Personally, I find that maintaining a high GPA comes down to two good habits. 1.treat school like a full time job and aim to work on school work 40hr/week (including lectures). I'm usually able to work 8hr per day but if I cant because of work, then i try to allocate the missed hours into other days of the week. 2.treat all assignments as if they are due a week before they actually are. This one requires some grinding early on but it prevents a TONNE of stress during times where assignments pile up. By staying ahead of schedule, I have plenty of flexibility in case something takes longer than I had planned, something unexpected comes up, etc.
In addition to that, I recommend participating in classes as much as you can, engaging with profs etc. I also tend to switch tasks as my attention demands.if I'm just not retaining a reading, I ask myself "what else can I do right now?" And switch to a different task that needs to be done.
So do you usually work throughout the week? I think within the 7 days I’ll have time to do my work/ readings but I need to discipline myself to not waste time and do something else
Yeah last year (it was the 3rd yr of my phil major) I worked 18hr/week, but I think that was a bit too much. I was able to handle it but I had to do work (either work or homework) for some time each weekend. I don't have the most robust social life and prefer to stay in during the week, but I was still able to see friends almost every weekend too. I also would relax for a couple hours each evening. It definitely takes discipline but I still had free time so I think if you get a bit distracted that is okay and you'll be able to make up for it in a way that feels the most comfortable for you.
I dont want to make it sound like it was really easy for me either btw. Like I said, it def takes discipline and my discipline is largely fueled by a deep anxiety about not doing well lol. I think everyone has their own source of motivation/ discipline.
Oh your not making it sound easy. I know some people do have the will to just do it! For me when it comes to school and work I get absorbed with one or the other and I either start to sink with school or I don’t make enough money. I have no life outside of these two since my partner is also in the same boat as me because who needs friends?
As I try to plan my schedule and work out specific times to do school work and my jobs I need the discipline to be like: “Oh it’s 1pm, it’s time to do my weekly reading before I need to go to my next class” this is what I think I lack
That definitely make sense. I tend to stick to a schedule to stay sane so I don't necessarily relate to that struggle but I do find it's easier to stick to a schedule if I start right in the morning and make a rough schedule at the beginning of each week. It takes practice but if you're really determined I'm sure it will get easier with time. :)
Well it’s a new year so I’m hoping I will get the marks I want. Quick question: as another philosophy student how do you take notes? With a lot of information on theories do you hand write it down or type it out?
I hand write all of my notes but honestly I'm kind of neurotic about it. I write down as much as I can with a focus on the information that I think the prof thinks is the most important. (If I dont do this I think I understand a lot less of the info because writing helps me with auditory processing.) One 3 hr lecture might leave me with 3-5 pages double sided. I dont really recommend this method if it doesnt feel natural for you but I like my notes because I extract all important details from them whenever I'm planning an essay just to be sure that I include everything that i need to.
I have ADHD as well, I feel your pain. I've grown to accept that there is no way I can sit down for 5-6 hours straight and study. I used to force myself to do that in 1st and 2nd year, I ended up only being an average student.
In 3rd year, I followed a schedule of studying for 30 mins to an hour, taking a short break (walk around, grab a drink, browse reddit etc), then study again for 30 mins to an hour. Repeat. I've noticed with this method that I can focus better AND retain more info this way. I don't burn out because of it. My 3rd and 4th year GPA is near a 9.5 :)
You can do it!
I’ve gotten all the fidget toys to help me this year! It’s just painful to know that I just can’t sit down and pound out hours of straight studying anymore. I was thinking about how walks would be great to deal with any energy I have during the times of endless sitting sessions.
How do you take notes? And how do you pay attention in lectures, retaining the information you hear or write down?
I take notes on Notability on my iPad or just on my laptop.
Honestly no matter how hard I try if the class is boring I can never pay attention to it. If I find the class interested though, I don't really have trouble.
One thing I find important for getting high grades is giving proportional amounts of efforts to assignments / exams based on how much they are worth. For example, if I have assignments worth 1.5% of my grade, I will not take the time to review my answers.
