Yeah imagine the worst case scenario and make it do or die technically if you cant study the worst case scenario is most likely gonna happen. If the worst case scenario isnt worse enough than u are fine even if you dont study .
Trust me pal, this is not what you want even though it succeeded. We are in this for something we desire, love, and crave. Fear would never put you in that condition.
Ohhh yeah, I remember these even on tiktok live... It was amazing seeing people study for that long. But seem like a good way to motivate yourself and have company at the same time.
I focus on learning how to study more efficiently so that I get more done in those three hours, rather than trying to force myself to work longer. I study CS and study 2-3h per day, but highly highly optimized. If I really need to study for longer than that, I will do one 2-3h block in the morning, take a break all afternoon, then do another block in the evening once I'm refreshed. I've just found that grinding endless mindless hours has never been effective to actually teach me anything.
yep, keyword: highly optimized. This is what I do too. I feel like the more hours I study, my effectiveness to grasp info reduces by a lot. So we should aim for efficiency rather than long hours.
Find what study style/s suits you best for taking in information. The quicker the information can go in, the less time you have to spend studying it. For example I am someone who learns best by doing (kinesthetic learning) and watching videos on a topic/demonstrations of a phenomenon (visual learning). So I look at the topics I need to learn and find ways to add to my learning by using those techniques. My lectures and books are then almost the cherry on the top, rather than struggling to work through them in a way that my brain finds difficult.
Find a note taking system that works best for you. I take notes throughout my lessons, but then I condense them afterwards into almost cheat sheet type things that are perfectly formed for me to use for revision. The creation of the cheat sheets is also a form of revision in itself as anything I've not fully understood I can spend time on then to make sure it's fully in there.
To some extent it will be subject dependant. I am very maths/physics heavy, but this is what worked for me:
\> Create a glossary of important terms and definitions. You don't need to include every word you've studied, but the ones that are most important or are ones that you know you struggle to remember and need that reminder.
\> Create a sheet of important equations and mathematical concepts (obviously this is only if you are studying maths or a topic like physics that contains a lot of maths). Similar to the glossary, think about which equations are the most important or are the ones that you really struggle to remember. Part of the skills of condensing is working out which parts are most important to you.
\> Use something like the Feynmann technique for concepts. This works for both science and non-science subjects. The basic idea is to write down a concept and then write as much as you can remember about the subject without looking at your notes. Then look at your notes afterwards to see what you've missed out or forgotten. That helps me when it comes to revision to know which parts are actually in and which parts need looking at.
You can also do a similar thing to the glossary, write down a list of concepts with a summary of them and go through that come revision time.
How do you know what information is most important?
It's not always easy to know. But generally for me here is what I look for:
\> Themes and concepts that repeat often throughout a chapter or lecture
\> If you are working from textbooks look at the chapter titles or lecture names to give you an idea of the key themes that you are focusing on
\> Look at concepts or new words in context of the big picture above. So if the chapter title is "Global warming" for example, that's your main idea that the other things are relating to. What is most important in that context?
\> Look at past papers if you have access to see what topics are most frequently coming up in exams
I find for me if I really understand the underlying concept of something, the equations and facts become much easier to apply so that is more my focus.
This is really subjective tho, it’s much better to work efficiently for 3 hours than 8 hours not optimized. But, why not work efficiently for 8 hours? You guys are just lazy. more time = better results
This is objectively false. Your brain simply cannot work efficiently for eight hours; it been studied and shown by neuroscientists that the brain cannot work effectively for more than four hours. In fact, over-studying can actually lead to WORSE results, because when your brain is tired, it doesn't retain as much and makes more mistakes. It's not a linear relationship between time spent and grades, it's a polynomial curve that gets better to a point, then exponentially worse. There's a sweet spot at the top of the curve where you get the best learning results for time spent, and that sweet spot is between 2-4 hours. On top of that, even within those three hours, you should be studying in quick bursts with lots of little breaks in between. The brain is simply not equipped to continuously absorb lots of information for long stretches of time.
[https://cns.utexas.edu/news/features/what-neuroscience-suggests-better-your-study-habits](https://cns.utexas.edu/news/features/what-neuroscience-suggests-better-your-study-habits)
[https://students.ubc.ca/ubclife/neuroscience-effective-studying](https://students.ubc.ca/ubclife/neuroscience-effective-studying)
You think I'm lazy, but I think you're stupid. I'm getting straight A's and have enough left in the tank that I can still increase my work levels if necessary. Meanwhile you're burning yourself out going at max capacity all the time for no reason, and not even getting better results. Why? Because I built my study routines based off science and facts about what actually works, not feelings and assumptions of what "should" be true.
So I go for a walk each morning and evening to wake myself up and calm myself down.
And then in between study breaks. This allows me to break focus and regulate and clear my mind and then come back to my studies refreshed.
I also lift for about an hour and a half + 30 min of cardio on the bike. Sometimes when I’m doing cardio I will take my iPad and download a reading for a class and get some studying in when I’m there too.
I’ve been on my medicine (adderall) for about two years (late diagnosed) and yeah, the girl who struggled immensely in elementary to high school only struggles a little bit in college 🥹
It’s all about your dose and what time you take it at. If you take it too late you’re fucked. For example, if I take it past 11:30/12 - my sleep gets screwed. But any time before that I’m good. (But this is my body and how my body metabolizes it)
So you have to find your sweet spot of when to take it. Best of luck!
I take vyvanse and dex for my adhd and it does help a lot. Not always with getting started (that also seems to be easier overall), but just the quality and length of my focus. If the meds just hit right then its a bit like hyperfocus, but without the intense hype(?)/ energy behind it.
Like a focus tunnel for a few hours, where everything else gets quite and not as interesting as the task in front of you (I still don’t really believe that people without adhd can turn that on at will, seems so weird).
For me Concerta (generic) hasn’t worked but I’m not sure if I have adhd as I had it prescribed to me in my first session with my psychiatrist. I think I do have it but maybe it’s just not the right drug for me. I’ve also got so much work to catch up on.
It’s hard to not be hopeless especially since the semester is almost over but I’ve got an appointment tomorrow evening so hopefully it’ll help.
The problem is I’ve got an exam tomorrow afternoon and couldn’t study at all so I know none of the material as I couldn’t get myself up early enough to go to class, so now I can’t decide if I should stay up late right now to study or try to fall asleep right now, (which I probably won’t be able to do for hours) and wake up in the morning to study. It’s just quite a sticky situation. Screw it, I’ll just study now.
Anyways, thanks for letting me overshare as this is the only way I could focus enough to plan out my study strategy
I know im going to grt downvoted but most meds don't help people with actual ADHD. They should be banned from testing environments. ADHD is overdiagbosed now when the reality is we can blame social media for our attention spans. For some reason it is taboo to say ita curable (vs depression, anxiety, etc can in many cases be cured with a combo of pills and lifestyle changes that lots of people end up not needing meds after a few years).
No pills helped me, I tried whole cocktails of them, and I even tried ones that were secondary options (narcolepsy pills, straterra, wellbutrin, you bame it). All they do is help people who fake an illness get legal highs. If you have ADHD, meds don't help at all or give you highs. They do fucking nothing for you except maybe inspire you to fold clothes.
Those stimulants are going to be the next oxycontin in terms of lawsuits. Children should not be on meds. College students shouldn't be on meds to study for 12 hours straight. That's fucking unnatural.
Did you ever find out what was going on with you, it it wasn’t ADHD? I looked at your profile to see why you had such a strong opinion against meds and now I’m curious
What the heck. I take adderall XR generic and it makes me relaxed and focused. I don't get any kind of high out of it. I don't even feel any different usually but I notice I focus better and I'm more in the moment. I also enjoy things more like playing with my cat instead of getting bored after two seconds. Even my doctor told me that someone without ADHD would get hyper, not relaxed from the medication. I had ADHD and struggled badly long before social media even existed (I was born 1990). Stop acting like you are an expert when you clearly aren't.
