24 replies to this topic

[Forever21]

I know I'm surrounded here by academics and brilliant students. Please share your tips on how to study hard and learn anything fast.

[Ginnungagap]

Learning is based on several skills, all of which can be learned / trained. I recommend learning

• speed reading --> Faster reading AND better understanding (I'm sure there are sources on the internet, but I learned it from books, most are okay, only stay clear of the "photoreading"-stuff by paul scheele, it's a scam)
• a note taking technique, SQ3R for example
• making use of spaced repetition (Programs like anki come in handy)
• time management. think GTD. or any system really, as long as you write down the stuff you need/intend to do and plan a bit, instead of having it all in your head all the time.

Also, this blog features a myriad of tips I found rather helpful: http://calnewport.com/blog/ (though I didn't buy any of his books)

[Forever21]

What is GTD?

Edited by Forever21, 26 April 2010 - 02:35 PM.

[Ginnungagap]

What is GTD?

GTD stands for Getting Things Done, title of a book by David Allen, where he describes a time management / productivity system that gathered quite a following.

Here is a summary: http://www.43folders...ing-things-done

[Forever21]

Thanks. I have the book but haven't read it yet.

I started having interest on study skills & mind enhancement tools recently.

So far the books I've read on the related subject are the following:

Speed Reading for Professional
Find Your Focus



Next Up:
Getting Things Done
What Smart Students Know
How to Become a Straight -A Student
How to Study
Study Smarter, not Harder
How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country's Top Students
Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities And ADHD Give You The Tools



If you have other book recommendations, please post them here.

Edited by Forever21, 26 April 2010 - 05:03 PM.

[Kristjan]

Learning is based on several skills, all of which can be learned / trained. I recommend learning

• speed reading --> Faster reading AND better understanding (I'm sure there are sources on the internet, but I learned it from books, most are okay, only stay clear of the "photoreading"-stuff by paul scheele, it's a scam)
• a note taking technique, SQ3R for example
• making use of spaced repetition (Programs like anki come in handy)
• time management. think GTD. or any system really, as long as you write down the stuff you need/intend to do and plan a bit, instead of having it all in your head all the time.

Also, this blog features a myriad of tips I found rather helpful: http://calnewport.com/blog/ (though I didn't buy any of his books)

I've attended a speed-reading course before. I think it may be helpful for people studying things like history or literature or related things.

I'm studying biomedical science and I tried to apply speed reading to texts like physiology or biochemistry but that is just not at all possible.

I've read some things about study techniques and such and what I find is that most of them are really time consuming. For example let's say I need to read a chapter that would take me about 3 hours to read with good comprehension. If I were to skim the chapter beforehand, take notes from the text, make questions out of the text, then perhaps re-read the text quickly after reading, and then recite the day after, then the total time spent on the chapter would amount to a whole lot more.

What I do:
Read the material thoroughly before class.
Attend every class and pay attention.
Take notes in class, I use three seperate colours.
When I arrive home I review my notes and the powerpoint slide supplied by the teacher.
Study hard during exams.

And just spend a lot of time on studying, that is the most important factor in getting good grades

Edited by Kristjan, 03 May 2010 - 04:41 PM.

[biochemie]

Work. Work. Then work some more.

[ken_akiba]

Actually MIT students do not study that hard (I'm talking graduate students though). I spend a couple of years there and this is what I observed: Most suck in memorizing stuff but are brilliant in associating variety of concepts. They spend more time daydreaming than "studying".

[Alex Libman]

You have to really genuinely be interested in what you're studying, and if you do it requires no great effort of forcing yourself to study. You cannot force a mind to think! If you find yourself trying to do that then you're just wasting your time, and it would probably be best to invest more time in self-discovery and finding the things that truly interest you. Knowledge without passion is of little value.

[shadowhawk]

You have to really genuinely be interested in what you're studying, and if you do it requires no great effort of forcing yourself to study. You cannot force a mind to think! If you find yourself trying to do that then you're just wasting your time, and it would probably be best to invest more time in self-discovery and finding the things that truly interest you. Knowledge without passion is of little value.

So true. You hit this right on the head!

