[INTJlove]

I don't know if this had to do anything with personality type or I am just lazy, but I tend to delay every sort studying for as long as I can. Is it just me?
Another weird thing, I tend to study a whole lot less then other students, in fact I usually study only one day before an exam (though I'm thinking of changing that habit), and still get better results than most of the other students. I think it's because I get the big picture of what I need to know, while others... don't.

[repartee]

I think this is common amongst INTJs, it certainly is for me. Once I understand a topic/area of study, I get bored and have very little interest in learning the details. I much prefer to move onto the next area and learn about that.

Although I am very much interested in history (for example), I love reading about various historical events but I am not interested in dates, names, places etc, more I am interested in an overview of the events - what caused them, how they happened, decisions that were made etc.

[jawa]

Yeah, everything you just said generally applies to me. I freak out because I never study and sometimes get around to it prior to exams. If I do particularly good on the exam I feel like it had nothing to do with studying, and if I do particularly bad I think I didn't study hard enough and it was pointless to even try.

Like yourself, I'm trying to change my study habits to just regularly study. If I can figure out a good routine, I'm sure I can eventually make myself enjoy it.

[MechanicalSun]

At the university I used to challenge myself for perfect score.
Finished "studying"/reviewing (because for me it was lesson done, lesson learnt) for a given exam a week before. The last week dedicated to get drunk and play football while seeing the rest getting more and more stressed lol(did this with a friend of mine for extra enjoyment
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).

Learn for the future not for a exam.

[INTJlove]

Originally Posted by MechanicalSun To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

At the university I used to challenge myself for perfect score. Finished "studying"/reviewing (because for me it was lesson done, lesson learnt) for a given exam a week before. The last week dedicated to get drunk and play football while seeing the rest getting more and more stressed lol(did this with a friend of mine for extra enjoyment To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ). Learn for the future not for a exam.

That's exactly what I should do.

[darniem]

Never study. I'm in grad school. I hardly take notes in some classes. If I have an exam coming up, I'll skim through whatever notes I may have.

Even when it comes to writing essays, I will wait til the last minute. I generally have an idea of what my thesis will be and how it's gonna play out in my head. I'll use source materials just to back up what I've already decided to write.

So far, I get A's on my essays and A/B's on my exams via this method. Sad to watch friends stressing over these things, and annoying to see all the facebook statues around midterms/finals that are all "OMG!!! Studying for Victorian Lit! UHHHHGGGHGHG!!1!1!!" or "ONE ESSAY DOWN 3 TO GO! OMG MY COLLEGE LIFE IS SO HARD".

huh.

[Monte314]

Are you guys taking "real" courses, or the typical pablum?

Here is the sketch for the course I'm teaching this Summer; I can assure you that my students... ALL of them... will be studying, no matter how "smart" they are.

[HIDE="CMS395 Network Information Theory"]

Prerequisites: Discrete Mathematics, moderate programming skills in Java or C.

This course will enable students to apply advanced methods from Discrete Mathematics and Information Theory to current problems in computer networks, at all scales of their operation.

Instruction will be by lectures, assigned reading, student presentations, and projects.

The course will treat a wide range of advanced topics in network theory in the following three categories:

I. Mathematics of Packet Switched Networks

Shannon Entropy, Nyquist's Theorem
Routing Theory and Adaptive Optimization
Student Presentation: The ISO 7-layer OSI Model

II. Principles of Information Encoding

What is modulation?
The difference between data and information
Simple Metrics: parity, checksums, bit error correction
Advanced Metrics: Efficiency, security, reliability (pick any 2)
Student Presentation: Survey of methods for representation of digital data

III. Information Theory in Network Security

Data Encryption, Steganography
Data Anonymization
Intrusion Detection
Student Presentation: RSA Encryption

There will be two group projects:

Project 1: Ambient Modulation
We will build a highly secure network messaging application that combines
elements of Steganography and Cryptography

Project 2: Building a search engine (Rocchio Algorithm and Beyond)
We will build a search engine for Wikipedia that allows users to search for
information by ideas, concepts, and analogies rather than search terms.[/HIDE]

[BFrost1]

I'm no Mechanical Engineering major, but I have my share of difficult courses. I don't study. Like repartee said, I am more interested in understanding the general concept rather than the insignificant details, then I move on to the next thing. I am a huge procrastinator, and rather play video games than even glance at the few notes I have late the night before a final exam. I still get away with A's and B's, even the occasional C and that's all I really need. I don't get pissed at my sub-par performance because I know I don't work, and I am ok with that.

