[shampoo]

i swear near exam time im on the verge of quitting, the world too sometimes. ok apart from the drama....near exam time, i just wonder what iv been doing all this time..and then when i sit studying hours pass and i havnt really done something. anywaaaaay, how do you deal with all the last minute preparation, and bee more productive?? really wish i was just a teeeeny bit more judging sometimes! share yar stories! thank you!

 

[Chipps]

Well my FP are more slightly expressed, but i still put off studying, though when it arises, I can focus and power through it. I'd say give yourself like 1 hour a day to study a couple weeks before the exam. Don't bother trying to do 8 hour long power session like high Js cause it aint gonna happen.

Acknowledge your slacking and force yourself to do it even when you feel that urge to quit. I've been slacking on going to the gym and I have a 40 minute battle session with myself before I finally go. Mull it over in your head, over and over and over before you choose to quit. I realize if I do this, I can genearlly convince myself of why I need to keep going.


Right now, I have reading to do for 2 classes and on online class to do, and Im procrastinating, so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[Tridentus]

i can never revise for more than about 2-3 hours, so i find it important to set up a gameplan to make sure i get where i want to.

for me it's absolutely crucial to be in the right mood- you can help create that by making sure there are absolutely no distractions. if the exam is really important i make sure revision is my whole world for about 1-2 months beforehand. if i'm focused i can take in an enormous amount of information in a couple of hours, wheras if i'm not i can sit there for 5 hours and not get anywhere. it's almost like trying to meditate- i have to try to engineer the right conditions for concentration. no matter what i'm never going to be a good reviser, but if i give myself a chance i'll be able to absorb enough information in the time i can focus. quality is so much more important than quantity for me when it comes to revision.

what you absolutely must NOT do is make excuses like "wish i was a teeny bit more judging sometimes", you're only harming your mindset thinking like that, it won't help. you are accountable for your own progress no matter what- if you try your best and fail fair enough, but if you fail because you weren't productive enough you're going to know it afterwards and it's not going to feel good.

 

[Bumblyjack]

I always procrastinate until the last minute and then cram for several hours straight right before the exam. The same goes for papers, which I usually start just the day before. This has been the pattern from grade school to graduate school.

 

[Redwood]

Depends on what age you are. If you're at university, pick subjects that are interesting to you. Makes study less necessary and also less of a chore. Try to combine it with something fun, like listening to music you like, or movies in the background, or studying with friends. If you're at school . . . bummer for you.

 

[stormy]

A little off topic, but make sure you're taking power naps (20 minutes to an hour)...they help with memory and crap like that.

How do I prepare? I don't. I stare at textbook pages but the information is like raindrops and I'm a waterproof raincoat. I eat snacks and stare at my fingernails. Or start singing songs from like 2002. I'm not sure how I'm on the dean's list but it happened.

Butttt....maybe these tips can help you/us?

*One of my friends told me to study like I'm reading a story, try to find a way to make it interesting.
*Music can help (jazz/classical/instrumental/chill/mellow/whatever you like)...
*Study one chapter at a time, then take a break and get yourself a treat...
*Find something to motivate you ... like think of how nice it'll be when u get that A!
*Realize that this study/exam season will soon be over, and you can get on with your life then but NOW is the time to get it together

Easier said than done but it can be done...just a lil discipline...

 

[shampoo]

@stormy @Redwood @Bumblyjack @Tridentus @Chipps Grrrrrrrreat! ill surely do some of those really helpful, unknown before today, tips!! Thank ya buddies

 

[stormy]

you're welcome. good luck out there.

 

[There Is No Spoon]

i haven't read any forum rules against this so caffeine and adderall man. Adderall does make you feel like shit afterwards and some kids abuse the shit out of it. But if you take a low dose to get you through some hard material there's nothing wrong with that. Caffeine works too. if you have multiple exams try studying 2-3 hours for one exam then 2-3 for the next so the material isn't as monotonous. Also you should probably realize that finals can really fuck up your grades. Just the pressure alone, i would think would be a strong motivating factor to get off your ass and focus. I'm sure you're going to do great. I just started studying for mine today too. :/ goodluck. Schools almost over

 

[Alysaria]

I discovered (years too late for high school and into my last year of community college) that the best way for me to retain information is to explain it to someone else - whether that person is real or imaginary. Simplifying it down to easy-to-explain bits makes it clear what I know and what needs work. >.> Try rephrasing everything you need to study out-loud in a way that's simplified.

Also....if you have required classes, ask around or visit Rate My Professors | Find and rate your professor, campus and more - RateMyProfessors.com and try to find a teacher who makes the material interesting. A good teacher can make even the most boring subject fun.

 

[Tulipgarden]

I sometimes wait until the last minute and then I am at my computer writing a research paper for 12 hours straight, maybe 14 hours a couple of times. Just straight on an hit it until it's done. Then afterwards there comes this huge relief....I DID IT!

 

[Kintsugi]

If i'm interested in what I'm doing I can spend HOURS doing it. My biggest downfall is boredom. As soon as I get bored (which, unfortunately, happens all too often) I will find it very difficult to concentrate....and then procrastination pretty much takes over. For me, trying to make the *task* as interesting as possible is the best way to focus my energy into what I'm doing. I also try not to compare myself to others too much when it comes to study. I've learnt over the years that I have my own unique way of learning, that is not neccessarily the same as how others learn. You just need to find a way that suits you best.

Be positive, don't write yourself off before you've even started....prove yourself wrong

 

[WMDistraction]

"Oh, there's an exam today? That's a thing, I suppose."