[niner]

GTD stands for Getting Things Done, title of a book by David Allen, where he describes a time management / productivity system that gathered quite a following.

Thanks. I have the book but haven't read it yet.

That's kind of ironic...

[Shepard]

I try to go to class. Seems to help.

[modelcadet]

Actually MIT students do not study that hard (I'm talking graduate students though). I spend a couple of years there and this is what I observed: Most suck in memorizing stuff but are brilliant in associating variety of concepts. They spend more time daydreaming than "studying".

Any place will have both types of students, to varying degrees. UVa is not MIT. If I had a save/reload button on life (my preferred superpower), I would probably relive my choice of where to go to college, and pick that place with so many more students like my daydreaming self.

I don't think I could, even if I wanted, study like some of the kids here at UVa. I don't know what they're studying, but honestly I don't know of much worth studying for as much time as they spend in the library. If I don't know some fact, I'll just search for it. I'm generally trying to explore new ideas...

There are different types of people, though. I think these people who dwell in the libraries are stupid; they think I'm lazy.

Eventually, the Brainery Foundation will resolve these conflicts. But I need both daydreamers and scholars to make that happen. Or better yet, just a couple MIT students. *groans@UVa*

[tunt01]

Work. Work. Then work some more.

+determination and +effort

the difference between people who are excellent and people are good is a function of work ethic. lots of smart people in the world. not always smart + determined.

I once interviewed w/ a banker on wall st. at a major investment house and he candidly told me his idea of a perfect interview process. "I ask a person to put together a financial model or value of an investment in about an hour. And at the beginning of the hour, I'd punch the person clear in the face. If they don't cry and get it done in an hour, then they would be hired."

[e Volution]

I've read some things about study techniques and such and what I find is that most of them are really time consuming. For example let's say I need to read a chapter that would take me about 3 hours to read with good comprehension. If I were to skim the chapter beforehand, take notes from the text, make questions out of the text, then perhaps re-read the text quickly after reading, and then recite the day after, then the total time spent on the chapter would amount to a whole lot more.

What I do:
Read the material thoroughly before class.
Attend every class and pay attention.
Take notes in class, I use three seperate colours.
When I arrive home I review my notes and the powerpoint slide supplied by the teacher.
Study hard during exams.

And just spend a lot of time on studying, that is the most important factor in getting good grades

This is gold, and the same conclusion I have come to. I looked into the various study & learning techniques (albeit briefly) and seriously, that list above is easily 90+% of the equation IMO. The best study method doesn't mean squat if your sleep deprived. The best memory technique is insignificant if your diet is hopeless and your not giving your brain all the essentials to run optimally. The best nootropic is wasted if your not regularly exercising.

Get your diet and body composition (read health) in check. Supplement wisely. Exercise regularly. Read your material before class. Attend all classes and take notes. Have a solid review method (be it end of day, before bed, within 24 hours, etc). Become a recluse around exams and study hard.... If your still struggling and you've accomplished the above, THEN maybe start looking for optimising your study techniques, but I think probably your not motivated or determined enough reflecting the comment below.

You have to really genuinely be interested in what you're studying, and if you do it requires no great effort of forcing yourself to study. You cannot force a mind to think! If you find yourself trying to do that then you're just wasting your time, and it would probably be best to invest more time in self-discovery and finding the things that truly interest you. Knowledge without passion is of little value.

Whilst I agree on the whole, I think it is too simplistic an idea. I am in my second degree and despite being passionate about both areas, certainly much stuff I study (and have studied) bores me. I think all disciplines will have much boring/dull/tedious stuff that simply must be forcefully learned by all newcomers.

[Solitude]

I would just like to suggest a different approach. I've always thought that taking notes was a perfect way to ensure that you don't assimilate the information as well as you should.

