How do you study?

[FDG]

I'm lucky that I have a photographic memory. If it's something really complicated I have no time to understand deeply, I will stare at the page with maximum concentration for 1 minute - 1 minute and half and will usually be able to write it back almost fully (esp. true when the page is about math formulas, less so if it's dense with words). Otherwise, if I want to comprehend deeply, I will have to rewrite my notes in my own terms, giving my own interpretation, reading from multiple sources - it's a slow process, often not fit for school purposes.

 

[dani_elle]

Take notes. Lots of notes. Try to make my notes pretty so I will be compelled to look at it.

Outside noise really distracts me so I usually put on some FAST! music. Simply because I will feel sleepy if I use slow music.

Sometimes I just put whatever I'm supposed to be studying and put it into the song I'm listening to in my head. Makes it more catchy.

Oh yes and copious amounts of caffiene.

I'm studying media by the way, which doesn't require too much studying actually, its more assignment based but yeah, if I have an exam, this is how I study.

I usually study in short spurts as well, I can't do hours and hours without getting distracted.

 

[tibby]

I liked that my psychology teacher let me do courses independently and gave me assignments/essays to do before the course final. I basically read the book, wrote a study diary and answered the questions in essay forms and did mind maps. It's been so far the best way to go for me.

If I become interested in something I want to learn as much as I can and will go my way to do research. And I've found I usually like learning best alone with material and some instructions that give me a guideline and a goal but let me be independent enough to do it on my pace and time and way.

But I also enjoy teamwork and studying in groups, discussing about the matter with others, they've got their own perspectives and emphasises to offer.

 

[Grayscale]

when it came to me and studying, it was never a question of how, but if

although, this was in highschool and 100-200 college classes where most of the information is presented in class if you can manage to pay attention.

 

[Ozz]

Business courses
1) Print out powerpoint presentation to paper
2) Write down details and examples from the book onto the powerpoint. Write down enough so the concept is concrete to me. Draw arrow to make sure I understand which subtopic belongs to which topic
3) Study powerpoint presentation
3a) Study by writing down hierarchy to make sure i know which subtopic belongs to which topic.

Non-theory based Computer Science courses
1) Print out powerpoint presentation to paper
2) Study process of how things work and be able to recreate said process

Theory heavy Math courses
1) Study practice problems presented in class and hope something similar will be on the exam.
2) Memorize the theory taught in class
I usually get the theory questions wrong

I envy people with photographic memory.

 

[Lethe]

Business courses
1) Print out powerpoint presentation to paper
2) Write down details and examples from the book onto the powerpoint. Write down enough so the concept is concrete to me. Draw arrow to make sure I understand which subtopic belongs to which topic
3) Study powerpoint presentation
3a) Study by writing down hierarchy to make sure i know which subtopic belongs to which topic.

Non-theory based Computer Science courses
1) Print out powerpoint presentation to paper
2) Study process of how things work and be able to recreate said process

Theory heavy Math courses
1) Study practice problems presented in class and hope something similar will be on the exam.
2) Memorize the theory taught in class
I usually get the theory questions wrong

I envy people with photographic memory.

I think I'm love. It's so organized and complete.

Music is essential.

Physics/chemistry/biology: I must read the textbook, understand, what it's all about.

Fast forward to test day, 'The universe consists of 200 billion stars.. TRUE or FALSE'

I fail.

How do you study?

If I can remember, I will type out a more detailed list later.

Here are a few pointers for studying science:

1. Discover all your learning styles. (Visual, Auditory, Tactical, Study Groups, Theoretical, Outlines, etc. I promise you this bit of knowledge will greatly improve your performance.)

2. Seek out a professor that matches your style, if possible.

3. Observe the theoretical system first. The details will follow. (If you have poor memory, recalling the formulas will save you on the exams. Your professor could decide to be tricky and test their students on unfamiliar problems -- which stems from the same principles.)

4. Keep a list of those 'formulas', highlighting the main points of the course.

5. Get outlines of the material. It will cut down the study hours. (Sparknotes. Study guides. Past students.)

6. Find something personally relevant in the material. (You won't remember a detail that you can't relate to.)

7. Make the subject interesting yourself. (Singing songs of the chemical solubility chart is how some people bring color into a dull world.)

8. When reading a textbook, look at the titles/headlines first. Read the summaries. If you already feel exhausted, put away the text and open it again in a few hours. Now the ideas are starting to 'sink' into your head and you can proceed without being overwhelmed. Rinse & repeat.

9. Most importantly, do not let yourself fall behind in the course. Ask for outside help whenever needed. (Science concepts build on top of another, a poor comprehension of the previous will affect your learning process.)

