I Need Study Strategies!!

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I'm a senior in college, and my grades hate me. I've been a senior for two years and will probably be a senior for at least one more before I graduate.

I'm having trouble getting myself to study because I find my schoolwork boring; and I'm simply not interested in it. Instead, I'll go and play one of the computer games I'm obsessed with; or I'll read one of the books I'm obsessed with; or I'll play D&D, or talk about it online... On top of that, when I do sit down and study, my attention wanders; and I can be fascinated by the texture of the walls!

How can I make myself study--not just once, which would take an act of will but could be done; but every day, for at least three more years?

That is exactly how I ended up on academic probation during my first try at school. I was, in effect, just like a toddler who didn't understand the logic of "no."

I still don't understand the logic of "no" as it concerns the things I love to do, but I am better at moderation, time scheduling, and the stern reality of life, which is that if I don't get my act together and graduate, I'll be stuck working for idiot bosses at a retail store for the rest of my life.

I found that for me, the only way to stop "wasting time" playing on the computer was to get rid of the on there. I just completely removed them, even Minesweeper and Solitaire. Because I have some executive dysfunction, I created lists of tasks that had to be completed before doing something I loved to, like reading a book that is not for a class or watching movies. Then, with the help of my family, I followed those lists exactly for two months. Now they are mostly habit, and my life has been, surprisingly enough, a lot less stressful. Go figure.

We tried lists like that before, but I never got into them, since I didn't really have any control over what went on them--it was almost a decree from God or something. It helps when YOU make your lists and charts and schedules because then they make sense, whereas if someone else (especially someone else who thinks differently than you) makes them, it is nothing personal if you break the rule every once in while.

When I do have to study, I turn on Handel's Water Music, or Yo-Yo Ma playing Bach's cello suites just softely enough that I can hear it, not so loud as to cause me to jump up and wave my arms about wildly as if I were the conductor of a great orchestra. (I found that Wagner is most emphatically not conducive to studying---it is almost impossible to listen to Ride of the Valkyries without slipping into daydreams of megalomania and world tion)

I close my door, and sit in my rocking chair with my feet propped up, shoeless, with my socks proudly displaying the fact that I believe they are made wrong, since why would the seam be on the inside where it can irritate the toes? I have a notebook, a pen, and whatever it is that I am studying in my lap or on the desk within arms reach. I have timer that I set for an hour, after which I take a stretch, throw a few punches at my Everlast bag, tell my cat I love him, and begin again until whatever time I have decided to stop.

It's worked.

Boring classes are always boring, but, at least in my case (with the notable exception of math classes), they are boring because they are not challenging. What I have discovered, however, is that with my new time management, after getting through the requisite "boring" homework and studying, I have time to read about whatever it is that I do find interesting with no harm done to my now decent, above average GPA. It is a MIRACLE!

But I had to decide to do it myself, since ever since I started kindergarten I've been an atrocious student andnothing anyone else did, helped. It also helped that I changed my major to something I really wanted to study instead of heeding the "advice" of guidance counselors (what a misnomer) and worried family members. (What is so wrong with wanting to be a professor of economic theory? Just because they didn't like the class...geez.)

I have a hard time studying too (I still havent opened one of my text books, granted the teacher rewrites it every day on the board but still.) The way I studied the best was to go to a minor league baseball game a couple hours early and study while Im bored from waiting, yeah probably wont work for you but by the same logic you could just put yourself where you have no entertaining distractions and get it done. Still I may not be the best person to listen to as it seem every term Im getting farther and farther away from being able to go to grad or law school.

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Since you might possibly redo your senior year for a third time, have you considered dropping out and immediately just going for your GED which is a shorter term goal and possibly easier to achieve?

If not, I'd say get one hard-ass tutor who'll either scare or guilt you into studying. It just sounds like you need the proper motivation. Or maybe not allowing yourself to play computer games until you've done your homework well.

Maybe you could ask one of your parents to take away your computer games or your books or even your computer until you've finished your work for that evening. And then they'll immediately give them back. It could definitely give you some incentive.

I am a senior in college; my major is physics. I started college at the age of 17, so I am currently only 22 years old (with a birthday in the summer), despite my three senior years.

I had no trouble in high school or early college because I did not have to study; simply going to class was enough for me to pass my tests.

Now that my math-intensive classes require me to practice the mathematics on my own, I can no longer just absorb the information I need.

Depends on. Do you have problems with understanding mathematics or is it just a lack of motivation?

Certain books are not recommendable for self-studying at all. Have a look at some at the library and choose one which suits you and stick to that one.

If it is "just" motivation: Do you have any (former) classmates who have given you reason to hate them and who are (in your opinion) not smarter than you? Imagine that they will be more successful than you and that you will have to listen for hours how lucky and gifted they are. To prevent such an event, you should go and learn!

