Develop better study habits

where do i start with this one?!

i’m pretty bad at studying. I prefer playing video games.

i think that will be sufficient.

I’ve written out a schedule for the next two weeks of things i need to get accomplished. It’s really important that I get back on schedule. I have no idea what happened to me over the last week, but I missed an assignment deadline and paying my rent! I’m approaching the end of the semester and I really don’t want to screw myself over by waiting till the last minute on all these things.

I just lock myself in the college library till I’m done my work, and I get it done a lot faster.

Today’s random observation is that it’s not good to get ‘stopped’ by a hard question, or, well, whatever, when you can push on with something else.

Today, for instance, my planner tells me I should be finishing §5.4, the tutorial for that chapter. However, I had (ahem) a little free time at work this afternoon and decided to start reading chapter 6 – I’ll go back to the tutorial later.

And it reminded me, sometimes you’re just really not in the mood for tutorials, but you can still push on taking notes, or even go back and revise something – sometimes the brain just doesn’t want something new. Tis all needing done in the end, anyway (as long as you don’t entirely skip the question bits, of course!). Sort of mix’n’match the type of work to suit the moment.

And speaking of mixing’n’matching, today’s excellent news is that the invoice for the new modules was paid yesterday, so as long as the university get off their butts about giving me access, I should have the new subject material by next week :) Then it really heats up – thank god I’ve been feeling a bit more in control already!

Just collecting my thoughts on this – I’ll make up a single list eventually!

As the title says, the hardest part is getting started. Rather than having a reward for finishing, I’m finding having a bribe for starting works!

For instance – I’ll make that cup of tea/hot choc/have that biscuit (deadly!) for sitting down with my books.

More generally, just preparing my workspace helps – not just keeping it uncluttered, but the ritual of putting on some (classical) music, and burning some essential oils. The latter is particularly good – it kind of means I have to sit in the same room as the burning candle at least for a while! ;)

Last night I looked at my evening and figured I could fit in an hour quite comfortably into my ‘schedule’. I made dinner, I ate, I got distracted by the phone, I crashed on the sofa and ate ice cream…

About 9pm I decided I had to give up on the idea of studying: it was late, and I was tired. Next thing I know, I’m sitting in front of the coursenotes, thinking a few minutes wouldn’t hurt, I could just take notes on this little subsection…

It was actually a pretty productive session. Apparently, my brain quite likes the boring notes bit while I’m sleepy (as proved this morning when I finished the section before my shower!), which is going to prove very useful given my… life! I just need to be more alert for the questions, of course.

I’m now writing a paper for today. I might have to spand hours going to campus to give it.
I have a test tomorrow that I haven’t started studying for because I’m still working on this paper.
I have 3 papers for Wednesday. I might be able to write one of them on time and I have to ask for more time for the other 2. I hate writing e-mails to my teachers.

and all I really want to do is relax and read a good book, to my choise…
This goal is too hard!

• You can’t learn everything. Well, you can, but not whilst trying to pick up a new job, work full time, and be a lazy cow at least some of the time. But going into revision, you do occasionally have to let go of some of the material.
• Look at the past papers early – like, before you start the module! It’s worth knowing what kind of questions are asked: lots of theory, or lots of practical? That way you don’t end up clueless on the theory just ‘cos there were no questions asked about it during the material. Bah.
• Memorising lists of formulae may be a dumb form of learning, but if it’s going to get you through the exam so be it.
• Panic is useless. If you realise you don’t know something the day before the exam – tough, more or less. Keep in mind the passing grade is only 50%, hope for ‘nice’ questions, and accept lesson one above. You can only do what you can do – and either way, there’s more info in the brain than there was this time last year.
• Perfection isn’t necessary: knowing 90% of the answer will probably get you at least 70% of the mark.
• Better to really know the stuff you do know, than trying to cram a little bit of the ‘extra’ in and forget the stupid formula!
• Relaxation is worth more than a week’s study, probably. Stay calm, and half the battle’s won.

• It’s two hours (twice), and then you get your life back. Or at least, a chance to do it properly for next year! :)

Another random noodling that hopefully will help me with the next batch of exams…

Today I woke up with a very sore finger – the one I damaged badly during my finals. Unsurprising, given the unusual amount of writing I’ve been doing (and mouse clicking playing pyramids was, in hindsight, also stupidly unhelpful!)

Alas, I still need to keep writing notes, and stumble through 4 hours of exam writing, so largely the answer is ‘tough’. But I can take regular writing breaks, so this morning instead I’m typing code – going through the C++ notes and rewriting the programs as functions, or with output, that way revising the basics and some later stuff at the same time.

[aside: it’s good. I’m making up my own programs, so the logic flows more easily in my head and I’m not getting bogged down in technicalities; and churning through lots of short programs quickly reinforces syntax and shows up my common errors (you wouldn’t believe how many errors are thrown up by forgetting one ‘int’!)]

Which is all waffle! What I wanted to say was that revolving the what and how of revising is a good thing. Spend some time writing out the formulae you have to remember, then go type some programs. Answer some past paper questions, switch to writing notes on the theory for a bit, then… go wash the dishes!

Definite tip for myself for next year: I need to plan proper ‘escape’ activities. I feel like I’ve been cooped up in the house for weeks (actually 2 days!) but don’t feel productive enough to leave the house for a few hours. It’d probably do me good!

Another rather ‘duh’ moment, and not something I didn’t know before, but it’s good to write these things down so hopefully I don’t have to rediscover them yet again in the future!

Most of my current studies involve writing code, or applying statistical techniques. I’ve struggled with the last couple of chapters, in that they are solid text. What am I supposed to do with that? Having read it a half dozen times, I still look at the past paper questions wanting discussion of … rather blankly (and increasingly panicky!)

It took ‘til yesterday for me to remember that just because a chapter doesn’t involve taking the principles and going away and coding with it myself, or answering practice questions, doesn’t mean the studying has to be passive. I started writing out my own notes – headlines and lists, really – and going back to reread the notes I realised things slotted in to my brain better, once I had that structure.

Oh dear. Rather a late lesson this time round, but hopefully I can now retain enough for the exam!