

Re: What helps you study?

I love listening to music while I study or write. I know a lot of people get distracted, but if I have on my headphones and shut out everything but me, the music and the material...then I can get in a zone and really get things done. Especially writing.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: What helps you study?

And a 90 minute time limit.

Best thing said so far, sorta.

Best way to learn something is to start a few days in advance. Study for about 30 minutes, quit and go play a game or something. Come back, study some more. Quit, study, quit, study so on and so on.

By the night before the test, I am most of the time I am reviewing over stuff trying to learn those couple of things that just won't stick.

[p_rushing]

Re: What helps you study?

I love listening to music while I study or write. I know a lot of people get distracted, but if I have on my headphones and shut out everything but me, the music and the material...then I can get in a zone and really get things done. Especially writing.

I liked listening to music also. You can also try walking around if you just have papers. If your brain is doing 3 things at once, its hard to get distracted and drift off, as long as you don't listen to the music.

[Whitesox]

Re: What helps you study?

I actually took a "test" recently that analyzed my study habits.

It said I prefer a cold, dim room. I like a soft surface. I also can really only concentrate when I'm by myself. Music is fine, if there is a movie or someone is carrying on a conversation I get distracted.

Things like coffee, energy drinks, etc. don't really work for me, since I will then have too much energy to sit and study and go burn it off.

Although, to be fair, I hardly study at all, and I'm in honors classes. I guess I'm just fortunate for having a great memory.

[Watson]

Re: What helps you study?

I don't study. But I can't do homework in complete silence (even when I take Vyvanse.) I have to have some music on, but It can't be anything I can easily get into rhythm with (Black Keys). So I play A7X, RATM, Mastodon, even Rush.