10. Lastly, the key to science is asking the right questions. What don't you know?

11. Remember to make studying easier, not harder for yourself. Study smarter. If you're resisting the information, find another way to gain it.

Physics/chemistry/biology: I must read the textbook, understand, what it's all about.

There's no must, only choose. If you must do something, the chances are you resisting the task. Find out what would make you "choose" a particular choice.

 

[Kobe]

Silence, no distraction.

I study with a headphone used by streetworkers against the noise. (8

 

[Chloe]

I absorb tons of infos without making some connections or conclusions about them, and then after absorbing it i just in few days connect all of it.. in other words, i perceive, perceive and perceive for long time, don't know anything really, and then in the end suddenly i know all in few days.

it's good and bad ... since i listen course by course in school, so if course lasts 3 months.... it takes me to much to get into it. but not that i try hard to be honest.

 

[BlueScreen]

I absorb tons of infos without making some connections or conclusions about them, and then after absorbing it i just in few days connect all of it.. in other words, i perceive, perceive and perceive for long time, don't know anything really, and then in the end suddenly i know all in few days.

it's good and bad ... since i listen course by course in school, so if course lasts 3 months.... it takes me to much to get into it. but not that i try hard to be honest.

I work the same. And my thoughts become really clear in exams, just has to be in there to connect.

 

[scantilyclad]

I liked to read the text book out loud to myself and note things that i think would be important. I often put definitions on index cards for later use on tests and stuff. I also like to make up my own test questions from information in the books to help prepare for tests and to help me retain information.

However, I usually don't study at all or sometimes I study for a quiz 10 minutes before it's time. I have to be really interested in a class to want to study. I do well without studying anyway.

 

[garbage]

I take notes that look like disorganized mind maps during the class itself, and I pretty much rely solely on those when I study. I also have music, a chatroom, a few websites, and maybe the TV going at the same time.

It works extremely well.

 

[Lethe]

I absorb tons of infos without making some connections or conclusions about them, and then after absorbing it i just in few days connect all of it.. in other words, i perceive, perceive and perceive for long time, don't know anything really, and then in the end suddenly i know all in few days.

it's good and bad ... since i listen course by course in school, so if course lasts 3 months.... it takes me to much to get into it. but not that i try hard to be honest.

The Si+Ne way. Awesomeness.

For myself, I don't have a snowball's chance of learning anything if I don't grasp the larger picture before I start absorbing massive amounts of information. (I'll eventually forget the procedural details and end up reworking the solution through the theory.) It's no wonder why I performed so poorly in several high school courses -- the teachers did not bother highlighting the ultimate purpose of material. Only then in college I discovered my learning preferences and began whizzing by the textbooks. It was rather handy when I had an INTP professor who loved introducing new problems on the exams, which required a thorough understanding of the theories she taught. About 85% of the class loathed her instruction style. Sure, I could also use some more hard deadlines, but I didn't share their sentiments.

 

[Ozz]

The Si+Ne way. Awesomeness.

For myself, I don't have a snowball's chance of learning anything if I don't grasp the larger picture before I start absorbing massive amounts of information. (I'll eventually forget the details and end up reworking the solution through the theory.) It's no wonder why I performed so poorly in several high school courses -- the teachers did not bother highlighting the ultimate purpose of material. Only then in college I discovered my learning preferences and began whizzing the textbooks. It was rather handy when I had an INTP professor who loved introducing new problems on the exams, which required a thorough understanding of the theories she taught. About 85% of the class loathed her instruction style. Sure, I could also use some more hard deadlines, but I didn't share their sentiments.

That's very interesting. For me, I feel like I need to look at a high level description of the big picture, then work through a concrete example. While working through it, I need to have the big picture pointed out for me again. It is only at that point when I can finally understand and absorb the high level description. After this process, I can apply the high level stuff to new problems easily.

I guess that's the S/N difference.

 

[Lethe]

That's very interesting. For me, I feel like I need to look at a high level description of the big picture, then work through a concrete example. While working through it, I need to have the big picture pointed out for me again. It is only at that point when I can finally understand and absorb the high level description. After this process, I can apply the high level stuff to new problems easily.

I guess that's the S/N difference.

That served my ISFJ sister well in Biology AP.... yet the exact opposite in my case.

Your style: [Detailed ---> Broad]
1. (Si) High level descriptions
2. (Ne) Connecting the different dots

My style: [Broad ---> Detailed]
1. (Ni) Get the one main picture
2. (Se) See how the main picture applies to what can be immediately observed
3. Then (Ne) and (Si)

Perhaps it's also a SJ and NJ difference. I like studying backwards by beginning at the end.