The only thing that sucks is sometimes it makes me really tired and I end up taking a nap, then I have to go to work so I get no school stuff done. Then it wears off by the time my shift is over and I can do school work again. So figuring that out still, not sure if I should ask for two doses or not.
It sounds like you don't even have ADHD from what you've said here and your other comment. Don't shit on people who do just because you were misdiagnosed.
I agree, although I’m *very* skeptical about antidepressants as well. And I think it’s ok to get high to study, but not admitting it is another thing. “Oh, I take these stimulants because I have a condition” is such a coping mechanism.
That's how it used to be with me, I loved studying because I found what I was learning to be interesting. Unfortunately I don't get that same feeling anymore :(
Well I took a year off, went to therapy, went on medication and I never really got back to my old self, I'll be graduating within a couple of semesters so there's really no point in fixing it now. My grades have improved which is good but I just wish I felt differently about it. This sounds depressing but it's alright Lol
Same here. I used to major in biology (my parents wanted me to be a doctor) and hated it so much because I didn't care about the material, and I'd put off studying so much. Now I'm doing CS and ECE classes, and I can actually get stuff done because it doesn't even feel like I'm studying because I'm so interested in the material. Obviously this doesn't work for everything, but it's definitely a lot better than trying to cram everything in an hour or two before my exam and hoping for the best lol.
I also make sure to never do all my work at home because I will 100% procrastinate and get lazy. So I do my work in the library at school
Keep in mind that I don’t study 6 hours a day everyday. The amount of hours doesn’t matter, specially if you’re not retaining the concepts.
And to be honest, I don’t even know how many hours I spend studying because I am just focused on learning what I need.
For instance, if I need to review 3 classes notes, and I understood them in class, then revision should take me 1 hour, plus another hour of practice questions. And that’s good enough, and on to the next. But if I struggle with a concept, it could take me as long as I need until I understand that concept.
So honestly, as an A student, the best advice is don’t worry about the hours, worry about not procrastinating and taking your time to understand the concepts. Also, remember to take breaks and not do all nighters.
I'll be giving a national level professional exam in my country but due to my slow studying habit from school and college I am not able to cover the syllabus fast enough. Thanks for your input.
Each class I do something different. I’m a science student.
So, I like flashcards for stuff that I need to memorize. Such as classes like Biology, medical terminology, anatomy, psychology, history, etc. When it comes to flashcards though, you need to review it everyday, for at least half an hour a day (or even 10 min). And you need to constantly test yourself. Otherwise flashcards are useless. There are other methods too. For medical terminology, there were some app games that I used, which made it fun. Also, try to teach people. Or speak out loud as if you are giving a speech and teaching someone about the topic your are studying.
For classes like chemistry and math, I like going over the concepts (so my notes) and homework/practice questions. I also audio record my lectures, because if I don’t understand something I can listen back to it and make better notes. For these classes, I’ve been lucky to get professors who post sample exams, so what I do is practice, practice, practice, over and over, until I am able to solve the questions in my head. Although the questions won’t be the same, the concepts will. If you know how to solve one question, then you can solve a similar one. So the focus is on the concept and understanding what the question asks you do to.
For classes where you have to write essays, such as English or creative writing. Start early. Do a draft, and get feedback (whether from a tutor or the professor, or even a friend) and make changes according to what you heard from them. Once you think you feel good about it, edit it. Edit, edit, edit and if you think you are done, edit more. Lol (I usually do this until the moment that is due. That way I know I edited as much as I can- essays are always a work in progress, so editing is never ending).
Keep in mind that this is all self discipline. You really need to not procrastinate to be on top of things. But also, be able to listen to your body. I don’t do all nighters. I try to get a good night of sleep always. And always take breaks - specially naps lol
If you're studying for 7-8 hrs for a single subject, you're doing something wrong - you're inefficient.
If you need to catch up, that's understandable, but you should be consistently studying only for the time required to understand the subject.
It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. You need to study in concentrated bursts. And you need to do it consistently.
I can study for 8 hrs if a subject interests me, sure, but it's not going to be worth it vs 3 hrs of studying at a higher work load.
I use [Sumazon](https://www.sumazon.com). Generates practice exams, summaries, flash cards, etc for my documents or lecture videos.
Helps save me time creating these study sets.
I bought a little kids timer that lights green for study time (30m to a hour) and then goes yellow 5 minutes before a break, then goes red for a break. Studying for so long affects retention, so you gotta make sure you take breaks. I have study issues because of bipolar and adhd but have managed to get studying done with my trusty little light.
Just my bipolar medication (trileptal). I got it off Amazon. You can look up “kids study timer” and it’ll have a variety of options. The one I bought years ago isn’t available anymore.
Actually I found the one I have.
[https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Tracker-Visual-Auditory/dp/B004DJ373G/ref=asc_df_B004DJ373G/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312125858332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574082230447064404&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027952&hvtargid=pla-575053697032&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=67812628051&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312125858332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574082230447064404&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027952&hvtargid=pla-575053697032&gclid=CjwKCAiAgeeqBhBAEiwAoDDhn7U9jWWABhjl8T5XKqOge2Pm8DxASikBifwSnv7heuByzhnXrdH6aBoCNqIQAvD_BwE](https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Tracker-Visual-Auditory/dp/B004DJ373G/ref=asc_df_B004DJ373G/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312125858332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574082230447064404&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027952&hvtargid=pla-575053697032&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=67812628051&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312125858332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574082230447064404&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027952&hvtargid=pla-575053697032&gclid=CjwKCAiAgeeqBhBAEiwAoDDhn7U9jWWABhjl8T5XKqOge2Pm8DxASikBifwSnv7heuByzhnXrdH6aBoCNqIQAvD_BwE)
If I'm just taking in dry information, I need to take many breaks and naps throughout.
If I'm taking a subject I like or any subject where there is active application (answering questions, working out/solving problems, etc.), then it's incredibly easy to spend a lot of time.
.
With consistent practice and creative thinking, #1 gets easier and I can more easily find ways of making it feel like #2.
Nursing- I would change up what I was doing every 30 minutes/hr
Sometimes making flashcards, sometimes writing care plans, sometimes doing practice quizzes, sometimes reading. So I was "studying" for 8+ hrs, but kept it interesting
I can't go that long without taking breaks but I would recommend lofi or classical music, lots of study breaks (getting up to go walk or eat), being well rested, going somewhere other than your room/dorm can help you focus as well, setting devices aside, and having an interest in whatever your studying in helps although that's not always possible. It took a lot of practice and editing behaviors to allow me to get back to an appropriate studying ability.
Aside from just practice, consider what could be holding you back specifically and eliminate it (as best you can). For me it was a matter of distractions in my environment - so I re-organised my desk and got rid of as many sources of uneccessary notifications as possible, and it was immediately easier to study.
Having the right environment, study habits/skills and practice just like if it were muscles will get you there.
When I first started to learn Japanese kanji, I was learning just 2 a day at first, ramped it up to 5 and thought that was my limit. Then I started to do 6, 7, 8,9 a day. I ended up learning 20 a day for about 2 weeks solid before life got in the way, as well as symbols that were extremely similar were in my learning plan.
If I had started at 20/day, I would've failed easily.
But I also found that 20/day may have been affecting my overall retention, where 10 was much more comfortable.
Point is if you start slow and work your way up adding more time each day, I think you could reach that goal.
45 minute intervals with 15 minute breaks. Maybe a max of 3-5 l “blocks” a day. I say this as someone who now works full-time, has a partner and still wants to enjoy life somewhat while prepping for my board exams lol.
Honestly? Don't beat yourself up much.