[fokalina]

Remember that some teachers design tests that require the use of knowledge, understanding, and information that they do not go over in class. Stuff that you have to look up and read about on your own. Some exams are short answer or essay that cannot be BSed. They include proof of formulas, words, and figures that are specific and not at all intuitive.
Sometimes, then, not studying for a test tells more about the test than the "non-studyer".

However, you could just be very intelligent and a quick learner. That's cool. Your fellow student may just not be as bright.
It's also possible, though, that they're just as smart, but they don't listen in class or pay attention to homework and so while you've been absorbing information all along, they have to cram it in to the last few days. There are other possibilites too. ^This is just the one I'm most personally familiar with.
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[MechanicalSun]

Originally Posted by Monte314 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Are you guys taking "real" courses, or the typical pablum? Here is the sketch for the course I'm teaching this Summer; I can assure you that my students... ALL of them... will be studying, no matter how "smart" they are. [HIDE="CMS395 Network Information Theory"] Prerequisites: Discrete Mathematics, moderate programming skills in Java or C. This course will enable students to apply advanced methods from Discrete Mathematics and Information Theory to current problems in computer networks, at all scales of their operation. Instruction will be by lectures, assigned reading, student presentations, and projects. The course will treat a wide range of advanced topics in network theory in the following three categories: I. Mathematics of Packet Switched Networks Shannon Entropy, Nyquist's Theorem Routing Theory and Adaptive Optimization Student Presentation: The ISO 7-layer OSI Model II. Principles of Information Encoding What is modulation? The difference between data and information Simple Metrics: parity, checksums, bit error correction Advanced Metrics: Efficiency, security, reliability (pick any 2) Student Presentation: Survey of methods for representation of digital data III. Information Theory in Network Security Data Encryption, Steganography Data Anonymization Intrusion Detection Student Presentation: RSA Encryption There will be two group projects: Project 1: Ambient Modulation We will build a highly secure network messaging application that combines elements of Steganography and Cryptography Project 2: Building a search engine (Rocchio Algorithm and Beyond) We will build a search engine for Wikipedia that allows users to search for information by ideas, concepts, and analogies rather than search terms.[/HIDE]

Sounds fun, if I was a lazy guy I would probably skip part II thou
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(except the presentations, those I enjoy for several reasons lol).

[Aneke]

I also rarely study, unless it's something where I have to remember a lot of details. For example, I had a cinema history class where I had to know dates/directors/lead actors for a bunch of films. If it's just general concepts, I don't bother.

I recently had an agonizing semester where I couldn't bring myself to write papers until the day before the due date. In fact, I had a hard time even going to class. Mid-semester I took a "second spring break" and hardly missed a thing... Granted, this is community college, but I was still amazed that I could do almost nothing and still pass. I could just blow off studying and still get better scores than most of the other students.

[Booko]

There were courses in college I needed to study for and others less so. Most at least required reading and listening to lectures though.

I had well-planned out structured study habits and didn't procrastinate. Quite the opposite.

Maybe I was more motivated because college was my way out of living the life my other female cousins got stuck with, so failure at school had very serious consequences.

[Brisbot]

Since I'm a biology major, I do plenty of studying seeing as how many minute details one can be tested over on a given exam. Like repartee, I'm usually most interested in the macro details: how does this relate to the whole, and when it comes to learning the individual names of say... some secondary enzyme... this is why I study. So far it's given me A's, but that might change as I take more upper level courses.

With all honesty, I need to give more attention to things like names and dates, as they're important on some detail. However, when I'm first going through a chapter or something, they usually fade out fairly quickly because of some more important matter. For those I need repetition.

[froyo]

Procrastination? It's a pretty fun thing to do and it usually works out. usually...
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	Originally Posted by MechanicalSun To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Learn for the future not for a exam.

I'd agree with you. Unless if you care about your grades.

[illustral]

I study very rarely. And even that is just doing a once-over of the material. I learn primarily by listening to the teacher talk. I never even look at the book because I can't stand to read through it.

