Where, when, how do you study?

[CzeCze]

I'm sure there can be some correlations to type, but I was just in the midst of a study hall quandary and wondering how other people do it. And it's not just for students, but anyone when you need to well, study something or write out a plan.

Do you need total silence and calm and isolation? Or do you prefer being in the middle of a crowd like a cafe or park? Do you like to study solo or with friends? Do you like to study in long uninterrupted stretches, or do you need to be able to break up the monotony with coffee, food, a walk?

I prefer to study at night. But it's not practical. During the day first choice is the library -- but they all close so damn early! It's free, you can stay as long as you want, you get a big desk to yourself, and quiet. I need a sanctuary basically where I can really dig in for hours and hours and not be bothered. As it still generally takes me some time to get acclimated and in the 'study zone'.

Still hard to do: studying at home (can't settle down to focus), restaurants and coffee shops (time is limited, feel rushed, other people distracting), group study (I end up derailing or else turns into social hour)

So--how about you?

[LostInNerSpace]

Originally Posted by CzeCze

I'm sure there can be some correlations to type, but I was just in the midst of a study hall quandary and wondering how other people do it. And it's not just for students, but anyone when you need to well, study something or write out a plan.

Do you need total silence and calm and isolation? Or do you prefer being in the middle of a crowd like a cafe or park? Do you like to study solo or with friends? Do you like to study in long uninterrupted stretches, or do you need to be able to break up the monotony with coffee, food, a walk?

I prefer to study at night. But it's not practical. During the day first choice is the library -- but they all close so damn early! It's free, you can stay as long as you want, you get a big desk to yourself, and quiet. I need a sanctuary basically where I can really dig in for hours and hours and not be bothered. As it still generally takes me some time to get acclimated and in the 'study zone'.

Still hard to do: studying at home (can't settle down to focus), restaurants and coffee shops (time is limited, feel rushed, other people distracting), group study (I end up derailing or else turns into social hour)

So--how about you?

I cannot sit still I have to keep moving all the time. It drives me crazy because I read all the time, but always on the go. Coffee shop, Gym, resturant, park, you name it. Anywhere but my desk at home.

Mindmaps help a lot. Check it out at Mindmapper.com. There's also a free one called Freemind, but I like mindmapper.

I read from as many different sources as possible. That might work for you also since you are also an intuitive. We need to see the big picture before we start to understand. I know for INTPs we mix and match different part of the puzzle in our brains and slowly build up the big picture. Reading from many different sources is good because each source looks at the topic from a slightly different perspective and adds a little more color to the overall picture.

Mnemonics are great for remembering things:

Amazon.com: Super Memory - Super Student: How to Raise Your Grades in 30 Days: Harry Lorayne: Books

The only time I can sit still is when I have a view to look over out the window.

Try holding your focus right about your head towards the back. This is supposed to help with focus. I haven't really practiced it very much myself.

Meditation is supposed to be excellent. There is a lot of neuroscience research pointing to the positive effects of meditiation. Meditating for five minutes, five times a day is supposed to boost overall effectiveness. Again, I have never been able to stick to it long enough, but when I did, it did feel pretty good.

[whatever]

I study at work! I sit behind the counter with my textbooks inbetween customers- I'm away from the computer then, so I have fewer distractions I just read the stuff, I mostly learn by going to class and asking lots of questions (and answering them!) And I never study when it's light outside

(the internet is more interesting than my studies )

[disregard]

I can only get work done in my office. Must be relative silence outside of it, and I HATE intrusions. I usually am listening to something, not always music, on my headphones. I prefer to work for hours and hours, get everything done, and then relax. I typically do most of my work in the morning/daytime. My office is my sanctuary.

Group study--that would be like hell to me. I typically can't stand my classmates. Coffee shops and book stores... not really effective for me to get anything done. Too noisy and I can't stop paying attention to how annoying so-and-so is sitting next to me.

[Ender]

I didn't study much, learning from books is just something I don't do well. Hence my Multiple Intelligence results in my sig

[philonightmare]

Originally Posted by CzeCze

Do you need total silence and calm and isolation? Or do you prefer being in the middle of a crowd like a cafe or park? Do you like to study solo or with friends? Do you like to study in long uninterrupted stretches, or do you need to be able to break up the monotony with coffee, food, a walk?

My studying zone needs depend upon what I am working on.