By no means do I consider myself necessarily more intelligent than the average well, performing student; though, I manage to maintain a 4.0 GPA. Yet in my several years of University - a high competition music program, though my first year was microbiology - I've taken hardly two pages of notes. Outside of class, it's clear that I study substantially less than my average peer. Forget about all these schemes about ' taking good notes', fancy colors, babble, babble. It's true, the 'good students' generally take notes, but from my experience, the great ones do not. Instead, just try to actively approach the material. During lectures, don't let your brain be idle; don't just follow the sound of the lecturer, but use your excess "brain cycles" to integrate the material into your Great Web of Knowledge. If you still have extra brain cycles, just repeat the information continuously in your head, using graduated recall as the lecture goes on, and whatever other memorization techniques you prefer.

Taking notes promotes a type of learning where you just memorize discrete facts. Sure, it will get you through your exam just fine, but it's a patchwork, band aid-approach type of solution. Integrating the material into a sort of neural network might seem very difficult at first, but it is a process of increasing returns. Once the foundation is built, things only get easier.

Incidentally: one of the main benefits of the method I discussed is that you will be interested in the material MUCH more than if you were merely taking notes. The type of understanding it cultivates, where each piece of information is part of an interconnected web rather than a discrete fact makes for interesting stuff.

Of course, proper diet and exercise is a vast benefit. Cold showers in the morning wake me up several hundred times better than coffee. Emotional health, and of course, interest in the material are all extremely important as well.

Of course, I have no evidence to support this, except my own anecdotal success. I'm curious to see if anyone else has success with a similar abstract, chaotic approach.

Edited by Solitude, 04 May 2010 - 05:24 AM.

[Alex Libman]

Also learning proper professor butt-kissing techniques doesn't hurt either.

[Ginnungagap]

Thanks. I have the book but haven't read it yet.

I started having interest on study skills & mind enhancement tools recently.

So far the books I've read on the related subject are the following:

Speed Reading for Professional
Find Your Focus



Next Up:
Getting Things Done
What Smart Students Know
How to Become a Straight -A Student
How to Study
Study Smarter, not Harder
How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country's Top Students
Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities And ADHD Give You The Tools



If you have other book recommendations, please post them here.

They all sound fine, but personally I'd only learn faster reading for now, maybe some mnemonics and study techniques, and then books should come only after your curriculum. Prioritize!

I've attended a speed-reading course before. I think it may be helpful for people studying things like history or literature or related things.

I'm studying biomedical science and I tried to apply speed reading to texts like physiology or biochemistry but that is just not at all possible.

Thats odd! What year are you in / what are your textbooks? I'm studying molecular biology with a side dish of pharmacology, and before that had a taste of physical engineering, and I have always used speed-reading to great effect. It took a month or two until I learned properly, but now I'm rather confident reading my textbooks at speeds anywhere between 600 and 800 wpm, with great comprehension! I find concepts easier to grasp if I read faster, it's hard to explain..

I've read some things about study techniques and such and what I find is that most of them are really time consuming. For example let's say I need to read a chapter that would take me about 3 hours to read with good comprehension. If I were to skim the chapter beforehand, take notes from the text, make questions out of the text, then perhaps re-read the text quickly after reading, and then recite the day after, then the total time spent on the chapter would amount to a whole lot more.

What I do:
Read the material thoroughly before class.
Attend every class and pay attention.
Take notes in class, I use three seperate colours.
When I arrive home I review my notes and the powerpoint slide supplied by the teacher.
Study hard during exams.

And just spend a lot of time on studying, that is the most important factor in getting good grades

Again, I'd like to know what your textbooks are, there should a bit of an overlap between our courses, and I use mostly english books. Could well be that you are more advanced that I am, but, 3h per chapter? (don't take it the wrong way, I don't want to offend you)

I think about study techniques and mnemonics more along those lines; Sure, if I use SQ3R or something like that on a chapter, it is initially more time consuming, but in the long run, I need less time to learn it. For most courses, reviewing a chapter for the third time is more than enough to have learned it thoroughly.
I also save much time by reviewing the learning matter on the go; I use Anki on my mobile phone where it's applicable, and I have a wiki installed on my webserver, where I write down most stuff I fabricate using SQ3R etc, so I can also acces it on the go through my phone. So I also use the time I spend walking from one course to another, or the time I wait till a lecturer shows up

So, I never really 'study hard', only continuously. I also stop studying a few days before an big exam to really relax..