 

[Chloe]

For myself, I don't have a snowball's chance of learning anything if I don't grasp the larger picture before I start absorbing massive amounts of information. (I'll eventually forget the procedural details and end up reworking the solution through the theory.).

yeah, this is what i meant actually. i guess it's Ne+Si.
I need to perceive big picture in order to start memorizing stuff... but while perceiving i actually do memorize it subconsciuosly and totally without order or linearly...(which is mostly not enough).. so when i get grasp of bigger picture i can use Si and make it lined and stored.
This is my passive learning style, so I feel most comfortable with it. If I need to study more efficiently because I'm in hurry with deadlines, I try to use more Si and Te, which is very uncomfortable to me.

I read somewhere like.. ENFPs have inferior Si, so... they memorize stuff poorly, and mostly in symbols. This is case with me. I can't linearly memorize stuff.. like in time line.
For example, I studied now physiology, it's huge exam, one of three biggest in whole medicine, and... stuff is totally linear, like (reduced version, actually this is written on 100 pages)"when concentration of Na+ Cl- gets lower in plasma, blood pressure gets lower, then kidney recognizes lower levels of Na+ Cl- and starts to produce hormon renyne, who then affects kidneys to reabsorb more H2O and NaCl which makes blood pressure and plasma volume again normal...... blah blah blah"
so all of book is like that, 1000 pages of mechanisms, it's actually very linear, despite you can see big picture, it's more important to see smaller stuff in this, linearly.. what happens after what.

so physiology definately doesn't suit my learning style.

most STJs I know have excell physiology because they store it dirrectly, don't search bigger picture that much.

but I can learn in STJ way when I need to, its just annoying.. to think and store. but also i will ASAP forget that inter-steps, details of ogranism functions...

when i studied with friend about renal system etc... there are tons of pages on kidneys and I closed the book and asked "so..what do you think, whats the thing with kidneys ? " she lol'd because it's insane to try to know it through bigger picture... So I failed Physilogy today I missed 1 point out of 120 to pass. going again in 3 weeks. Now I have to think like STJ for 2 months.

On the other hand, Anatomy - could be also called "Si-only" lol, I learned it very well, easier than physiology, but I put more effort and much more time, and it's not linear, you can have chaos of data in your head.

Of course there are positive sides of being N dominant, because I'm sure I need less time to get it and learn it then others when I want to, + in exams I really give my best, I use all N in me to figure possible answers, and my intuition is very precize in figuring out which is important and how does each professor think so depending on who writes test i learn in his way.

It was rather handy when I had an INTP professor who loved introducing new problems on the exams, which required a thorough understanding of the theories she taught. About 85% of the class loathed her instruction style. Sure, I could also use some more hard deadlines, but I didn't share their sentiments.

Oh I love this! I will do it if I ever teach. But of course I will try not to make it too hard...

I take notes that look like disorganized mind maps during the class itself, and I pretty much rely solely on those when I study. I also have music, a chatroom, a few websites, and maybe the TV going at the same time.

It works extremely well.

oh i can NEVER take notes, I never owned a notebook for real... since elementary school..

but i have TV, phone, chats, music all on, lol.


***
I also had this method I tried last summer of combinating 2 opposite stuff, I learned biochemistry for 3 hours, then I made pause for 30 minutes and read a novel. I really rested that way. So I could learn whole day without getting bored or tired. It's good when you're in a hurry with deadlines.

 

[Fluffywolf]

In general, I study last minute. And it often stops with reading the material once.

However, if whatever I am studying peaks my interest... Well.. I tend to study way beyond whatever was assigned.

 

[Salt n' pepper]

In general, I study last minute. And it often stops with reading the material once.

However, if whatever I am studying peaks my interest... Well.. I tend to study way beyond whatever was assigned.

Same!

 

[Antimony]

I don't/last minute.

Unless it is like, chemistry or music, something I like. If I like it, I will sit down and read the textbook. Happened in literature and in now in chemistry.

 

[Giggly]

Clairvoyance - I press the textbook against my forehead and I acquire the information instantaneously.

Please teach me this trick.

I envy you people who don't have to study. When I study, I can't listen to music or have people in the room talking, etc. I really think I suck at studying and would like to improve my methods. I'm a big case of "learns best by doing". I'm great at practical learning but I struggle with retaining theory or abstract concepts. At best I just cram and regurgitate them.

 

[deepthought]

I don't study, I remember just about everything, not to brag but I'm what you'd call gifted.