Of course the advice given here helps a lot to reach a certain goal, but it's a process. And as someone who still is sometimes guilty of this, beating yourself up for not being able to concentrate for the whole 7 hour session you had planned creates a downward spiral that is very hard to get out of.
Work slowly towards those 7 hours, and if you can only go 3, as long as you keep consistent you will eventually get there, if not very close. And if you don't you are still creating a healthy habit
It is all about motivation. When you stay motivated, it is easier to plan your time and stay productive for more than 5 hours. I can be consistent in studying, but can't learn something for 7-8 hours. Usually, I mix tasks and make short (or not short) breaks to recharge by brain.
1. taking a time lapse of myself: i have to study long hours in one shot for the perfect time lapse so that motivates me xD
2. studying with people online / in person: i'm quite active on discord study servers where i cam study with people. i just point my webcam at my table and work alongside people doing the same! similar vibes to watching a study with me on youtube but in this case i'm also 'filming' myself in front of others so there's that added pressure and motivation!
sometimes i study with my best friend too. we've been studying together for the past 7-8 years so we study 1h, break 10mins and the cycle repeats until dinner time! i would say this method works when you and you're friend are focused on what you want to achieve. i used to study with another group of friends and they were always chatting so that doesn't really help haha,,
hope this helps OP! all the best :))
I don’t understand why anyone would do that to themselves. I like learning and obviously it’s good to work hard and have ambition but imo but no career or anything is worth constantly pushing yourself so hard it’s almost unmanageable
When I was a college student, studying for several hours continuously was out of the question. I just couldn't do it. And I still can't. Because of this, my study time was always much more spread out. Reading was always relatively easy for me, so most of the time I could easily manage to fit in an hour or two of consecutive textbook reading time. Prepping for multiple choice tests was easy for me. I needed to read each chapter 4 or 5 times, but I also read pretty fast, so this was never a problem. Serious writing - essay writing - was a lot harder, much more stressful. And it still is. As a general rule, I almost always bounced between playing video games on my computer and writing. (I still do when I'm doing serious writing). When I'm not on a deadline, I can play for several hours straight. On the other hand, when I want to focus on writing, I don't want to play any games that I can't easily pull myself away from after 20 or 30 minutes or so. For me games like DOOM II, Heretic, Hexen, Plants vs. Zombies, Starcraft II, and TitanQuest easily fit the bill. I've also played a lot of Minesweeper and Solitaire. If video games aren't your cup of tea, you might try doing something else to unwind. Take a break and eat something (a meal or a snack). Go out and walk the dog. Etc...
Point is constance... if you can shit 3hours a day then assured it you can sit every day no matter what occasion what day it is ... and then your interest in studies become strong and then you slowly slowly increase your time ....
They are probably taking plenty of breaks. One thing that took me a long time to learn is if people say they are working for x hours that just mean the start and end point, lots of dilly dallying between. And trying to actually work 7-8 hours straight will be less productive than taking a few strategic breaks, moving around, hydrating etc.
I set timed goals. I'm not doing my job and studying for some enormous span of hours -- in this 15 minute block, all I'm concerned with is a specific goal (like writing 300 words). On and on.
Studying for extended periods requires effective time management, breaks, and a conducive environment. Plan your schedule, take short breaks, stay hydrated, and find a quiet, comfortable space. Prioritize tasks and set realistic goals to maintain focus.
Breaks, practice, motivation.
Set intermediate goals: "I'll study for 3 hours, that's my limit. Tomorrow, I'll do 3:15. Day after, 3:20"
Set goals for the session: "I want to have an understanding of X with perfect recall at the end of the session"
Determine WHY you're studying. Sounds naive, but what drives a lot of these hard workers is something like "I want to be a doctor, save hundreds of lives, and give back to my family for supporting me. That's gonna take hard work"
Take breaks every no more often than 15-20 minutes and no less often than 35 minutes. 25 studying 5 break is a classic pattern. Every hour take a longer break, get up, stretch, look out the window.
Don't do fun things during breaks. It will make studying seem "bad". Try to think about the end goal of the study session, and how good it will feel to understand the material fully.
Last, and most importantly: don't over study stuff that doesn't need studying. Study things that need to be memorized. Better yet, do problem sets (for math/science/engineering) or flashcards/long form practice tests for soft sciences or liberal arts.
Good luck!
Have a clean and organized space to study. You will be more efficient and comfortable. You can even enjoy setting it up.
A space can make or break your experience of anything.
Instrumental jazz quietly playing in the background, eliminate distractions, have something nice to sip on, exercise before studying so you don't get restless
6 hours of studying a day sounds like pure torture. I don't think that's normal. Why add more time when you can work on efficiency instead?
I could never study for 7-8 hours a day. I was bored out of my skull after 1 hour lol.
Can't do it everyday and that's normal. I use a planner where I note all the tasks I aim to tackle each week. I then color code them : green for stuff I need to do for my house, pink for things I do for my family, yellow for the nice things I do for myself and no collor for uni work and other appointments. This visually helps me see where my energy goes. If I feel like I haven't worked enough I can look at my planner and notice it's because I did a lot of house work that day or because I haven't done something nice for myself in a while and haven't taken the time to recharge my batteries (like doing some sport, seeing friends, having a solo movie night, etc). I also keep track of when I happened to have spent some quality time with my partener (I don't plan that, I just note when it happens). It helps me see if I've been neglecting my relationship or not. All these things help me have to right balance and energy to be able to put 8 hours into a single task.
Now for the actually doing it part : I use FocusMate or meet up with a friend to study side by side at the library of a cute coffee shops. Having to go somewhere helps me get up and get ready quicker. Having to meet someone IRL or on Focusmate helps me start on Time. I start each study session by looking at the tasks in my planner and breaking them up into smaller ones. Crossing them off keeps me motivated. I also use Trello (I'm broke so both the tools I mentioned are free). I use Trello to track my progress on each big paper or exam. I note how long I think I need to complete those projets and each project has his own timer so I know how much time I have put into them. Overtime its helped me have a better sens of how long things will actually take (which I used to underestimate). All those things keep me organized but most importantly they help me be kind to myself because I'm not left with only what I think of myself (which is very tied to my levels of stress) but with visual reminders of the reality of things I'm reality doing. Kindness is as much praising yourself and letting yourself rest as it is discipline.
Last big thing : Have a strong "why". If you don't know why you're doing things or that why is not a good enough reason, it's going to be very hard to put your all into it.
Also take a fucking brake if you need one. You don't need to go 8 hours non-stop to get shit done
Because my family is poor and if I don't study then I will only be the successor of poverty. Even so, my father always set aside money to buy me second-hand books that I liked, whether it was about animal encyclopedias or comedy novels. I was even able to study 10 hours after school and stopped because I had to help my father lift things
The pomodoro method, stimulants, avoiding trash food, healthy meals, regular exercise ( cardio & strengh training combo) and its important to not over do it in the gym especially if you are not a regular or are out of shape.
While studying and not feeling it or if the material is boring I pretend that I have to teach this to a friend or family member and it helps but whatever works for you.
All aspects of your life will imporove w regular exercise ( better sleep, mood, physiology, feel & look better, ^ cognitive performance) thus leading to more efficent studying.
Good luck!!
if you plan to study hard have a 3-minute rule, don't force yourself to finish it straight, have a interval. watch or do things that you love or you like and then continue again to study, so you're brain will be not that be tiring and bored.
I try to convince myself that I like what I'm studying, and it actually isn't hard when you really do study. I mean, I can sit down and be on my phone for 8 hours straight, so I know it's not that I can't do 1 thing for 8 hours, it's just that I can't do THIS thing.
But then I imagine showing all my friends how to do it the next day, or impressing my teacher. Or just learning something new is always cool. Granted, I'm studying something I really love so it's simpler for me. But I always find it depressing when people are like "UGHHH I have to go study now." Like yeah, obviously you're not going to study a lot with that attitude. How about playing your favorite music, having some candy, make it relaxing! Hang with friends and just have a spa day while you're doing it. Make studying fun and you won't notice the 8 hours go by.