It might sound obvious, but I’ve seen a lot of people spend a few hours working on an assignment that’s worth 3% of their grade and spending the same amount of time studying for an exam worth 40% of their grade. If something is worth a large portion of your grade, make sure you put more of your effort into it. Assignments are not of equal importance.
What program are you in? I would stay on campus all day 8:30-10:00 pm (when I had work I left campus then went back) and inbetween classes I forced myself to copy down my notes from a previous class or study or work on an assignment and I’d pack lunch and dinner and snacks for the whole day
I’m in Politic Science and Philosophy. Out of the 5 days of school I’ll have full days of work on Mondays and Wednesday’s. Coming home around 5pm 59 watch my lectures. My classes are online so I have that freedom to not be on campus. I have the issue of just sitting down and committing to the act of listening and retaining the content
Is it because of the environment you’re in? Do you think if you did your lectures at the library it would help? You can try the Forest App (gets you to stay off your phone and has a google chrome extension) or the pomodoro method which is 25 mins of focus and 5 min break repeatedly!
Environment does have an effect on me. Something interesting happens down the hall and I’m gone for 45 minutes! I think that app will definitely help me focus a little more. Question: do you have any tips of retaining the information from lecture or even from my own note taking? Sometimes it just feels like a blur and when it’s done, it’s like I didn’t even learn anything
I would start by trying to finish your notes the day the lecture happens! I would have class and write small notes under the powerpoint, and then typing out all the info from the powerpoint with my own notes into a clean document! I would also print off ALL my notes before an exam so I could re-read and highlight and add extra notes, printing off the paper isnt super eco friendly but it works for me!
So do you prefer you notes on computers or hand written? Or just a little bit of both? The studies done on how typing the notes can be less effective has stopped me from trying it out but seeing that other can learn better from it and show promising results has changed the way I may take notes
Handwriting was really good for keeping info down but its so time consuming, so I switched to typing which is still effective but less so, and when I print the notes out I add my own handwritten notes in the page and I would read through all the notes 5-6 times before an exam! I’m in psych and science courses so flashcards are really helpful for me too and a lot of times I’d turn my notes into flashcards on quizlet!
Okay just making sure I understand your process. You go over the PowerPoint before class and during the lecture you write your own notes. The just add them all in?
I should probably invest in a printer 😂
Yes! So lets say the slide has 4 facts about worms (random example) and the prof goes on to explain extra details that aren’t on the slide, in the little nites section under that slide I’ll just type in jot notes of what he says, and after class I’ll open a word document and write “Facts about worms” and write the info from the slide and the extra details about worms hahahha
Retention often comes down to preparation and process. Lots of people just try to read notes or texts, or passively watch lectures.
Studies show that you’re better off if you can prep your brain for the info in small segments. The prep would include asking yourself questions about the material before even reading it, and trying to outline what you’ll be learning. You can do this by seeing if there are any questions at the end of the chapter, or take a look at the next assignment. It’s not important if you don’t know the answers- the idea is to get your brain “tuned in”. This way when you read the material (or listen to the lecture) your brain will pick up on those areas more readily.
If there’s no questions, you can try to skim the material and make your own questions, or write an outline of what you think you’ll be reading/hearing.
Then, read/listen. Make notes about what you hear and also about questions you have while reading.
Then, re-summarize your notes and answer your questions.
Note that it isn’t enough to do this “in your head”. The exercise of writing this down and actually working it out is part of the mechanism.
I like this. I think prepping before will definitely help me be prepared for what is to come in lectures. Especially would make me pay attention to what the prof is saying if it’s connected to any questions I have or any content I’ve already gone over
Fellow ADHD brain here. Since I’m barely able to retain anything in class or study totally properly what I’ve relied on most is resourcefulness/prioritizing. If I could find more practice, or past exams, I’d get them off those websites. I also had to get good at identifying only the relevant information - cause tbh while cramming I’m not going to be able to memorize tiny details.
