Does anyone have any homework/studying tips?

[Knight]

Apart from staying off the interwebs.

I'm looking for tips on things like how to stay on task, organize and things like that. Any sort of strategy, suggestions, etc.

[Jiac]

Tell yourself that the boogey man will chase after you if you don't do what you need to do ._. or otherwise try to make it 'bother' you like, your life depends on this single item...

[Junk]

Apart from staying off the interwebs.

I'm looking for tips on things like how to stay on task, organize and things like that. Any sort of strategy, suggestions, etc.

imagine what your parents will think.

[MacLovin]

do next school year's homework over the summer.

[Ema Skye]

I find calendars really helpful if you have a lot of time to work on an assignment (this is especially true in university where they dump all the assignments on to you day 1). Plot out how much time you need to complete the assignment, and divide it up based on how much time you have. Try not to break it up so that you're working every day, because it really leaves you feel drained if you're working on multiple assignments at the same time.

[Azura]

I have a huge calender posted on my wall, where I write down when all my essays are due, how many hours they expect me to spend on them, and when I have to start.

Give yourself small rewards every time you complete something, but make sure that the rewards doesn't take too much time.

When you have to write something, just write. If a point is too hard, skip it and write it later.

[Phoenix Wright]

Absolutely, above all else, figure out how you learn. I just Googled this, so I'm not sure how accurate or useful it is, but I'm hopeful that it'll help. Learn how you learn.

Once you do that, just study the way you need to and you'll be golden. In terms of staying "on task," that's all up to how well you're able to control yourself.

edit: it helps a little bit. Read up on learning types and whatnot in order to actually figure out what kind you are.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Phoenix Wright

[eclipse]

Interesting quiz. I'm a bit of all three. Ahem. . .

I have to tell myself, "This is getting done. This is getting done RIGHT NOW." And then I do it. I may take a short break or two, but if I want it done, it will be done.

[Fateborn]

Unplug your computer.

If you wakes in the morning to finds out you can't turn it on, that'd be a good time to do your homeworks.

[Knight]

Unplug your computer.

If you wakes in the morning to finds out you can't turn it on, that'd be a good time to do your homeworks.

Unfortunately for me, this my only access to a practical graphing calculator.

So I have to listen to music to eliminate background noise (my mom in the other room, my brother, etc.) What type of music should I be listening to?

There's some really good advice here, thanks.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Knight

[Florete]

Just do it.

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There's some further explanation to be done here.

Now, it's possible this only worked for me, but if you're anything like me, perhaps this advice can help. Yes, it is as simple as "just do it." I'm a huge procrastinator, always have been, and whenever I tried to make plans to stop procrastinating, get more work done, and get it done early, it never worked out and I did poorly in school. A few years ago I thought to myself "Fuck it. I'll procrastinate as much as I want. I just need to get the work done in the end no matter what." Strangely enough, that worked.

So that's my advice. Forget everything else. As long as you just do it, eventually, that's what's important.

[--------------------]

Bet something. Like all your money that you will get so and so score on your report etc.

[Rehab]

I remember kdanger talking about defeating procrastination regarding cleaning a piled-upon desk (IIRC?) using something titled "the 20-10 method-" 20 minutes of work, 10 minutes of (possibly non-internet) not-work. I can imagine it might not work well for everybody, but for some flavors of AD(H)D it might be a godsend, though I haven't tried it myself.

I really have disgracefully few specific tactics for this considering I completed a winter course called "study habit development," haha

But there's always:

-starting it the first possible moment after classes end, if you're not too tired, so you can get started as early as possible and get something on paper/whatever to make continuing seem not so big a deal

-going to a library, at your school if necessary (after classes if you're in high school and they have late buses), which I'd hope/assume would have computers available. just going to the library and putting yourself in a situation where you have nothing to do but your work can be a bit of a push

Unfortunately for me, this my only access to a practical graphing calculator.

So I have to listen to music to eliminate background noise (my mom in the other room, my brother, etc.) What type of music should I be listening to?

There's some really good advice here, thanks.

Not trying to go "never do homework with music," but I've heard that for some people listening to even the most soothing/enjoyed kind of music slows down their thought processes. You might not be in that some people, but either way I think the best-case scenario would be: saying to your family as clearly as possible that you're having trouble concentrating on your homework because you can hear them, and their doing the respectful/reasonable thing and toning it down somehow.