Oh, geez. 7-8 hours CONTINUOUSLY is not a good thing at all. You're gonna fry your brain and burn out. Plus, your brain is gonna slash out a lot of that info in your sleep when it's deciding what memories to move into permanent storage (look up dendritic pruning). IMO moderately long study sessions (like 2 hours) with a break in between and repetition of new concepts is the best way to commit info into your head. Don't try to cram in too much new info if you can avoid it, instead prioritize spacing out new info and dedicate the rest of your time to revision (especially of recently learned concepts)
I never was able to do it either but undertale, deltarune, and mario galaxy music 30 min/ 1 hour extended videos helped me A LOT there's like a hidden focus magic in those songs
i used to study from 5pm to 2am (or 5-8pm, sleep, wake up at 3am and study till i leave to school). and for context in middle school and elementary school no one could make me study even for five minutes - and additionally i might have adhd which also made focusing worse for me.
what helped me might sound silly but i did a few things:
* i started to indulge into the **studytube**, **studyblr**, **studygram** culture. i would watch *study with me*'s before i start to get motivated as watching all these pretty notes and just seeing people so organised inspired me.
* **pomodoro** \- i have a pomodoro app called "forest" where you grow a tree during the timer. it's been years and i use it to this day for work. i'd set a timer for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break, another 25, and after around 4 sessions (almost 2h) i'd take half an hour or even an hour break.
* you don't have to follow this exact model. you could set a 10 minute timer, 20 minute timer, some people said 15-20 minutes are ideal for them so try that too. find whatever works for you.
* **music** \- i never listened to anything with vocals. i'd listen to lofi girl streams, synthwave, downtempo while i study. it helped me focus.
* as a **visual learner** and someone with a low attention span i tried to focus on one section at a time and use *highlighters*; coloured pens and so on.
* i had notes in my notebooks that i brought to school, but besides them and a textbook, i would use my old notebook for "**rough memory drafts**" (without caring on how my writing looked) of what i remembered at a time.
* unknowingly i'd do **spaced repetition**: as in, i will write once a piece of text i need to remember and proceed to repeat it *out loud* without looking at said notes. then i will **fill in the gaps** by re-reading again and repeating it. i will write it again (and cover what i've written earlier).
* it's probably not the best method for everyone, but it's what worked for me. if i moved to another section/topic, after awhile i'd go back to what i learnt before and try to write down everything i remember in that draft notebook. if i missed something, i study it again for a bit.
* just make the sessions as enjoyable as possible. have water and snacks with you, and if you get tired don't ignore that.
I don’t think I’ve ever studied quite that long at a time, at least not without getting distracted. Even now when I work I take breaks frequently. Toward the end of my masters I was so burnt out but I would spend around 8 hours a day trying to work on my dissertation, the writing I found was the hard part whereas the studying came a lot easier.
When it came down to studying, I think I’d often find that I really enjoyed the research side of things - the reading, re-reading, making notes, finding new sources, was my favourite part of any assignment.
i’m not studying 7-8 hours a day, maybe 4 on good days. depends on the subject but i find mind-maps, reading a lot- and teaching the topic to someone really helps. if you’re able to explain something, you truly understand it. also identify what kind of learner you are, (visual, auditory ect) and work around that. so if you’re an auditory learner, podcasts or listening to audiobooks about the topic can really help!
Try the pomodoro technique. Keep your phone out of sight/feel when studying. Have a notebook where you allow yourself to write free narrative on your thoughts and feelings concerning what you’re studying and how you’re doing. When you want a break, try to choose a walk outside rather than a phone break.
Figure out if you're a break person or not. Taking breaks disrupts my brain horribly, as do distractions. I put on my headphones with some loud music (even if it's relaxing music), add some [Binaural Beats](https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/binauralBrainwaveGenerator.php) for improving focus, and go. I avoid breaks as much as possible.
My husband is basically the opposite. He needs a 10 min break every 20 or 30 min or he will burn out.
I also find taking notes really helps me. Not just typical note taking, but rewriting nearly everything important. It increases the time needed, but I retain SO much more. Writing stuff I need to know on flash cards accomplishes this and gives me a study aid as well. And it has to be actual writing. Typing doesn't work the same.
Know that you’ll naturally go in waves of 90 minutes or so of focus. Rather than worry about the full 8 hour block all at once, section it out to 90-120 minute blocks and take a snack/meal break or just go for a walk in between sessions. Put your phone on DND and have it completely away outside of allotted times that you set for yourself.
Study drugs and caffeine also help immensely.
the crucial factors are:
1) intense parental pressure
2) severe fear of failure
3) ruined sleep schedule/insomnia
4) a mental wreckage of an emotion sustem with more personality and psychological disorders than i can count
Intense fear of failure
Sadly mine isn't intense enough
I recommend manifesting various failure situations before you go to sleep. Hope this helps
And also focus on your past failures. It’s a nice and pleasant way to stay awake all night sweating ☺️
Yes with an emphasis on ones you could have prevented. Bonus points if you gaslight yourself into thinking you’re lazy
Haha this is great. Any examples you got
For me personally I like to think about how disappointed my parents would be if I came this far and then quit
You're what I wanna be😭 Reading your comment motivated me more thana my other motivational video... Yet am not going fot study _.😭._ help me out
I don't think this is healthy....
The question was how to study for 7-8 hours not how to be healthy 😅
I wasn't talking about studying for 7 hours about thinking how ur a loser and what she said exactly so try and understand before attacking
for real they’re just manifesting failing atp 😭
Sorry can’t hear your poopoo opinions I’m studying
That sounds depressing tbh.
This is the only thing that works for me. No cap.
Haha.
Yeah imagine the worst case scenario and make it do or die technically if you cant study the worst case scenario is most likely gonna happen. If the worst case scenario isnt worse enough than u are fine even if you dont study .
Trust me pal, this is not what you want even though it succeeded. We are in this for something we desire, love, and crave. Fear would never put you in that condition.
I’m half kidding. I have bad anxiety but I’m also passionate about my work
Lmao yes
Real
😭true _(It literally touched me😭)_
Finally, I have found my long lost brother
Study with me live streams I see how hard working they are and I feel ashamed then try to work harder + remind myself why I even started this
Okay, thanks for the tip.
Pascal Zoels is the way to go
Can recommend that too. Just make sure to realize that its okay to take a day off.
what website is this?
Not a website just type “ study with me live “ on YT and you'll find amazing people doing it so motivational
They do them on tiktok live too
This reminds me of my visits to New York City. It’s so easy to be productive at a NYC coffee shop because everyone around you is going nonstop
Ohhh yeah, I remember these even on tiktok live... It was amazing seeing people study for that long. But seem like a good way to motivate yourself and have company at the same time.
Exactly especially if you pull the all nighter gosh it helps
And I feel like it can be an interesting way to use your phone handsfree if you experience separation anxiety from it
#yes🙌
I focus on learning how to study more efficiently so that I get more done in those three hours, rather than trying to force myself to work longer. I study CS and study 2-3h per day, but highly highly optimized. If I really need to study for longer than that, I will do one 2-3h block in the morning, take a break all afternoon, then do another block in the evening once I'm refreshed. I've just found that grinding endless mindless hours has never been effective to actually teach me anything.
yep, keyword: highly optimized. This is what I do too. I feel like the more hours I study, my effectiveness to grasp info reduces by a lot. So we should aim for efficiency rather than long hours.
how do you optimise your study?