If it is a research paper or an argument, I need absolute silence. I will not listen to music and will avoid contact with people I view as distracting. I typically choose to sit on the isolated floors of the library for this.

If I am reading over notes to review a lecture, I can sit in a coffeshop and still feel productive. The bustling around of people is comfortable to me and the sounds from the coffee makers reminds me of home, but not too much.

If I am working on an art piece, I need to be in my room where the conditions are completely under my control. I can turn a fan or heater on. Music, quiet, food, drink, kick people out of my room, hide out for a few hours or an entire night until my work is complete.

Creative writing, on the other hand, I can do anywhere with any elements present. Music, classroom setting with professors lecturing, people talking around me, etc, won't disturb me when I'm intent upon writing a story.

I cannot, simply cannot, study in a group unless I am fully prepared beforehand. I don't like to feel like I am not contributing some knowledge in the group or otherwise digging out information from everyone else so that we are all discussing the topic instead of merely agreeing for the sake of getting it "over with." I don't think I learn much from group work otherwise.

[mcmartinez84]

Do you need total silence and calm and isolation?
Pretty much. Noise is distracting. Music is ok if it's really low and songs that I like. Once crappy songs come on, I have to stop and change them. I usually stick with the Beatles because of that.

Or do you prefer being in the middle of a crowd like a cafe or park?
Heck no. Too much going on.

Do you like to study solo or with friends?
Usually solo, unless it's something I don't understand. Then we can talk out the material.

Do you like to study in long uninterrupted stretches, or do you need to be able to break up the monotony with coffee, food, a walk?
A few hours at a time. It's the most effective way for me. Once I get off track it's hard to get back on. I only ever used coffee when I pulled all-nighters. When I get hungry while studying, I ignore the hunger. It goes away. Walking is for people who care about their physical health :P

I studied much better at home after my apartment was spotless :P
And at night, ftw!

[alcea rosea]

First of all I'm very happy I don't have to study anything obligatory anymore (I spend enough years studying anyway)!

But when I did study I needed total silence, calm environment and isolation. It's because I have pretty poor concentration skills and outside noises keep interrupting my thoughts (I am well aware of everything that goes around me and I am almost totally unable to turn off the outside noises when trying to concentrate).

I definitely studied always solo. I used to take regular short breaks when studying. I am not a night person so I always studied during the day time (if I could choose the time which was not always possible). During the evening and night I was and still am usually tired and can concentrate even less than usually (I'm definitely more a morning person than a night owl )

[spirilis]

My favorite place to study was the "student center" at the college I went to. There was seldom many people there (it was a community college). Second favorite was the basement of the library, but this was of course during the daytime when they were open.

Studying at home never worked out for me. It did help that I didn't have to study all that much; since I went to all my classes and followed the material, for the most part I absorbed everything I needed to know from the lectures and remembered it.

Most common way of studying, though, was to get to class early and do a little crash-study before class started.

[Randomnity]

I don't really have any hard-and-fast rules, except that my preliminary step is always reviewing and rewriting a summary of the notes--first to get the key points organized, and second to write a list of any details that need to be memorized - definitions, diagrams, formulas, things like that.

Where:

For my last midterm, I got up at 5 am and sat in a coffeeshop with my mp3 playing for about 5 hours, just reviewing notes. I did that so internet was not an option for distraction. For exams last year, I sat in the library all day in complete silence, studying for about 5 or 6 hours. I study at home sometimes, too, but I get distracted easily - mostly by the internet.

When: I start about a day before a midterm, or 2-3 days before an exam. I get the most achieved in the few hours before an exam though, because I'm most focused then (yay adrenaline!). I always always always cram for at least a few hours immediately before any test. Oh and I study best at around 9 am. Late-night studying is not for me, I get tired and bored....I get up super-early if I need to, instead. Plus that puts way more pressure on me, since I know my exam's in a few hours....and that way I know I get at least a minimum amount of sleep.

How: (actually, it pretty much always goes in this order, now that I think of it, and bolded are the main ones)

1. Organize notes/read notes once/make summary
2. Read textbook/readings (may omit if pressed for time or unnecessary)
3. Read summary notes until I fully understand material
4. Re-read original notes (may omit)
5. Wikipedia anything I don't quite understand (if applicable)
5. Memorize anything needing to be memorized, usually by writing it over and over again (if applicable, and only in the last hour or two)

This is what works reasonably well for me, anyway. I'm sure it could be improved.