I realize that's not always possible, though. In the worst-case scenario where you have to do it at home and you can't get your family to play along, I'd suggest seeing if you can pick up a cheap pair of earplugs at a drug store/pharmacy, and seeing if your work speed is noticeably different from when you're listening to something calm on low volume.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Rehab

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Here are a few tips:

- do homework as soon as possible; it is easier and faster to remember the stuff

- learning as soon as possible for tests or exams; it is in genereal a bad idea starting to learn one night before the exam

- a calender to organize all your dates

[Phoenix Wright]

Unfortunately for me, this my only access to a practical graphing calculator.

So I have to listen to music to eliminate background noise (my mom in the other room, my brother, etc.) What type of music should I be listening to?

There's some really good advice here, thanks.

i need noise when i work, and can listen to all of my music collection without issue. start out fancy, with romantic, classical, and baroque music. if you don't care for it, move on to generally lyric-less music (jazz, fingerstyle guitar, post-rock), as it is easier to concentrate for some people.

[Randoman]

Studying in groups, asking your professor/teacher for help during or outside of class hours, and studying in a library or a university/college designated study area and not at home are all things I did myself regarding homework and studying. They all worked rather well, though in a high school situation, doing some of the things I listed above may be harder (high school teachers don't give you their office hours and there's no study areas in high schools that are open up to 8 PM).

[Elieson]

Offer yourself rewards for completing certain amounts of activity that you might not earn normally.

When reading, I stick gummy bears on the end of every other paragraph, and as I read, I eat.

Simple yes, but it works for me.

[Comet]

if you're really dead set on it, you can somehow lock yourself into having no other options (besides straight out doing nothing).

[cyron]

Just do it.

...

......

.........

There's some further explanation to be done here.

Now, it's possible this only worked for me, but if you're anything like me, perhaps this advice can help. Yes, it is as simple as "just do it." I'm a huge procrastinator, always have been, and whenever I tried to make plans to stop procrastinating, get more work done, and get it done early, it never worked out and I did poorly in school. A few years ago I thought to myself "Fuck it. I'll procrastinate as much as I want. I just need to get the work done in the end no matter what." Strangely enough, that worked.

So that's my advice. Forget everything else. As long as you just do it, eventually, that's what's important.

Thats actually my exact strategy.

Here are a few tips:

- do homework as soon as possible; it is easier and faster to remember the stuff

- learning as soon as possible for tests or exams; it is in general a bad idea starting to learn one night before the exam

- a calender to organize all your dates

the asap thing doesn't work at all for me, but the calendar thing is great advice. As far as the studying thing, cramming is actually really effective for passing a test, but it doesn't help you learn the material as it won't wind up in your long term memory.

[Thor Odinson]

As a terrible procrastinator I usually estimate amount of time I need to do an assignment, and then put aside the amount of time I need close to the due date to do it. Something simpler like a set of math problems I set aside an hour or two, while larger programming assignments I set aside several days and use it all on programming. And I tell myself I fucking need that A and I will get off my ass and do it.

[Lord Raven]

I set a list of things I need to finish by the end of each day and I'm not satisfied until it is finished. That way if something comes up that requires me to put in work later on I'm flexible and can switch things around. I don't put a strict plan on things I do, but I try to have a list of goals at the end of everyday and also plan on finding ways to make adjustments in case things fall through.

Studying with friends helps a lot, and attempting to understand things as well as not shying away from discussions about things you don't get. Also, putting more work into your weak spots than whatever you're good at.

[Azura]

Also, if your are writing in a forgein language, it might help to listen to music in that language. I always listen to German music when doing German essays, and it really helps my brain with tuning in on that language :3

[Iris]

I've been going through a slump lately, so I don't want to be hypocritical, but here's what the ideal/master plan is.

Also, read this, I found it more helpful than other sites that came up from "how to be more organized". It felt very real. Uh, also read it after you read my advice, it's quite long (but very helpful)!

THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS ...

STAYING AHEAD.

This is really hard. I have yet to accomplish this myself, but judging from my friends that actually have accomplished this, you will be healthier, happier, and you'll always have your shit done so you can have more time to go out and have fun with friends/surf the web. Thus, you'll never be stressed or have to resort to cramming, and you can actually enjoy life at your own pace.

The best time to find time to get ahead is during the weekend/break/summer, lol "do all the work for next year"; something like that, but not quite.