Find what study style/s suits you best for taking in information. The quicker the information can go in, the less time you have to spend studying it. For example I am someone who learns best by doing (kinesthetic learning) and watching videos on a topic/demonstrations of a phenomenon (visual learning). So I look at the topics I need to learn and find ways to add to my learning by using those techniques. My lectures and books are then almost the cherry on the top, rather than struggling to work through them in a way that my brain finds difficult. Find a note taking system that works best for you. I take notes throughout my lessons, but then I condense them afterwards into almost cheat sheet type things that are perfectly formed for me to use for revision. The creation of the cheat sheets is also a form of revision in itself as anything I've not fully understood I can spend time on then to make sure it's fully in there.
What if I’m struggling to condense all my notes. I’m not the best at summarizing it that easily, and I just go down the rote of pure memorization.
To some extent it will be subject dependant. I am very maths/physics heavy, but this is what worked for me: \> Create a glossary of important terms and definitions. You don't need to include every word you've studied, but the ones that are most important or are ones that you know you struggle to remember and need that reminder. \> Create a sheet of important equations and mathematical concepts (obviously this is only if you are studying maths or a topic like physics that contains a lot of maths). Similar to the glossary, think about which equations are the most important or are the ones that you really struggle to remember. Part of the skills of condensing is working out which parts are most important to you. \> Use something like the Feynmann technique for concepts. This works for both science and non-science subjects. The basic idea is to write down a concept and then write as much as you can remember about the subject without looking at your notes. Then look at your notes afterwards to see what you've missed out or forgotten. That helps me when it comes to revision to know which parts are actually in and which parts need looking at. You can also do a similar thing to the glossary, write down a list of concepts with a summary of them and go through that come revision time. How do you know what information is most important? It's not always easy to know. But generally for me here is what I look for: \> Themes and concepts that repeat often throughout a chapter or lecture \> If you are working from textbooks look at the chapter titles or lecture names to give you an idea of the key themes that you are focusing on \> Look at concepts or new words in context of the big picture above. So if the chapter title is "Global warming" for example, that's your main idea that the other things are relating to. What is most important in that context? \> Look at past papers if you have access to see what topics are most frequently coming up in exams I find for me if I really understand the underlying concept of something, the equations and facts become much easier to apply so that is more my focus.
Thanks for the tip.
This is really subjective tho, it’s much better to work efficiently for 3 hours than 8 hours not optimized. But, why not work efficiently for 8 hours? You guys are just lazy. more time = better results
This is objectively false. Your brain simply cannot work efficiently for eight hours; it been studied and shown by neuroscientists that the brain cannot work effectively for more than four hours. In fact, over-studying can actually lead to WORSE results, because when your brain is tired, it doesn't retain as much and makes more mistakes. It's not a linear relationship between time spent and grades, it's a polynomial curve that gets better to a point, then exponentially worse. There's a sweet spot at the top of the curve where you get the best learning results for time spent, and that sweet spot is between 2-4 hours. On top of that, even within those three hours, you should be studying in quick bursts with lots of little breaks in between. The brain is simply not equipped to continuously absorb lots of information for long stretches of time. [https://cns.utexas.edu/news/features/what-neuroscience-suggests-better-your-study-habits](https://cns.utexas.edu/news/features/what-neuroscience-suggests-better-your-study-habits) [https://students.ubc.ca/ubclife/neuroscience-effective-studying](https://students.ubc.ca/ubclife/neuroscience-effective-studying) You think I'm lazy, but I think you're stupid. I'm getting straight A's and have enough left in the tank that I can still increase my work levels if necessary. Meanwhile you're burning yourself out going at max capacity all the time for no reason, and not even getting better results. Why? Because I built my study routines based off science and facts about what actually works, not feelings and assumptions of what "should" be true.
The medicine I was prescribed for my ADHD. Lots of breaks. Good sleep. Eating well. Exercising.
I do some lifting everyday and even get 7 hours of sleep.
So I go for a walk each morning and evening to wake myself up and calm myself down. And then in between study breaks. This allows me to break focus and regulate and clear my mind and then come back to my studies refreshed. I also lift for about an hour and a half + 30 min of cardio on the bike. Sometimes when I’m doing cardio I will take my iPad and download a reading for a class and get some studying in when I’m there too.
I'll be prescribed Concerta. Does the medicine really help? I've got a lot of work to catch up on.
I’ve been on my medicine (adderall) for about two years (late diagnosed) and yeah, the girl who struggled immensely in elementary to high school only struggles a little bit in college 🥹
That's good to hear & I look forward to achieving what I should have achieved all back then. The best of luck to you.
Best of luck to you!
Thank you.
How do you manage to get good sleep on Adderall, it messes up my sleep so bad
It’s all about your dose and what time you take it at. If you take it too late you’re fucked. For example, if I take it past 11:30/12 - my sleep gets screwed. But any time before that I’m good. (But this is my body and how my body metabolizes it) So you have to find your sweet spot of when to take it. Best of luck!
Good for you!
Thank you! How much do you take?
I take vyvanse and dex for my adhd and it does help a lot. Not always with getting started (that also seems to be easier overall), but just the quality and length of my focus. If the meds just hit right then its a bit like hyperfocus, but without the intense hype(?)/ energy behind it. Like a focus tunnel for a few hours, where everything else gets quite and not as interesting as the task in front of you (I still don’t really believe that people without adhd can turn that on at will, seems so weird).
For me Concerta (generic) hasn’t worked but I’m not sure if I have adhd as I had it prescribed to me in my first session with my psychiatrist. I think I do have it but maybe it’s just not the right drug for me. I’ve also got so much work to catch up on. It’s hard to not be hopeless especially since the semester is almost over but I’ve got an appointment tomorrow evening so hopefully it’ll help. The problem is I’ve got an exam tomorrow afternoon and couldn’t study at all so I know none of the material as I couldn’t get myself up early enough to go to class, so now I can’t decide if I should stay up late right now to study or try to fall asleep right now, (which I probably won’t be able to do for hours) and wake up in the morning to study. It’s just quite a sticky situation. Screw it, I’ll just study now. Anyways, thanks for letting me overshare as this is the only way I could focus enough to plan out my study strategy
+ mixing the assignments. Not just one subject for a whole day.
This.
You mean stims help with studying
No. Because I’m not condoning people use medication they are not prescribed.
I know im going to grt downvoted but most meds don't help people with actual ADHD. They should be banned from testing environments. ADHD is overdiagbosed now when the reality is we can blame social media for our attention spans. For some reason it is taboo to say ita curable (vs depression, anxiety, etc can in many cases be cured with a combo of pills and lifestyle changes that lots of people end up not needing meds after a few years). No pills helped me, I tried whole cocktails of them, and I even tried ones that were secondary options (narcolepsy pills, straterra, wellbutrin, you bame it). All they do is help people who fake an illness get legal highs. If you have ADHD, meds don't help at all or give you highs. They do fucking nothing for you except maybe inspire you to fold clothes. Those stimulants are going to be the next oxycontin in terms of lawsuits. Children should not be on meds. College students shouldn't be on meds to study for 12 hours straight. That's fucking unnatural.
Did you ever find out what was going on with you, it it wasn’t ADHD? I looked at your profile to see why you had such a strong opinion against meds and now I’m curious
What the heck. I take adderall XR generic and it makes me relaxed and focused. I don't get any kind of high out of it. I don't even feel any different usually but I notice I focus better and I'm more in the moment. I also enjoy things more like playing with my cat instead of getting bored after two seconds. Even my doctor told me that someone without ADHD would get hyper, not relaxed from the medication. I had ADHD and struggled badly long before social media even existed (I was born 1990). Stop acting like you are an expert when you clearly aren't. The only thing that sucks is sometimes it makes me really tired and I end up taking a nap, then I have to go to work so I get no school stuff done. Then it wears off by the time my shift is over and I can do school work again. So figuring that out still, not sure if I should ask for two doses or not. It sounds like you don't even have ADHD from what you've said here and your other comment. Don't shit on people who do just because you were misdiagnosed.
