[lucymeez]

Hey gang,

We've had some requests for help in developing good study habits both for high school and college here on Meez over the past couple of months. I thought I would start this thread where you could post your concerns/problems and that either the mods/admins or other Meezers could reply with advice to help you out. I'm starting by posting two really great entries from the ever popular "Ask Ginger" advice column that deal with procrastination and learning how to transition from studying for high school to dealing with the increased work load of college.

I hope you guys find this useful and I look forward to reading what you have to share with each other!

-Lucy

[lucymeez]

gingermeez wrote: Hey hey, Meezrs! I'm home from MeezU and I'm about to raid Mom n' Dad Meez's fridge and start some laundry... Before I do, I've sorted through all your AWESOME questions this week and picked three that I thought we should talk about over the weekend. The first question of the weekend comes from an Anon-o-Meezr: “I've been having problems with procrastination over the years. Although it didn't pose as a problem then, it has really piled up and taken over. I'm failing three of my most important classes right now, and passing one class on a w/im. I talked to the counselor about it, but the counselors here are kinda crappy and don't seem to acknowledge what I'm saying. So my question is: how would you deal with procrastination before it stacks up into an even bigger problem?” -Anon-o-Meez This is a good question, Anon-o-Meez… mebee I’ll answer it later… j/k!!! Procrastination is a huge problem to overcome. I think that if you’re failing classes because of procrastinating about studying or doing homework that you’re already at a crisis point and it’s good that you’re asking for help in solving the problem. If your counselors aren’t listening to you when you’re expressing your problem to them, perhaps a first step you can take is to talk to your mom and dad to ask them to help you come up with a plan to get everything sorted out. I know it might seem “un-cool” to ask your ‘rents for help; but, I speak from experience when I tell you that for the most parts the parentals are really good at helping to solve problems like this one. Plus, they love you and want you to do well in school, so they’ll probably be really happy you came to them and will get involved in helping you. If you just want tips on how to avoid procrastinating, I don’t know that I really have any that I can give other than: JUST DO IT! It takes being aware and disciplined to overcome this problem. You have to be hard on yourself and not allow yourself to shove things to the side until later. I always find it’s actually so much more rewarding to get things done and out of the way – that way you don’t have school work lingering over your head when you want to be out having fun. Some things which have helped me with procrastination include: -Taking my homework with me everywhere until I’m done with it. That way if I’m on public transportation and have a few minutes I can read a chapter of my textbook; or, if I’m waiting for someone to meet me at a coffee shop I can do a few minutes of my homework or work on writing a paper. If you do a lot of work online and have a laptop, take that with you too! Completely helpful!! -If you have a lot of homework to do sometimes it’s easier to deal with if you break it up into smaller sections and give yourself rewards when you complete those sections. Like, I will read a chapter of my homework and then I’ll allow myself to get up and check my email; or, I’ll write the answer to one essay question and then I’ll go watch TV for a half-hour. You have to be disciplined about it; but, it’s a really good idea to give your brain breaks when you’re trying to accomplish a lot of work at once. -Don’t study with temptation nearby. Turn off the computer (or, go offline) – don’t turn on the TV – don’t turn on music. Sometimes the reason why *I* procrastinate is because I get distracted by other stuff going on around me and then I have a hard time going back to what I was working on before.

[lucymeez]

gingermeez wrote: heartscuteness wrote: Oh okay. I hope you feel better. And about the schoolwork, I have the same situation myself. I'm assuming that you are in college? I'm in college myself. And I have one question, what is the best way to study? Yes, I'm in college. :D Are you a freshman? I had study probs when I was a frosh - it takes getting used to all the independance and the increased work load to really get good collegiate study habits down. Be patient with yourself and if you really have problems w/studying & school work don't be afraid to seek out tutoring... Going from high school to college is a huge adjustment. Also, what works for one person won't work for another - everyone is different in how they learn - so don't get frustrated if tips that other people give you don't work so great for you. Just keep working on it and you'll find your stride. Some things I do: -I give myself a lot of small breaks when I'm studying and I will often switch tasks every half hour to keep my brain engaged. -At the beginning of the week I spread my syllabuses out on my desk in front of me and make a big list of what's due that week, the next week and the following week -- then I rank order the tasks in order of deadline and time needed to complete the work -- I cross them off with a highlighter when I'm done b/c it gives you a sense of accomplishment to see the list get smaller (good motivator to keep working.) -I take my computer and books with me everywhere I go when I have lots of work to do b/c often I'll have 5-10 minute breaks here and there where I can read a little or write a page or two. You think this doesn't matter; but, those little time bites help you out a lot, trust me! -I leave my Sunday evenings open to complete anything I couldn't get to in the course of the week.

[whateverfloats]

My top study tip:

Don't join meez.

[ariana_malfoy]

whateverfloats wrote: My top study tip: Don't join meez.

That is very true..

[heartscuteness]

whateverfloats wrote: My top study tip: Don't join meez.

Lol
The Meez addiction is crazy..and I made this Meez before I started college.

[dude-shut-up-_-]

Never study,party, blast music....????
study
turn off tv/music while studing*keep it on if it helps you*
that's all i know

[lucymeez]

radio-clash wrote: Dont do drugs while you try to study.

Um... Yeah, that would be a no-brainer, right?

:shock:

-Lucy

[whateverfloats]

lucymeez wrote: radio-clash wrote: Dont do drugs while you try to study. Um... Yeah, that would be a no-brainer, right? :shock: -Lucy

I hear that if you study while on drugs you should take the drug before the exam. Because you remember things you learned when you are in the same frame of mind as when you learned them.

Ha!

[bellenarcissa]

My biggest study tip, the one I couldn't follow, save the parties for ONE night per week, and don't party so hard you can't study the next day. If you go out on Friday night, spend Saturday night at home doing some reading. Don't cut yourself off from partying a bit here and there either, because college is stressful, and you will need a release, just don't over-do it.