To accomplish this feat, I give you the following suggestions:

CLEANUP DAY

The link above does a pretty good job explaining why. Choose one day where you can just organize the shit out of everything, from your presumably messy room, to backpack, to computer, to your life.

SCHEDULES

IF YOU HAVE A SMART PHONE

I recommend apps like 30/30 (schedule, esp. recommended), and Do! (list making).

If not, there's still hope! So this might sound a little bit crazy, and more so than just keeping a calendar, but keep a schedule of your whole life. This, for example. Made on a generic excel spreadsheet (if you really desire, I can send you a template), this schedule lists the days on top and the hours on the left. Thus, you can put in daily events/other events, such as when you decide to hang out with friends, or you have that college interview, you can stick it right in! You can color code it too! It'll be really hard to use at first, but after 21 days (or says the myth), it'll become routine. Plus, you can always plan study time/gaming time with it, when you see the free slots you have.

OH YEAH, AGENDAS. I'm sure they make you get those in school/recommend it, but try keeping this sort of agenda: instead of writing down every assignment that you get on that day, write down when it's due! Then you know how much time you have before said assignment is due.

LISTS/GOALS

You want to say organized, but you need to know what else you want, besides that. Staying organized is not an end, it is a means to an end. You want to be organized so you can enjoy life/actually learn things/etc.

I really like making lists. So does this guy. Use the Do! app mentioned above, or get a notebook (classic pen and paper). Preferably, you should make a long term goals list (#bucket list), and then a short terms goal list for a limited period of time, whether from a day to a week. Keep the list somewhere handy, so it's always accessible.

PRIORITIZING

I actually just learned about this last year, but there's this method called the Eisenhower Decision method, which splits all tasks into Urgent/Important/Not Urgent/Not Important. It's pretty informative, and actually helps you know what you should be doing right now.

Anyways, if you find yourself in a slump, make a list of what needs to be done ASAP, and just do it. I'm sure this is what you're probably doing right now, but it probably isn't working as well as you'd like if you'd resort to asking forum members for tips!

HOW TO STAY ON TASK

1. Identify what's taking you off task. Most likely, it's, as you cited, the interwebs. If it's not the interwebs, identify a strategy to restrict that. If it is, read on: Now you don't have to restrict yourself from them entirely, but when you screw yourself over when you inevitably stop following your other organizational skills, and you really need to get your shit together/do things right now, I recommend leechblock for Firefox users and stayfocused for chrome users. Both are pretty flexible, and you can stop yourself from unblocking them too (see their manuals).

2. I recommend only at most, 2 hours of free time a day, or whatever is reasonable for your course load/schedule.

3. If part of your problem with staying on task is motivational issues, I recommend printing out some quotes/posters that say either really inspirational things (song/poem lyrics, like Shine by Andrea Gibson), or things like "If you don't start working now, you are going to fail at life, not get into college, disowned by your parents, and live on the streets. Oh, and that means no more Internet." in big black letters, etc. Hang them up by your work area (presumably your room, by your desk/computer).

Uh... Studying

Honestly, I find it hard to tell people how to study since it's different for everyone. I personally can't study with others since I will distract everyone. I just try to shut myself in my room, and I make a spotify playlist with good (but not distracting music) as I plow through the books. Non distracting music I generally classify as soothing music, like game OSTs, or stuff you can't sing along to, but that's up to you, dude.

So if all else fails and you find yourself not being able to conform to any of these, just know that you tried your best! :3

Edited April 10, 2014 by Iris

[RandomX2]

Cognito reflects my ideas pretty well. If you need the content short-term (i.e. only to pass a test) and won't need it in a future course or in life, cramming the day before a test has always worked well for me. If you'll need the content on a future cumulative exam, cram again when the exam comes up. If you'll need the content in the future, like math foundation skills, just be sure that you aren't fooling yourself into believing you understand the content when you don't. Dig through the content until you can piece together how to do a exam question on your own. Always look for and recognize when you're spending too much time studying something that won't give you a good mark pay-off.

For maximum godhood, let teachers know you want a better explanation when content doesn't make sense. If they re-explain a concept and it still isn't working and you feel uncomfortable with the amount of time you're wasting, let them know that while it still doesn't make sense to you, you'll just try to figure it out some other way or time. But that's a bonus. The first paragraph is more important and is the cornerstone of how I study.

[Ansem]

music and coffee

no computer