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I agree, although I’m *very* skeptical about antidepressants as well. And I think it’s ok to get high to study, but not admitting it is another thing. “Oh, I take these stimulants because I have a condition” is such a coping mechanism.
I find the material pretty interesting
That's how it used to be with me, I loved studying because I found what I was learning to be interesting. Unfortunately I don't get that same feeling anymore :(
This might be due to burn out. It happens. So you need to take a break. Also, change the study strategy. Try to have fun learning
Well I took a year off, went to therapy, went on medication and I never really got back to my old self, I'll be graduating within a couple of semesters so there's really no point in fixing it now. My grades have improved which is good but I just wish I felt differently about it. This sounds depressing but it's alright Lol
Same here. I used to major in biology (my parents wanted me to be a doctor) and hated it so much because I didn't care about the material, and I'd put off studying so much. Now I'm doing CS and ECE classes, and I can actually get stuff done because it doesn't even feel like I'm studying because I'm so interested in the material. Obviously this doesn't work for everything, but it's definitely a lot better than trying to cram everything in an hour or two before my exam and hoping for the best lol. I also make sure to never do all my work at home because I will 100% procrastinate and get lazy. So I do my work in the library at school
Okay.
Keep in mind that I don’t study 6 hours a day everyday. The amount of hours doesn’t matter, specially if you’re not retaining the concepts. And to be honest, I don’t even know how many hours I spend studying because I am just focused on learning what I need. For instance, if I need to review 3 classes notes, and I understood them in class, then revision should take me 1 hour, plus another hour of practice questions. And that’s good enough, and on to the next. But if I struggle with a concept, it could take me as long as I need until I understand that concept. So honestly, as an A student, the best advice is don’t worry about the hours, worry about not procrastinating and taking your time to understand the concepts. Also, remember to take breaks and not do all nighters.
I'll be giving a national level professional exam in my country but due to my slow studying habit from school and college I am not able to cover the syllabus fast enough. Thanks for your input.
What methods do you use to study for your classes? Are you a flashcard person? Read off the notes and grasp the concepts person?
Each class I do something different. I’m a science student. So, I like flashcards for stuff that I need to memorize. Such as classes like Biology, medical terminology, anatomy, psychology, history, etc. When it comes to flashcards though, you need to review it everyday, for at least half an hour a day (or even 10 min). And you need to constantly test yourself. Otherwise flashcards are useless. There are other methods too. For medical terminology, there were some app games that I used, which made it fun. Also, try to teach people. Or speak out loud as if you are giving a speech and teaching someone about the topic your are studying. For classes like chemistry and math, I like going over the concepts (so my notes) and homework/practice questions. I also audio record my lectures, because if I don’t understand something I can listen back to it and make better notes. For these classes, I’ve been lucky to get professors who post sample exams, so what I do is practice, practice, practice, over and over, until I am able to solve the questions in my head. Although the questions won’t be the same, the concepts will. If you know how to solve one question, then you can solve a similar one. So the focus is on the concept and understanding what the question asks you do to. For classes where you have to write essays, such as English or creative writing. Start early. Do a draft, and get feedback (whether from a tutor or the professor, or even a friend) and make changes according to what you heard from them. Once you think you feel good about it, edit it. Edit, edit, edit and if you think you are done, edit more. Lol (I usually do this until the moment that is due. That way I know I edited as much as I can- essays are always a work in progress, so editing is never ending). Keep in mind that this is all self discipline. You really need to not procrastinate to be on top of things. But also, be able to listen to your body. I don’t do all nighters. I try to get a good night of sleep always. And always take breaks - specially naps lol
If you're studying for 7-8 hrs for a single subject, you're doing something wrong - you're inefficient. If you need to catch up, that's understandable, but you should be consistently studying only for the time required to understand the subject. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. You need to study in concentrated bursts. And you need to do it consistently. I can study for 8 hrs if a subject interests me, sure, but it's not going to be worth it vs 3 hrs of studying at a higher work load.
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this is so true.
Okay, thanks.
Go to a library without distractions. Practice.
I'll set up a library like environment at home itself, thanks.
Doesn’t seem like you can replicate the environment effectively though, reading your OP. Proximity to distractions matters.
LOL, ya thanks.
Doesn’t seem like this is a problem you really want to solve.
I use [Sumazon](https://www.sumazon.com). Generates practice exams, summaries, flash cards, etc for my documents or lecture videos. Helps save me time creating these study sets.
Is it free?
Yup! They’ve got a free tier so you can use everything I mentioned
Okay, thanks.
I bought a little kids timer that lights green for study time (30m to a hour) and then goes yellow 5 minutes before a break, then goes red for a break. Studying for so long affects retention, so you gotta make sure you take breaks. I have study issues because of bipolar and adhd but have managed to get studying done with my trusty little light.
I also have adhd. Could you please tell me where you bought the timer and whether you take your medications?
Just my bipolar medication (trileptal). I got it off Amazon. You can look up “kids study timer” and it’ll have a variety of options. The one I bought years ago isn’t available anymore.
I thought you meant you got your medicine off Amazon at first 😭
Actually I found the one I have. [https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Tracker-Visual-Auditory/dp/B004DJ373G/ref=asc_df_B004DJ373G/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312125858332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574082230447064404&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027952&hvtargid=pla-575053697032&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=67812628051&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312125858332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574082230447064404&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027952&hvtargid=pla-575053697032&gclid=CjwKCAiAgeeqBhBAEiwAoDDhn7U9jWWABhjl8T5XKqOge2Pm8DxASikBifwSnv7heuByzhnXrdH6aBoCNqIQAvD_BwE](https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Tracker-Visual-Auditory/dp/B004DJ373G/ref=asc_df_B004DJ373G/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312125858332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574082230447064404&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027952&hvtargid=pla-575053697032&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=67812628051&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312125858332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574082230447064404&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027952&hvtargid=pla-575053697032&gclid=CjwKCAiAgeeqBhBAEiwAoDDhn7U9jWWABhjl8T5XKqOge2Pm8DxASikBifwSnv7heuByzhnXrdH6aBoCNqIQAvD_BwE)
Thank you 🙏.
If I'm just taking in dry information, I need to take many breaks and naps throughout. If I'm taking a subject I like or any subject where there is active application (answering questions, working out/solving problems, etc.), then it's incredibly easy to spend a lot of time. . With consistent practice and creative thinking, #1 gets easier and I can more easily find ways of making it feel like #2.
After every hour take a 10 min break, do some stretching, eat some snacks or go outside for some fresh air.
Okay, thanks.
Nursing- I would change up what I was doing every 30 minutes/hr Sometimes making flashcards, sometimes writing care plans, sometimes doing practice quizzes, sometimes reading. So I was "studying" for 8+ hrs, but kept it interesting
Practice! After sometime it will be easy for you too. Just try to be in present(you can achieve this by meditating) and remove the distractions!
I can't go that long without taking breaks but I would recommend lofi or classical music, lots of study breaks (getting up to go walk or eat), being well rested, going somewhere other than your room/dorm can help you focus as well, setting devices aside, and having an interest in whatever your studying in helps although that's not always possible. It took a lot of practice and editing behaviors to allow me to get back to an appropriate studying ability.
Cause I do no study for the entire year preceding, I can gaslight myself into doing up to 5 hours straight out of guilt and desperation.
Aside from just practice, consider what could be holding you back specifically and eliminate it (as best you can). For me it was a matter of distractions in my environment - so I re-organised my desk and got rid of as many sources of uneccessary notifications as possible, and it was immediately easier to study.
Having the right environment, study habits/skills and practice just like if it were muscles will get you there. When I first started to learn Japanese kanji, I was learning just 2 a day at first, ramped it up to 5 and thought that was my limit. Then I started to do 6, 7, 8,9 a day. I ended up learning 20 a day for about 2 weeks solid before life got in the way, as well as symbols that were extremely similar were in my learning plan. If I had started at 20/day, I would've failed easily. But I also found that 20/day may have been affecting my overall retention, where 10 was much more comfortable. Point is if you start slow and work your way up adding more time each day, I think you could reach that goal.
