<p>Hey guys, So I really have this bad problem .. I can get things really well, if I study. However, I don't .. I put things off till the last minute and that constitutes me studying for the first time a day before the test. It doesn't really get me to "really" know the stuff. </p>
<p>However, when I DO grasp something, I tend to get everything right. I just know that my issues are coming from me not studying. The thing is, I don't have the motivation to do so. I mean I really do want to go to university, but I don't know how to apply my motivation into studying. I've gotten bad grades in subjects I easily could've gotten A's in, if only I hadn't studied for the first time a day before/night before the midterm. </p>
<p>How do I combat this? I've tried everything -- blocking myself off from Facebook, Gmail/GTalk unless for emergencies .. It still seems to be happening. Thank god there still isn't point build up to completely ruin my chances of A's. </p>
<p>I really need to get A's this quarter because I will be applying for transfer in the fall from De Anza College =/ I need to show the UC's how much I've improved from last quarter.</p>
<p>I study the night before and get A’s. I party a lot too. I guess you could try just getting away and spending a certain amount of time studying. But do it away from all the distractions.</p>
<p>I’m a Bio Major. Which requires alot of understanding and chem requires alot of practice … so does calc …</p>
<p>So hard to answer D:
I was a major procrastinator who managed to get A’s by magic (studying just before class, writing an essay the night before) but I realized how much easier it is to get A’s by studying. I don’t really do facebook or any other social networking sites, my phone is only used for calls because I detest texting, and I constantly remind myself of what I want to do in the future. </p>
<p>This works for me:
I have a REALLY strange habit of watching movies from 1984 while studying on my laptop:</p>
<p>Math and chemistry—> The Karate Kid</p>
<p>Physics and psychology—> Revenge of the Nerds</p>
<p>English/history/miscellaneous—>Sixteen Candles</p>
<p>It is pure coincidence that these are all 1984 movies. Anyway, by watching a movie I am not tempted to check my facebook or other computer related activities (this forum is addictive) and it takes up enough time that one can gauge how long they spent studying on a subject.</p>
<p>If you realize you need a lot of practice. Then it seems like you should just motivate yourself to do it. Get a study group together. Get a tudor. Go to a math lab or science lab. Having other people there usually helps me to get ***** done</p>
<p>I do go to study groups but I live really far away/don’t have my license to form my own. The one I go to just has one guy telling us what will be on the test and giving us the answer to the essay questions (the teacher gives us 5 beforehand, and gives 1 of those 5 on the test) … I copy everything but I don’t look at it until the day before. </p>
<p>I wanna form a study group but every one of my friends that lives close by is a different major, and I don’t have my license ): Hopefully I get it May 28 … but I need to practice that as well LOL</p>
<p>Does anyone have tutor recommendations? In the San Jose/Cupertino area?
Someone that can possibly meet me at De Anza?</p>
<p>I never study… I JUST completed an online exam that took me 2 hours because I had to look up every single question. But I did very well. Go me.</p>
<p>The ONLY two things that ever work to alleviate my bad habits: 1) Making a schedule, hour by hour incl. breaks and meals; and 2) Promising myself a reward at the end (i.e. shopping spree, nice dinner with friends, etc)</p>
<p>But it’s been a while :P</p>
<p>flwrgrl i like your idea :)</p>
<p>I have the same procrastinating problem but i think the CC has been to easy for me I dont think my teachers demand that much from me at CC maybe this will help me at UC.</p>
<p>arrwoheadd — your going to end up on sixty minutes… :)</p>
<p>knowing I have 3 weeks till finals also helps</p>
<p>ADHD drugs make you almost too focused</p>
<p>You have to motivate yourself to want to learn the information in the classes you are taking. Once you take a real interest in the courses you have paid to take, you will find motivation to work and understand the material. If you want to graduate college with the grades, but not the knowledge, then you are at a disadvantage in the real world.</p>
<p>^^What this lala09990 said. Except I only feel that about the classes that have to do with my major.</p>
<p>@JTA1975 worked like a charm for me. Let’s face it, good studying involves sitting on one’s a**. I once believed the images I saw in the gym where someone was reading while on the treamill. For me, this was a lie. I wasn’t able to get in any information while working out. Anyway, while studying there are lots of distractions. I watch movies I like and for some reason I can get a couple of hours worth of studying at the same time.</p>
<p>I also take an interest in my work, too. I love math so that helps.</p>
<p>Adderall may work for the short term (I so DON"T recommend it) but the crash is a misery. </p>
<p>Basically, the effects of adderall are essentially the same as getting a tweak from meth-minus the trailer park manufacturing.</p>
<p>The best advice I ever learned (in a silly study habits class) was to sit down with a timer set for five minutes and to work. Once the timer sings the break ballad, you can trawl forums and simply repeat the cycle in 10 mins. The point is that those five minutes always motivated me to complete all the work. Just do it…and stuff.</p>
<p>flwrgrl — I will definitely do the movie thing, thanks! But if I’m going 80’s it’s going to have to be </p>
<p>Aliens
Uncle Buck
Mosquito Coast</p>
<p>:) </p>
<p>No thanks on that aderall ****… I’ve been going to school for a long freakin time and I use to take “mini-thins” back in the day. I hate feeling cracked out :-/</p>
<p>Great choices!</p>
<p>It helped me to keep at my work a lot. I think we have too many “interactive” distractions that old distractions like movies are more relaxing and conducive for studying.</p>
<p>Fight distractions with distractions lol.</p>
<p>I love Math and Biology, I don’t really enjoy Chem but I have to take it since it’s a major requirement =/. </p>
<p>Who knows, maybe I do have ADhD, I don’t seem to be able to focus once I sit down even away from distractions. LOL. But when I tell myself that I NEED to study, I do it without even glancing at distractions. That just makes me really tired though.</p>
<p>Sometimes we do our best under pressure. I just got to a point where I wanted to have peace of mind. I hated thinking about “what is due next class?” or “how do I do this?” so I tried staying ahead and practicing math over and over ad nauseum (while watching the movies lol). This has definietely improved my sleep and reduced my stess. However, this will be much more difficult to do at a UC and I expect that. I just think of the things I have accomplished so far and focus on the things I need to do to take the next step. </p>
<p>I have a lot of distractions in my life so I have had to step up and think about how I am going to improve. Do I want to regress to a time when I was uncertain about my future? Hell no. Knowing what I want to do, planning how I am going to do it, and meeting my own demands have been the biggest sources of empowerment in my life. </p>
<p>If I can stop procrastinating, believe me anyone can.</p>