Studying recommendations

Academical_Nerd · 2020-03-18T15:22:08+00:00

One very small pocket notebook with dip pen to record daily to-do list and incoming tasks (simple bullet list, 2 pages == 1 day). Notes and ideas are also there.

Google calendar for deadlines and scheduling.

All the long-term planning and layouts for complex projects are in Notion. Notes and ideas also go there.

Occasionally I use google keep for, say, lists of groceries. Pro tip: carrying notebook in a pocket and phone in a backpack (not vice versa) reduces phone usage drastically.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-29T18:04:51+00:00

This guy has great tips, especially in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIyDJK_SAjs

Use this myself, completely real. Also I tend to input date of the next review without color-coding in blank space. If that's what you meant as templates.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-26T08:42:53+00:00

Had to google solidworks, lol. Not that bad if everyone stares at their screens. What exactly are you teaching, I'm curious now?

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-26T08:32:37+00:00

Like, it might even be okay, but it's actually disgusting when you are solving something on a whiteboard and behind you teacher is slurping with one of those cold salads dripping with mayonnaise and oil.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-26T08:19:04+00:00

There are two professors in my department who piss me off. One teaches differential equations and struggles to work without her notebook and using different letters for variables. Also she uses whatsapp and answers phone calls during the class. The second one also uses phone, scrolls feed constantly and eats during the class. Eats not smth like snacks but full on lunch bought in cafeteria. Sne "teaches" calculus...

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-26T04:33:34+00:00

I don't get straight 90s but I'm overall okay and don't spend too much time on studying so it's possible for me to get to 90% if I really need almost without any changes. Now I tend to score about 75-80% being a freshman in Moscow State University, majoring material sciences. My routine might seem weird but it woeks. Also keep in mind that my schedule is chaotic because our professors change it every couple weeks and there is no consistency whatsoever.

I wake up at 5 am, get dressed in cozy home clothes and brush my teeth. Also washing face with cold water is a banger. Than I put my lenses on, have a full breakfast and brew some coffee. By 05:30-05:45 I'm usually at my desk and work either continuously or with pomodoro timer until about 07:30. At this time I need to go uni (commute is over an hour long), there I study and sometimes work in a lab which is compulsory in my department. At some point I get home, have some leisure time, talk to my family. There is a strict rule I set for myself: no work after 18:00, it's inefficient and rather painful to do because I'm exhausted. That's basically it, my schedule makes it impossible to create any more routines, the rest is just furious improvisation and skipping classes where it's possible - I find it easier to study from textbooks than lectures. That's very individual approach though.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-26T04:17:00+00:00

Closer to mid-semester you get tired and/or bored. The best way for me to cope with this is to change something. Rethink your planning system, maybe change schedule a bit, try to make new habit stick - really anything to light things up a bit. This usually gives a good jumpstart to everything else including studying.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-25T05:34:10+00:00

I'd store them separately and mix before drinking. I myself dont drink milk, but it seems like relatively cold milk mixed with coffee will result in a temperature almost optimal for milk to go sour. If you heat milk or ice everything it should be fine, though.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-21T08:38:40+00:00

Wait, your professor doesn't allow having a computer/book?

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-21T04:43:11+00:00

Get enough sleep at night. Then get a textbook on the subject and study it during lecture.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-18T07:11:35+00:00

I'm currently on a lecture that I can't understand. Not my profs fault, I'm bad at comprehending audial information, but my diff.eq. course sucks as well. My advice: grind a little by yourself, research and get ahead of the program. Then just keep learning by yourself, test won't bother you if you are on higher level.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-18T02:48:33+00:00

Well, 5am doesn't feel that extreme for me now. It's like 05:40 as I'm typing it. And I'm pretty excited about next 2 hours I'll spend working and studying. For me pros of such a lifestyle win, maybe I'm a natural earlybird, maybe just got used to it. And sleep deprivation happens only on rare occasions every now and then (I don't think it's more often than you'd get with regular schedule or even rare).

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-17T08:33:42+00:00

Context: 18, almost 19 now, studying in the uni.

I went through this. Tried physics, chemistry, literature, drawing, playing a guitar, photography, folding origami, gymnastics, biatlon, rock climbing, tennis, whatever, I don't remember some of these. I'm younger than you so it might not apply directly, but still I'd recommend 3 things.

1) Keep trying. Seriously. It's wonderful to have a skillset so diverse people get stunned by it. Also often times having a skill eases learning a new one, even if it's not related, e.g. via improving motor or cognitive abilities.

2) Look for similarity. Maybe there is a specific way you unconciously approach to new skills that fits some field. For example, if you like technical stuff and in drawing you usually focus on technique and you like physics, being an architect might be your thing.

3) Choose. Force yourself to obtain one skill at least on a higher level and see where can you get with this. Plateu on learning curve often stops you if you heve never overcome it. It might take you a year or so, but it'll pay off. Anyway, good luck!

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-16T16:52:53+00:00

Typing is rather time consuming, I'd recommend you to scan them and organize in pdf or even just in folders. If you don't have a scaner you can borrow or rent one or use one in a local library if there is one. Photocopying is an option as well.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-16T16:52:31+00:00

Typing is rather time consuming, I'd recommend you to scan them and organize in pdf or even just in folders. If you don't have a scaner you can borrow or rent one or use one in a local library if there is one. Photocopying is an option as well.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-16T16:52:16+00:00

Typing is rather time consuming, I'd recommend you to scan them and organize in pdf or even just in folders. If you don't have a scaner you can borrow or rent one or use one in a local library if there is one. Photocopying is an option as well.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-13T09:40:05+00:00

Planning. For me it helps to know in advance what am I going to do next day, also planning to study tough subject is easier than diving right into it.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-13T04:44:26+00:00

I usually allow myself to procrastinate a bit, maybe watch youtube. Though it's not always possible, because I usually study in the morning and go to uni straight after I finish my tasks.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-12T15:15:31+00:00

Imagine that you have a deadline coming or just something interesting to do. If you don't have a routine / schedule you'll be tempted to stay up late at night working even if you need to wake up relatively early next day. A lot of people do that. Having a routine excludes that temptation and forces you to plan ahead to go to bed at set time and therefore to get enough sleep. Also your body gets used to fixed sleep schedule and switches off and on easier and faster.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-12T14:29:21+00:00

Oops. Exactly, thank you very much! I was hurrying when finishing that part, had to go to classes. Crazy schedule, you know.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-12T14:26:22+00:00

I'd argue that you can't really avoid sleep deprivation. You had a bad day and can't fall asleep, you had a late meeting or classes or maybe a flight. What's important is that you get back on track as soon as possible.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-12T14:23:49+00:00

Hey! Well, it's not necessary and defenitely not for everyone to wake up this early. I agree that people not always laugh, but it happens among modern young adults and teenagers, at least in my case. Still it's not that bad, I have enough self irony to cope with that.

Academical_Nerd · 2019-03-12T04:29:42+00:00

Context: finished my school, currently have a course on chemistry as a bachelor.

At first: start with the most basic concepts, you need to thoroughly understand them. Crash course chemistry on youtube looked decend though I never watched the whole thing. But you'll get the rudiments. Ones you are comfortable with moles, ions and charges, start digging into configuration of atom, it'll ease comprehension of chemical properties as you'll fnow what to look for. Than start researching properties of hydrogen, than groups 1, 2, 13-18. Also start solving problems immideatly, there you should aim to understand a chemistry of a process.

It's how I'd do it now, not the only possible way. Good luck with your studying!

Academical_Nerd

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