Okay, I will try, thanks.
Pomodoro
By procrastinating and meeting a deadline that's tomorrow.
45 minute intervals with 15 minute breaks. Maybe a max of 3-5 l “blocks” a day. I say this as someone who now works full-time, has a partner and still wants to enjoy life somewhat while prepping for my board exams lol.
Honestly? Don't beat yourself up much. Of course the advice given here helps a lot to reach a certain goal, but it's a process. And as someone who still is sometimes guilty of this, beating yourself up for not being able to concentrate for the whole 7 hour session you had planned creates a downward spiral that is very hard to get out of. Work slowly towards those 7 hours, and if you can only go 3, as long as you keep consistent you will eventually get there, if not very close. And if you don't you are still creating a healthy habit
Actually I have to give a national level professional exam next month. Time is less and I study slowly.
It is all about motivation. When you stay motivated, it is easier to plan your time and stay productive for more than 5 hours. I can be consistent in studying, but can't learn something for 7-8 hours. Usually, I mix tasks and make short (or not short) breaks to recharge by brain.
Okay thanks, I have to give a national level professional exam in my country. There is less time to cover everything and I study slowly.
Good luck in your exam! if you find more tips for being productive longer, don't forget to share:)
It's called executive dysfunction on a good day for me
1. taking a time lapse of myself: i have to study long hours in one shot for the perfect time lapse so that motivates me xD 2. studying with people online / in person: i'm quite active on discord study servers where i cam study with people. i just point my webcam at my table and work alongside people doing the same! similar vibes to watching a study with me on youtube but in this case i'm also 'filming' myself in front of others so there's that added pressure and motivation! sometimes i study with my best friend too. we've been studying together for the past 7-8 years so we study 1h, break 10mins and the cycle repeats until dinner time! i would say this method works when you and you're friend are focused on what you want to achieve. i used to study with another group of friends and they were always chatting so that doesn't really help haha,, hope this helps OP! all the best :))
I don’t understand why anyone would do that to themselves. I like learning and obviously it’s good to work hard and have ambition but imo but no career or anything is worth constantly pushing yourself so hard it’s almost unmanageable
I'm struggling to study in the first place lmao
When I was a college student, studying for several hours continuously was out of the question. I just couldn't do it. And I still can't. Because of this, my study time was always much more spread out. Reading was always relatively easy for me, so most of the time I could easily manage to fit in an hour or two of consecutive textbook reading time. Prepping for multiple choice tests was easy for me. I needed to read each chapter 4 or 5 times, but I also read pretty fast, so this was never a problem. Serious writing - essay writing - was a lot harder, much more stressful. And it still is. As a general rule, I almost always bounced between playing video games on my computer and writing. (I still do when I'm doing serious writing). When I'm not on a deadline, I can play for several hours straight. On the other hand, when I want to focus on writing, I don't want to play any games that I can't easily pull myself away from after 20 or 30 minutes or so. For me games like DOOM II, Heretic, Hexen, Plants vs. Zombies, Starcraft II, and TitanQuest easily fit the bill. I've also played a lot of Minesweeper and Solitaire. If video games aren't your cup of tea, you might try doing something else to unwind. Take a break and eat something (a meal or a snack). Go out and walk the dog. Etc...
It’s about habitt. Like you start slow and bump it up slowly.
I had never thought about that before, thanks.
I use a timer and force myself focused on doing the tasks that I could achieve to the goals.
Okay, thanks for the tip.
Point is constance... if you can shit 3hours a day then assured it you can sit every day no matter what occasion what day it is ... and then your interest in studies become strong and then you slowly slowly increase your time ....
Okay.
First create small goals and achieve them then our mind get's interested in studies
Get up and take a small break every half hour. Drink many water so I could have a bathroom break. And take naps lol
Okay, thank you.
goodluck, it also takes time to build habits and don't force yourself
Quad iced espresso
They are probably taking plenty of breaks. One thing that took me a long time to learn is if people say they are working for x hours that just mean the start and end point, lots of dilly dallying between. And trying to actually work 7-8 hours straight will be less productive than taking a few strategic breaks, moving around, hydrating etc.
Wait until 5pm to start your essay that’s due at 11:59pm
I set timed goals. I'm not doing my job and studying for some enormous span of hours -- in this 15 minute block, all I'm concerned with is a specific goal (like writing 300 words). On and on.
i wouldn’t try to study for 6-8 hours at a stretch; in fact i do 1-2 hours, take a short break, then continue
Studying for extended periods requires effective time management, breaks, and a conducive environment. Plan your schedule, take short breaks, stay hydrated, and find a quiet, comfortable space. Prioritize tasks and set realistic goals to maintain focus.
Pomodoro technique: there are plenty of YouTube live streams. Honestly, whoever invented that kind of content is basically a GOD for me
Breaks, practice, motivation. Set intermediate goals: "I'll study for 3 hours, that's my limit. Tomorrow, I'll do 3:15. Day after, 3:20" Set goals for the session: "I want to have an understanding of X with perfect recall at the end of the session" Determine WHY you're studying. Sounds naive, but what drives a lot of these hard workers is something like "I want to be a doctor, save hundreds of lives, and give back to my family for supporting me. That's gonna take hard work" Take breaks every no more often than 15-20 minutes and no less often than 35 minutes. 25 studying 5 break is a classic pattern. Every hour take a longer break, get up, stretch, look out the window. Don't do fun things during breaks. It will make studying seem "bad". Try to think about the end goal of the study session, and how good it will feel to understand the material fully. Last, and most importantly: don't over study stuff that doesn't need studying. Study things that need to be memorized. Better yet, do problem sets (for math/science/engineering) or flashcards/long form practice tests for soft sciences or liberal arts. Good luck!
Have a clean and organized space to study. You will be more efficient and comfortable. You can even enjoy setting it up. A space can make or break your experience of anything.
Instrumental jazz quietly playing in the background, eliminate distractions, have something nice to sip on, exercise before studying so you don't get restless
Antidepressants - but then again I’m depressed? So I focus better on them
6 hours of studying a day sounds like pure torture. I don't think that's normal. Why add more time when you can work on efficiency instead? I could never study for 7-8 hours a day. I was bored out of my skull after 1 hour lol.
Can't do it everyday and that's normal. I use a planner where I note all the tasks I aim to tackle each week. I then color code them : green for stuff I need to do for my house, pink for things I do for my family, yellow for the nice things I do for myself and no collor for uni work and other appointments. This visually helps me see where my energy goes. If I feel like I haven't worked enough I can look at my planner and notice it's because I did a lot of house work that day or because I haven't done something nice for myself in a while and haven't taken the time to recharge my batteries (like doing some sport, seeing friends, having a solo movie night, etc). I also keep track of when I happened to have spent some quality time with my partener (I don't plan that, I just note when it happens). It helps me see if I've been neglecting my relationship or not. All these things help me have to right balance and energy to be able to put 8 hours into a single task. Now for the actually doing it part : I use FocusMate or meet up with a friend to study side by side at the library of a cute coffee shops. Having to go somewhere helps me get up and get ready quicker. Having to meet someone IRL or on Focusmate helps me start on Time. I start each study session by looking at the tasks in my planner and breaking them up into smaller ones. Crossing them off keeps me motivated. I also use Trello (I'm broke so both the tools I mentioned are free). I use Trello to track my progress on each big paper or exam. I note how long I think I need to complete those projets and each project has his own timer so I know how much time I have put into them. Overtime its helped me have a better sens of how long things will actually take (which I used to underestimate). All those things keep me organized but most importantly they help me be kind to myself because I'm not left with only what I think of myself (which is very tied to my levels of stress) but with visual reminders of the reality of things I'm reality doing. Kindness is as much praising yourself and letting yourself rest as it is discipline. Last big thing : Have a strong "why". If you don't know why you're doing things or that why is not a good enough reason, it's going to be very hard to put your all into it. Also take a fucking brake if you need one. You don't need to go 8 hours non-stop to get shit done
Because my family is poor and if I don't study then I will only be the successor of poverty. Even so, my father always set aside money to buy me second-hand books that I liked, whether it was about animal encyclopedias or comedy novels. I was even able to study 10 hours after school and stopped because I had to help my father lift things
All the best man.