I'm an English major, so my exams are usually in GenEd courses, which are easy-peasy. :tongue:

 

[Coccinellidae]

i swear near exam time im on the verge of quitting, the world too sometimes. ok apart from the drama....near exam time, i just wonder what iv been doing all this time..and then when i sit studying hours pass and i havnt really done something. anywaaaaay, how do you deal with all the last minute preparation, and bee more productive?? really wish i was just a teeeeny bit more judging sometimes! share yar stories! thank you!

I suggest you to make a schedule. It is better to study step by step than to start studying at the last minute and basically putting your brain on fire. Being an P, it might be hard for you to stick with schedule at first, but it keeps you organized.

If you find something hard or boring - imagine that you are some great scientist and you are learning in order to get more competent. If you are going to make an exam - also imagine that you're a great scientist and will do well. It also helps to reduce the nerve-wracking part before exam.

Sometimes it's very hard to start and you have to push yourself, but once you're in it...well... you're in it.

 

[Chipps]

If i'm interested in what I'm doing I can spend HOURS doing it. My biggest downfall is boredom. As soon as I get bored (which, unfortunately, happens all too often) I will find it very difficult to concentrate....and then procrastination pretty much takes over. For me, trying to make the *task* as interesting as possible is the best way to focus my energy into what I'm doing. I also try not to compare myself to others too much when it comes to study. I've learnt over the years that I have my own unique way of learning, that is not neccessarily the same as how others learn. You just need to find a way that suits you best.

Be positive, don't write yourself off before you've even started....prove yourself wrong

This is too true. The second I get bored with something, it become very mundane. I wish more school work would just get to the fucking point. I don't been them to give me a, b, c, d, e, f, g in sequential order. I can piece it together well and might even be more interested in the material if there were more gaps left to be filled with other possibilities. My Ne goes into blah mode and I want to do something else. I thoroughly enjoy classes based in theory and dislike those that are concrete. My brain just powers down.

 

[Kintsugi]

This is too true. The second I get bored with something, it become very mundane. I wish more school work would just get to the fucking point. I don't been them to give me a, b, c, d, e, f, g in sequential order. I can piece it together well and might even be more interested in the material if there were more gaps left to be filled with other possibilities. My Ne goes into blah mode and I want to do something else. I thoroughly enjoy classes based in theory and dislike those that are concrete. My brain just powers down.

I feel your pain...

Unfortunately the current Western schooling is system is still based upon the 19th century Industrialisation model.....it doesn't really favour the likes of us 'divergent thinkers' - there needs to be a radical education revolution to keep pace with modern society

 

[Chipps]

I feel your pain...

Unfortunately the current Western schooling is system is still based upon the 19th century Industrialisation model.....it doesn't really favour the likes of us 'divergent thinkers' - there needs to be a radical education revolution to keep pace with modern society

This is another reason why I wont be returning to college after I leave. I want to study other topics and might take classes to supplement my knowledge, but I'd prefer to teach it to myself and discuss it openly with other interested in it as well. I trust myself more and I like to leave room for other perspectives, creativity and other conclusions to be reached. From what I've observed, A LOT of people don't want to participate in classes that are more ambiguous, so our system caters to that. I hate it. Yes I can read a damn book and regurgitate the info but I'd much rather look past that and weave things into a new idea.

I had a professor for a Korean literature class, I believe she was an ENTP (older lady), who came off as a bit tough but she wanted you to really think about the info, and not just regurgitate it. Anyway, we had to do a presentation where we compared one of the readings with something else we were knowledgeable about. At the end of the presentation, she'd ask you are really broad and open ended question. This freaked everyone out, but I wasn't afraid. They all wanted to know the question before hand so they could think about it and hated having to come up with something on the spot. If you didn't get it right she'd say "Nice try" (lol), so when I went up there, and got to the end of my presentation, I was able to relate the ostracism of Chinese women that were used as prostitutes during war time to the same ostracism people face when they are attached to someone who has committed another unsavory crime like a serial killer, terrorist etc. She then asked, "Why don't you think they detach themself from the person?" and I said because people feel guilty by association and don't want to be cast in the same light as the offending person. She replied "Interesting, very interesting", because she was offered a new perspective.

Lol, she was definitely Ne dom and I really appreciated it. I also did well with another ENTP professor from a sociology class I took.

 

[Kintsugi]

This is another reason why I wont be returning to college after I leave. I want to study other topics and might take classes to supplement my knowledge, but I'd prefer to teach it to myself and discuss it openly with other interested in it as well. I trust myself more and I like to leave room for other perspectives, creativity and other conclusions to be reached. From what I've observed, A LOT of people don't want to participate in classes that are more ambiguous, so our system caters to that. I hate it. Yes I can read a damn book and regurgitate the info but I'd much rather look past that and weave things into a new idea.

I'm in exactly the same boat here. I'm embracing my enlightenment from my 'disillusionment' of our current system; through educationing myself in the best way that suits my needs. We are taught to memorise facts, figures, and how to 'correctly' parrot back somebody elses views. How on earth are we supposed to grow, discover, and flourish as individuals if we are not allowed to come to our own conclusions, through our own means of exploration?


I could rant about this subject ALL DAY, trust me!

 

[Chipps]

I'm in exactly the same boat here. I'm embracing my enlightenment from my 'disillusionment' of our current system; through educationing myself in the best way that suits my needs. We are taught to memorise facts, figures, and how to 'correctly' parrot back somebody elses views. How on earth are we supposed to grow, discover, and flourish as individuals if we are not allowed to come to our own conclusions, through our own means of exploration?

Me too. You should start an ENFP "Rant about the education system" thread.
I could rant about this subject ALL DAY.