[Ginnungagap]

You have to really genuinely be interested in what you're studying, and if you do it requires no great effort of forcing yourself to study. You cannot force a mind to think! If you find yourself trying to do that then you're just wasting your time, and it would probably be best to invest more time in self-discovery and finding the things that truly interest you. Knowledge without passion is of little value.

Whilst I agree on the whole, I think it is too simplistic an idea. I am in my second degree and despite being passionate about both areas, certainly much stuff I study (and have studied) bores me. I think all disciplines will have much boring/dull/tedious stuff that simply must be forcefully learned by all newcomers.

I agree with Alex Libman!

And icantgoforthat: One thing I wish I would have realized much, much earlier in my life is that, if a subject doesn't interest you at first, you need to find out why it is interesting. For every topic there is, you'll find dozens of people who are very interested in it. Why is that? What fascinates them? Also, how does this topic relate to things that interest me? ...
It seems a bit strange at first, but it's fun, and also makes the whole learning much less painful.

[tunt01]

You have to really genuinely be interested in what you're studying, and if you do it requires no great effort of forcing yourself to study. You cannot force a mind to think! If you find yourself trying to do that then you're just wasting your time, and it would probably be best to invest more time in self-discovery and finding the things that truly interest you. Knowledge without passion is of little value.

And icantgoforthat: One thing I wish I would have realized much, much earlier in my life is that, if a subject doesn't interest you at first, you need to find out why it is interesting. For every topic there is, you'll find dozens of people who are very interested in it. Why is that? What fascinates them? Also, how does this topic relate to things that interest me? ...
It seems a bit strange at first, but it's fun, and also makes the whole learning much less painful.

i think you guys over-estimate "passion" for learning a subject. a lot of people are simply driven to win, no matter what the subject. as long as they are getting the best grades, the highest paycheck, and top rank in whatever group/class/work environment they are in, they are happy. they are driven to succeed, period. subject not relevant.

[Forever21]

GTD stands for Getting Things Done, title of a book by David Allen, where he describes a time management / productivity system that gathered quite a following.

Thanks. I have the book but haven't read it yet.

That's kind of ironic...

Like my anti-procrastination video I bought during the Bush administration.

[Forever21]

during his first term

Edited by Forever21, 05 May 2010 - 04:49 PM.

[rwac]

Thanks. I have the book but haven't read it yet.

That's kind of ironic...

Like my anti-procrastination video I bought during the Bush administration.

I find it easier to go through audiobooks than reading them now. You should try that. Sooo much easier.

[Athanasios]

Get the best teacher for your course. An easy teacher is better than an impossible one, but the best teacher is one that teaches well and is hard but fair.

Study the areas of focus in your class but set your goal of understanding the content higher than the class requires. Use outside sources like alternative used textbooks from amazon, opencourseware, online books, and youtube tutorials. Take every opportunity to teach the content to struggling classmates, it gives you greater understanding and confidence. If you do the above, you will be ahead of the class and less dependent on a single teacher's ability and fairness.

Avoid study groups unless your classmates' ability is near equivalent to your own. The teaching I refer to above is done under your own time requirements, best directly after class to minimize time wasting. The best students to help out are ones that are not getting adequate instruction in class but are eager to understand and do the work.

Measure cost to reward ratios of the course grading scale. Some scales aren't optimal and it is better to exploit this than toil under it. If a paper takes the majority of your time spent outside of class and is only 5% of the grade, do it fast and get a 50%, so you can study the rest of the material and ace that. Sometimes it is better to accept a B in a demanding class to ensure an A in your other classes.

Get ahead early in the course. Later, when the class gets harder you will be ready for it.

Finally, find a way to get an internship for your area of study. Many employers see a 2 degree with low GPA and 1 year experience better than a '4' year degree with a great GPA and no experience. Even if it pushes out your graduation date a bit, it is worth it.

[goatz]

Thanks. I have the book but haven't read it yet.

That's kind of ironic...

Like my anti-procrastination video I bought during the Bush administration.

I find it easier to go through audiobooks than reading them now. You should try that. Sooo much easier.

+1