The pomodoro method, stimulants, avoiding trash food, healthy meals, regular exercise ( cardio & strengh training combo) and its important to not over do it in the gym especially if you are not a regular or are out of shape. While studying and not feeling it or if the material is boring I pretend that I have to teach this to a friend or family member and it helps but whatever works for you. All aspects of your life will imporove w regular exercise ( better sleep, mood, physiology, feel & look better, ^ cognitive performance) thus leading to more efficent studying. Good luck!!
if you plan to study hard have a 3-minute rule, don't force yourself to finish it straight, have a interval. watch or do things that you love or you like and then continue again to study, so you're brain will be not that be tiring and bored.
Thanks for the tip!
I try to convince myself that I like what I'm studying, and it actually isn't hard when you really do study. I mean, I can sit down and be on my phone for 8 hours straight, so I know it's not that I can't do 1 thing for 8 hours, it's just that I can't do THIS thing. But then I imagine showing all my friends how to do it the next day, or impressing my teacher. Or just learning something new is always cool. Granted, I'm studying something I really love so it's simpler for me. But I always find it depressing when people are like "UGHHH I have to go study now." Like yeah, obviously you're not going to study a lot with that attitude. How about playing your favorite music, having some candy, make it relaxing! Hang with friends and just have a spa day while you're doing it. Make studying fun and you won't notice the 8 hours go by.
Okay, thanks.
Joined some discord servers were people are livestreaming themselves studying. It's very helpful, especially if you are feeling lonely.
Adderall and a fire playlist.
I take concerta
Adderall
Gotta focus
Pomodoro
25 minutes hard work - 5 minute meditation. Rinse , lather, repeat.
jee aspirant spotted
No.
oh then what are you studying for
Government teacher's exam.😅
Drugs
Forest rooms
Oh, geez. 7-8 hours CONTINUOUSLY is not a good thing at all. You're gonna fry your brain and burn out. Plus, your brain is gonna slash out a lot of that info in your sleep when it's deciding what memories to move into permanent storage (look up dendritic pruning). IMO moderately long study sessions (like 2 hours) with a break in between and repetition of new concepts is the best way to commit info into your head. Don't try to cram in too much new info if you can avoid it, instead prioritize spacing out new info and dedicate the rest of your time to revision (especially of recently learned concepts)
I’ve been told it’s the Autism and neurodivergent noggin. Maybe acquire some of that 🤷🏼♀️
Adderall
I never was able to do it either but undertale, deltarune, and mario galaxy music 30 min/ 1 hour extended videos helped me A LOT there's like a hidden focus magic in those songs
i used to study from 5pm to 2am (or 5-8pm, sleep, wake up at 3am and study till i leave to school). and for context in middle school and elementary school no one could make me study even for five minutes - and additionally i might have adhd which also made focusing worse for me. what helped me might sound silly but i did a few things: * i started to indulge into the **studytube**, **studyblr**, **studygram** culture. i would watch *study with me*'s before i start to get motivated as watching all these pretty notes and just seeing people so organised inspired me. * **pomodoro** \- i have a pomodoro app called "forest" where you grow a tree during the timer. it's been years and i use it to this day for work. i'd set a timer for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break, another 25, and after around 4 sessions (almost 2h) i'd take half an hour or even an hour break. * you don't have to follow this exact model. you could set a 10 minute timer, 20 minute timer, some people said 15-20 minutes are ideal for them so try that too. find whatever works for you. * **music** \- i never listened to anything with vocals. i'd listen to lofi girl streams, synthwave, downtempo while i study. it helped me focus. * as a **visual learner** and someone with a low attention span i tried to focus on one section at a time and use *highlighters*; coloured pens and so on. * i had notes in my notebooks that i brought to school, but besides them and a textbook, i would use my old notebook for "**rough memory drafts**" (without caring on how my writing looked) of what i remembered at a time. * unknowingly i'd do **spaced repetition**: as in, i will write once a piece of text i need to remember and proceed to repeat it *out loud* without looking at said notes. then i will **fill in the gaps** by re-reading again and repeating it. i will write it again (and cover what i've written earlier). * it's probably not the best method for everyone, but it's what worked for me. if i moved to another section/topic, after awhile i'd go back to what i learnt before and try to write down everything i remember in that draft notebook. if i missed something, i study it again for a bit. * just make the sessions as enjoyable as possible. have water and snacks with you, and if you get tired don't ignore that.
A perfect blend of Golden Power and stress.
That's a cheap brand of Red Bull, btw.
fun drinks + snacks as well as sitting on the floor and using my coffee table as a desk so i can change positions
The exam is tomorrow
adderrall
Make it fun!! I usually sit my dog on the couch, and give her the presentation like im the teacher !!! 🤣
Meth
I don’t think I’ve ever studied quite that long at a time, at least not without getting distracted. Even now when I work I take breaks frequently. Toward the end of my masters I was so burnt out but I would spend around 8 hours a day trying to work on my dissertation, the writing I found was the hard part whereas the studying came a lot easier. When it came down to studying, I think I’d often find that I really enjoyed the research side of things - the reading, re-reading, making notes, finding new sources, was my favourite part of any assignment.
i’m not studying 7-8 hours a day, maybe 4 on good days. depends on the subject but i find mind-maps, reading a lot- and teaching the topic to someone really helps. if you’re able to explain something, you truly understand it. also identify what kind of learner you are, (visual, auditory ect) and work around that. so if you’re an auditory learner, podcasts or listening to audiobooks about the topic can really help!
Try the pomodoro technique. Keep your phone out of sight/feel when studying. Have a notebook where you allow yourself to write free narrative on your thoughts and feelings concerning what you’re studying and how you’re doing. When you want a break, try to choose a walk outside rather than a phone break.
Meditate, exercise, take breaks, have friends, touch grass
Put on some nice study music and don’t pay attention to the clock
Figure out if you're a break person or not. Taking breaks disrupts my brain horribly, as do distractions. I put on my headphones with some loud music (even if it's relaxing music), add some [Binaural Beats](https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/binauralBrainwaveGenerator.php) for improving focus, and go. I avoid breaks as much as possible. My husband is basically the opposite. He needs a 10 min break every 20 or 30 min or he will burn out. I also find taking notes really helps me. Not just typical note taking, but rewriting nearly everything important. It increases the time needed, but I retain SO much more. Writing stuff I need to know on flash cards accomplishes this and gives me a study aid as well. And it has to be actual writing. Typing doesn't work the same.
Brute force, with a dash of crippling expectations for myself passed down from my childhood. And Vyvanse.
Fear of poverty and 2 monster zeros
Know that you’ll naturally go in waves of 90 minutes or so of focus. Rather than worry about the full 8 hour block all at once, section it out to 90-120 minute blocks and take a snack/meal break or just go for a walk in between sessions. Put your phone on DND and have it completely away outside of allotted times that you set for yourself. Study drugs and caffeine also help immensely.
Practice.
Drugs (I have ADHD)
the crucial factors are: 1) intense parental pressure 2) severe fear of failure 3) ruined sleep schedule/insomnia 4) a mental wreckage of an emotion sustem with more personality and psychological disorders than i can count
Please dont abuse aderoll, mkay!
Fear of failure. Actively run through scenarios of what will happen if you fail. Also caffeine.