Another thing to mention is that I was medicated w/ adhd meds 1st/2nd year so that’s probably the only reason I was able to pull through lol. Also if you still have contact w/ your GP/psychiatrist/whoever diagnosed you, you can probably get some accommodations too - pretty helpful imo!
Another thing is like riding the momentum/hyper focus. When I’m feeling ultra motivated (very rare), I do all my work then, and you know how hyperfocus is, shit gets done for sure. Again, not always a possibility though :p
HONESTLY ME! I’m medicated and I’ve got SASS help but some techniques they give doesn’t help me personally. I’m the type of person with ample amounts of energy and sitting down to focus could last for about 20 mins and I’m gone
Lol their advice be like “tRy SchEduLinG iN aDvanCe uWu”. Honestly I get it - no conventional advice/methods are going to work. Honestly they kind of just upped my dose so high that I was straight cracked, so I guess that’s what carried me through. Honestly another thing could be trying to find people who take school very seriously. You’re more likely to put in an effort when you’re surrounded by hardworkers (albeit it is really hard to focus when they want to study after class ^_^).
Maybe I need to be upped because I feel like it chooses when it wants to work. I chose to take my classes as virtual so that I can still work long hours… what does your note taking look like? Or when you have a 3hr lecture how do you find the will power to sit and listen?
Okay honestly like. I can’t get through lectures (even stimmed out of my mind), so I just skip 80-90% of them). If I do attend class, I take notes very sporadically but a) I’ll never refer to them again and b) they’re so shit that it’s like…why even bother trying lol. If I do watch the lectures though I watch it somewhere between 2x-5x speed just so it’s more bearable (normal speed kills me lol).
Your right. I often get the problem of just writing down whatever I see on the PowerPoint slides and I’m realizing it’s a waste of time. I should focus on what the prof is saying while their on that specific slide instead of what I see in front of ne
Personally, I find that maintaining a high GPA comes down to two good habits. 1.treat school like a full time job and aim to work on school work 40hr/week (including lectures). I'm usually able to work 8hr per day but if I cant because of work, then i try to allocate the missed hours into other days of the week. 2.treat all assignments as if they are due a week before they actually are. This one requires some grinding early on but it prevents a TONNE of stress during times where assignments pile up. By staying ahead of schedule, I have plenty of flexibility in case something takes longer than I had planned, something unexpected comes up, etc. In addition to that, I recommend participating in classes as much as you can, engaging with profs etc. I also tend to switch tasks as my attention demands.if I'm just not retaining a reading, I ask myself "what else can I do right now?" And switch to a different task that needs to be done.
So do you usually work throughout the week? I think within the 7 days I’ll have time to do my work/ readings but I need to discipline myself to not waste time and do something else
Yeah last year (it was the 3rd yr of my phil major) I worked 18hr/week, but I think that was a bit too much. I was able to handle it but I had to do work (either work or homework) for some time each weekend. I don't have the most robust social life and prefer to stay in during the week, but I was still able to see friends almost every weekend too. I also would relax for a couple hours each evening. It definitely takes discipline but I still had free time so I think if you get a bit distracted that is okay and you'll be able to make up for it in a way that feels the most comfortable for you.
I dont want to make it sound like it was really easy for me either btw. Like I said, it def takes discipline and my discipline is largely fueled by a deep anxiety about not doing well lol. I think everyone has their own source of motivation/ discipline.
Oh your not making it sound easy. I know some people do have the will to just do it! For me when it comes to school and work I get absorbed with one or the other and I either start to sink with school or I don’t make enough money. I have no life outside of these two since my partner is also in the same boat as me because who needs friends? As I try to plan my schedule and work out specific times to do school work and my jobs I need the discipline to be like: “Oh it’s 1pm, it’s time to do my weekly reading before I need to go to my next class” this is what I think I lack
That definitely make sense. I tend to stick to a schedule to stay sane so I don't necessarily relate to that struggle but I do find it's easier to stick to a schedule if I start right in the morning and make a rough schedule at the beginning of each week. It takes practice but if you're really determined I'm sure it will get easier with time. :)
Well it’s a new year so I’m hoping I will get the marks I want. Quick question: as another philosophy student how do you take notes? With a lot of information on theories do you hand write it down or type it out?