[CrudeHypothesis]

Originally Posted by Monte314 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Are you guys taking "real" courses, or the typical pablum? Here is the sketch for the course I'm teaching this Summer; I can assure you that my students... ALL of them... will be studying, no matter how "smart" they are. [HIDE="CMS395 Network Information Theory"] Prerequisites: Discrete Mathematics, moderate programming skills in Java or C. This course will enable students to apply advanced methods from Discrete Mathematics and Information Theory to current problems in computer networks, at all scales of their operation. Instruction will be by lectures, assigned reading, student presentations, and projects. The course will treat a wide range of advanced topics in network theory in the following three categories: I. Mathematics of Packet Switched Networks Shannon Entropy, Nyquist's Theorem Routing Theory and Adaptive Optimization Student Presentation: The ISO 7-layer OSI Model II. Principles of Information Encoding What is modulation? The difference between data and information Simple Metrics: parity, checksums, bit error correction Advanced Metrics: Efficiency, security, reliability (pick any 2) Student Presentation: Survey of methods for representation of digital data III. Information Theory in Network Security Data Encryption, Steganography Data Anonymization Intrusion Detection Student Presentation: RSA Encryption There will be two group projects: Project 1: Ambient Modulation We will build a highly secure network messaging application that combines elements of Steganography and Cryptography Project 2: Building a search engine (Rocchio Algorithm and Beyond) We will build a search engine for Wikipedia that allows users to search for information by ideas, concepts, and analogies rather than search terms.[/HIDE]

	Originally Posted by BFrost1 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I'm no Mechanical Engineering major...

You see, the thing is, I AM a Mechanical Engineering major. I have to understand things like what Monte is talking about. Every exam I do is mostly maths based, so if you don't study, it's a fact you won't pass. That is, I haven't met any people with Eidetic memory. All the students that bragged about passing first year without studying and tried to do the same in second year failed.

[MechanicalSun]

	Originally Posted by froyo To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I'd agree with you. Unless if you care about your grades.

Unless you care about an exam more than your future. Anyways, all it takes to overcome a "exam" is to know all the content and understand it(and possibly apply to a "hypothetical problem)? Big deal.

In my opinion, way more important is when the practical/real/professional problems arise and you need to have the knowledge and use it.

[IncorrectLabel]

I can relate to this. Procrastination can be a double edge sword though...

[INTJeverything]

It also applies to me, I don't study much though I get high scores. This was fine during high school and on my last year in high school I studied really well and get a very high score.

This becomes my problem after I got to medical school, medicine requires a lot of studying if you want to be an A student. I don't study much thus I'm only an average student. I don't like that and wish if I could change this habit.

[396chevy]

So far I don't study much at all, I always worry about the test, but I still don't study, I always end up doing pretty well, haven't got a "B" yet but I'm still taking the basics for my business degree. I expect this will change when I get into grad school.

[Alu]

Yeah... at the beginning I had tons of motivation. I studied, read, and did lots of work (often too much out of paranoia). That always put me someplace within the top three students of the class.

It got old fast though. Now I really only study if there are tables, terms or labels which I need to have memorized. Otherwise I just quickly review my notes the night before to refresh. I still get B-As. If I show up to class and just rethink about it afterwards, I'm usually good.

[ManWithNoName]

	Originally Posted by CrudeHypothesis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You see, the thing is, I AM a Mechanical Engineering major. I have to understand things like what Monte is talking about. Every exam I do is mostly maths based, so if you don't study, it's a fact you won't pass. That is, I haven't met any people with Eidetic memory. All the students that bragged about passing first year without studying and tried to do the same in second year failed.

Yeah I agree with this. I'm in IT but my degree is in the faculty of engineering. Most of my school work is project or assignment based. We don't just have to know something, we have to know it, know how to apply it, and actually apply it well.

I've learned there is a huge difference between simply knowing a few principles or facts about a subject and the theory of how something works and knowing how to actually leverage that knowledge and actually construct something that works.

You can't just do it last minute as to do it well it's going to take refinement and to refine you need time. That and the projects all take like 30 hours to do no matter what. They're planned that way and are expected to take that long. There really is no doing things last minute. If you start it the night before you're going to be up for 30 hours getting it done. That's if you actually want to complete it.

[nwfn]

Varied by course for me, but generally my study habits fell into one of two categories when I was at school:

1. Hyper-disciplined, studying 8-12 hours per day for exams
2. Total procrastination

In general, if I'm "checked-in" to a subject, if I buy its importance, if I want to understand it, then #1 applies. If it's something I don't enjoy (e.g. French) then option #2 applies.

[sircockburn]

Are you kidding? I never even went to class except for the first week to avoid being dropped, and for exams.

And for exams, I simply had a roommate or whoever drive me to school in my car, where I skimmed the textbook for the very first time. Or I'd flip through the chapter while eating breakfast or something.

Basically I only studied for around 10-15 minutes per exam.

Then again, my GPA's a pathetic 3.22, and I was just an Accounting major.