After believing for awhile that I needed better time management skills, I finally recognized a lack of motivation in myself. I have always had concentration problems, but I am finding this semester exceptionally difficult, especially without my mother over my shoulder prodding me to put study ahead of recreation. I am finally realizing that this is not the life I want to live and it is not preparing me for the life I want to live, yet I cannot think of any alternatives...
My current de-facto schedule does not help at all; I get my work done at 2:00AM and fall asleep while writing notes in class, then I fail to understand the material and despise the subjects even more...I want to get out of this cycle so badly, but when I lack Internet time, I feel horribly stressed out and lonely and trapped. Not that life without a college degree-->decent job has a resonable chance of lacking those unpleasant feelings...

*woe*

Glasskitten, are you sure you're not my clone?

In any event, I did manage a few bits of homework today--not enough, but more than I've done in a week; and that's a positive thing. I don't know whether it was the advice I have gotten here, or just a placebo effect; but I'm grateful for what I can get.

Whatever you can think of, no matter how far-fetched it may seem, please do continue to offer suggestions.

First. Drink a bunch of caffine. Sit in a warmish room, directly under a very bright light(flourescent preferably), in a foldable camping chair(theyre very comfortable, but hold you upright). Next, start reading, studying and what not. And when you get the urge to go do something or say something or get off topic, have a notebook and pencil nearby to write down what you're thinking. Keep writing till your satisfied. Then get back to studying. Have a drink nearby so you cant use that as an excuse to get up. The caffine will give you motivation.
After a long enough period of time you are GOING to get tired. And it definitely wont start out as 3 hours and then only get longer. Your capacity to study is kind of like a muscle you need to excersize, as is how long you can read before getting tired, and how long you can write before getting tired. And the more you excersize, reading longer and writing longer, the better you will get at concentrating for longer and longer periods of time.
But you must know that when you start to get tired, it is only down hill from there and you shouldnt waste your will power on trying to fight it. Go, set an alarm for 1:30 hours, take a nap. When you wake up, wait 30 minutes(you'll get less tired if you wait for some amount of time after you wake up, no matter how much of a blackhole your tiredness feels like) Then go back to studying.
Also it might help if you switch up your studying so you dont get too bored with 1 subject at once. Like study some biology, then after a while switch to writing, then switch to chemistry, ect.

bellatrix wrote:
Certain books are not recommendable for self-studying at all. Have a look at some at the library and choose one which suits you and stick to that one.


That is good advice. Change texts, teachers, whatever is possible to bring about positive change. You know you can be obsessed with other things so decide (and then make yourself practice) being obsessed with your school work. You have to fake yourself out. Pretend like you like it and it's life or death to you. Maybe you could go to the library or somewhere else so that temptations are removed. Would a study partner help? I keep the goal, my future job, in the forefront of my mind. That seems to help. The coffee advice is unvaluable, also! Liquid motivation!! (I've heard a shaved head helps too.) I'm sorry, it's just that you remind me of me (when I was younger) doing something impulsive like that.
I don't know why, but that really brightens my day, your impulsive shave.

Nomaken, thanks for the advice. I'll have to try it--I don't have a camping chair, and flourescent light irritates me (I prefer natural light from a window) but I can try the other things.

Anna, I really do need to get myself a good timer--and not the sort that ticks or rattles while it's running down; that's more annoying than anything in the world (except possibly for a running vacuum cleaner). I've actually been doing a similar thing:

Finish one problem, working for as long as it takes (about 15-20 minutes, 30 at the outside)
Play a computer game for 5 minutes
Finish another problem
Et cetera.

I can't take a break mid-problem; I'd lose my train of thought. Timing breaks and counting problems seems to be the only solution.

One problem with this is that sometimes I play the computer game for too long (or just keep doing whatever leisure activity I've chosen--reading and crochet, for example), even after my clock finishes five minutes. The other problem is that I need to start working in the first place in order to use this technique--and that's harder than it seems, especially when (as I do) you have depression and have trouble scrounging up motivation to begin with. [Incidentally, medication and counseling are helping. I'm improving; but it's slow, and depression can establish bad habits that stay with you even after the moodiness and lack of motivation have gone.]

A really big hindrance to my studying is that I have a very weird, erratic sleep cycle. One day, I'll be able to get only three hours of sleep; and then I'll be too tired, and not be able to fall asleep; but also too tired to focus on homework. Then another day, I'll sleep sixteen hours and be tired when I wake--another day's spare time gone, and I'm lucky if I've gone to classes. I also tend to sleep at inappropriate times, like during broad daylight--say, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

I'm attempting to right my sleep schedule by using sleeping pills to get to sleep at the right time, then getting up at the same time each day; but it's been slow going. For example, last night I went to bed and to sleep at midnight, which is the time I set for going to bed; but, despite having turned on the light and made my bed at 8 (to prevent my going back to sleep) when my alarm rang, I was so tired that I ended up going back to bed, lying on top of the covers, and sleeping until 5 p.m. Then, today, I took my sleeping pill and went to bed at midnight; but three hours later I still wasn't asleep, so I got up and decided to do random things until I felt sleepy. I think I'm a little sleepy now--it's 3:30 a.m.--but this is ridiculous!

8 hours of sleep, at the same time every night. Is it too much to ask?

One problem, huh?

I guess I can do that. In fact, I should go do it right now.

And besides, I've got myself some nice new thin-lead mechanical pencils, with erasers that are nice and long so they don't run out. I was looking forward to using those...