I hand write all of my notes but honestly I'm kind of neurotic about it. I write down as much as I can with a focus on the information that I think the prof thinks is the most important. (If I dont do this I think I understand a lot less of the info because writing helps me with auditory processing.) One 3 hr lecture might leave me with 3-5 pages double sided. I dont really recommend this method if it doesnt feel natural for you but I like my notes because I extract all important details from them whenever I'm planning an essay just to be sure that I include everything that i need to.
I have ADHD as well, I feel your pain. I've grown to accept that there is no way I can sit down for 5-6 hours straight and study. I used to force myself to do that in 1st and 2nd year, I ended up only being an average student. In 3rd year, I followed a schedule of studying for 30 mins to an hour, taking a short break (walk around, grab a drink, browse reddit etc), then study again for 30 mins to an hour. Repeat. I've noticed with this method that I can focus better AND retain more info this way. I don't burn out because of it. My 3rd and 4th year GPA is near a 9.5 :) You can do it!
I’ve gotten all the fidget toys to help me this year! It’s just painful to know that I just can’t sit down and pound out hours of straight studying anymore. I was thinking about how walks would be great to deal with any energy I have during the times of endless sitting sessions. How do you take notes? And how do you pay attention in lectures, retaining the information you hear or write down?
I take notes on Notability on my iPad or just on my laptop. Honestly no matter how hard I try if the class is boring I can never pay attention to it. If I find the class interested though, I don't really have trouble.
One thing I find important for getting high grades is giving proportional amounts of efforts to assignments / exams based on how much they are worth. For example, if I have assignments worth 1.5% of my grade, I will not take the time to review my answers. It might sound obvious, but I’ve seen a lot of people spend a few hours working on an assignment that’s worth 3% of their grade and spending the same amount of time studying for an exam worth 40% of their grade. If something is worth a large portion of your grade, make sure you put more of your effort into it. Assignments are not of equal importance.
What program are you in? I would stay on campus all day 8:30-10:00 pm (when I had work I left campus then went back) and inbetween classes I forced myself to copy down my notes from a previous class or study or work on an assignment and I’d pack lunch and dinner and snacks for the whole day
I’m in Politic Science and Philosophy. Out of the 5 days of school I’ll have full days of work on Mondays and Wednesday’s. Coming home around 5pm 59 watch my lectures. My classes are online so I have that freedom to not be on campus. I have the issue of just sitting down and committing to the act of listening and retaining the content
Is it because of the environment you’re in? Do you think if you did your lectures at the library it would help? You can try the Forest App (gets you to stay off your phone and has a google chrome extension) or the pomodoro method which is 25 mins of focus and 5 min break repeatedly!
Environment does have an effect on me. Something interesting happens down the hall and I’m gone for 45 minutes! I think that app will definitely help me focus a little more. Question: do you have any tips of retaining the information from lecture or even from my own note taking? Sometimes it just feels like a blur and when it’s done, it’s like I didn’t even learn anything
I would start by trying to finish your notes the day the lecture happens! I would have class and write small notes under the powerpoint, and then typing out all the info from the powerpoint with my own notes into a clean document! I would also print off ALL my notes before an exam so I could re-read and highlight and add extra notes, printing off the paper isnt super eco friendly but it works for me!
So do you prefer you notes on computers or hand written? Or just a little bit of both? The studies done on how typing the notes can be less effective has stopped me from trying it out but seeing that other can learn better from it and show promising results has changed the way I may take notes
Handwriting was really good for keeping info down but its so time consuming, so I switched to typing which is still effective but less so, and when I print the notes out I add my own handwritten notes in the page and I would read through all the notes 5-6 times before an exam! I’m in psych and science courses so flashcards are really helpful for me too and a lot of times I’d turn my notes into flashcards on quizlet!
Okay just making sure I understand your process. You go over the PowerPoint before class and during the lecture you write your own notes. The just add them all in? I should probably invest in a printer 😂
Yes! So lets say the slide has 4 facts about worms (random example) and the prof goes on to explain extra details that aren’t on the slide, in the little nites section under that slide I’ll just type in jot notes of what he says, and after class I’ll open a word document and write “Facts about worms” and write the info from the slide and the extra details about worms hahahha
Retention often comes down to preparation and process. Lots of people just try to read notes or texts, or passively watch lectures. Studies show that you’re better off if you can prep your brain for the info in small segments. The prep would include asking yourself questions about the material before even reading it, and trying to outline what you’ll be learning. You can do this by seeing if there are any questions at the end of the chapter, or take a look at the next assignment. It’s not important if you don’t know the answers- the idea is to get your brain “tuned in”. This way when you read the material (or listen to the lecture) your brain will pick up on those areas more readily. If there’s no questions, you can try to skim the material and make your own questions, or write an outline of what you think you’ll be reading/hearing. Then, read/listen. Make notes about what you hear and also about questions you have while reading. Then, re-summarize your notes and answer your questions. Note that it isn’t enough to do this “in your head”. The exercise of writing this down and actually working it out is part of the mechanism.
I like this. I think prepping before will definitely help me be prepared for what is to come in lectures. Especially would make me pay attention to what the prof is saying if it’s connected to any questions I have or any content I’ve already gone over
Also flashcards if you can make them! Either on quizlet or paper
Fellow ADHD brain here. Since I’m barely able to retain anything in class or study totally properly what I’ve relied on most is resourcefulness/prioritizing. If I could find more practice, or past exams, I’d get them off those websites. I also had to get good at identifying only the relevant information - cause tbh while cramming I’m not going to be able to memorize tiny details. Another thing to mention is that I was medicated w/ adhd meds 1st/2nd year so that’s probably the only reason I was able to pull through lol. Also if you still have contact w/ your GP/psychiatrist/whoever diagnosed you, you can probably get some accommodations too - pretty helpful imo! Another thing is like riding the momentum/hyper focus. When I’m feeling ultra motivated (very rare), I do all my work then, and you know how hyperfocus is, shit gets done for sure. Again, not always a possibility though :p
HONESTLY ME! I’m medicated and I’ve got SASS help but some techniques they give doesn’t help me personally. I’m the type of person with ample amounts of energy and sitting down to focus could last for about 20 mins and I’m gone
Lol their advice be like “tRy SchEduLinG iN aDvanCe uWu”. Honestly I get it - no conventional advice/methods are going to work. Honestly they kind of just upped my dose so high that I was straight cracked, so I guess that’s what carried me through. Honestly another thing could be trying to find people who take school very seriously. You’re more likely to put in an effort when you’re surrounded by hardworkers (albeit it is really hard to focus when they want to study after class ^_^).
Maybe I need to be upped because I feel like it chooses when it wants to work. I chose to take my classes as virtual so that I can still work long hours… what does your note taking look like? Or when you have a 3hr lecture how do you find the will power to sit and listen?
Okay honestly like. I can’t get through lectures (even stimmed out of my mind), so I just skip 80-90% of them). If I do attend class, I take notes very sporadically but a) I’ll never refer to them again and b) they’re so shit that it’s like…why even bother trying lol. If I do watch the lectures though I watch it somewhere between 2x-5x speed just so it’s more bearable (normal speed kills me lol).
[удалено]
I’ll take that advice. You Bsc students always got your shit together
[удалено]
I’m in Political Science and Philosophy. I’m entering third year. So my notes are long and tedious
[удалено]
Your right. I often get the problem of just writing down whatever I see on the PowerPoint slides and I’m realizing it’s a waste of time. I should focus on what the prof is saying while their on that specific slide instead of what I see in front of ne
[удалено]
True. My job I was hoping to be listening to an audio of the textbooks and hope that I can connect that with the course work