Odyshape

Over the past two days I hit a revelation on how I retain knowledge. I learn by rewriting things. I am amazed at how well I remember things when I rewrite them. I have been putting studying my Islamic studies class for a very long time and my Islamic final is coming up. Over the past two days I spent about 18 hours with a few short breaks rewriting every power point presentation my teacher posted since the beginning of the semester adding footnotes and sorting and highlighting. I rarely become this motivated about anything and am very proud of my self ! I have end up writing 25 pages of notes that I have strategically highlighted in such a way reading only the highlighted words makes coherent sense and I have been reciting over and over.

The question I keep asking myself is what made me become motivated to do something to stupidly daunting! and I realize now its simple. I saw direct results immediately in my comprehension of Islam as I rewrote everything and I became addicted to learning about it. I am quite happy about this and was wondering if you guys have experienced anything similar about learning about how you learn. Or even just share what motivates you when you go on long studying sessions.


Also on a side note I rediscovered my love for Bee Thousand by guided by voices during this time. It was on the entire time. For a while I couldn't even listen to it I over listened to it so much. It reminded me of the first time I heard the album where I put it on for almost an entire weekend on a perpetual loop What a great album its so inspiring some times hahaha

Wish me luck on my exam! back to studying (this was a good fricking brain release)

Freebase Dali

I'm the same way with writing things I'm reading, but it's more an enforcement of reading for me.
For instance, if I need to memorize a list of terms and their definitions, hearing them will help me exactly 0 percent. Reading them will help me half way. But reading and writing them, I will have no worries.
I'm assuming it's a learning style, and probably a fairly common one.

As far as motivation, the absolute ONLY way I can get motivated for serious study is to do it at the very last minute. I'm talking no earlier than the night before, regardless of the project (within reason). The stress focuses me. "Cramming" might be looked down upon, but honestly, with the way I am, it has never let me down. I usually retain more within a compressed period of time and repetition, than an uncompressed, drawn-out period of time with the same repetition.

For me, the choice is obvious.
Now, whether I retain it for longer is another question... I'd say focus on the goal you wish to achieve.

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Sansa Stark

I just read the other day on Cracked of all places, is that the best way to study is to test what you know, by like writing something about it. They used the example of...I don't remember, writing an essay about how much Hamlet was a bitch. I think that's brilliant

I usually try to engage myself in something interesting that will keep my attention and is relevant to the topic. Like for example, I have a French oral exam today, and so I watched Amelie last night and took some turns on the Rosetta Stone

Howard the Duck

i had the same experiences with my law degree similar to both of yours

i found that rewriting everything from several textbooks helped me memorise it faster

and motivation came from sheer panic of the incoming exams

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Malaise is THE dominant human predilection.

The Fascinating Turnip

Long gone are the days when I could just study the day before every test and do quite well.

I'm studying Law now, and it seems that whichever studying method I choose, I always end up wasting enormous amounts of time, becoming absolutely knackered and retaining not even 10% of what I studied. It's fairly depressing and makes me want to stab myself in the eye

Perhaps the whole issue lies with the motivation. My only motivation seems to be something along the lines of: "I better not get myself into situations which will probably result in a lecture", and that's a fairly pathetic outlook. The bottom line is, I don't really seem to care. At all. Is this what keeps me from effectively retaining the knowledge present in the ridiculously large number of pages I have to read? Probably...But what to do?

Zer0

This seems to work for me more. I've learned from mistakes in the past when I crammed the night before a couple of days before for an exam and forgot most of what I had learned. It might work for some people but not for me. For me the best way to prepare for an exam is to start well in advance. Make sure you understand every topic and even write up a summary of every topic or chapter. Even if your class haven't covered all the topics yet you can just study what you have covered so far. You have a far better chance of memorising things when you learn them thoroughly early on and then revising them later. It's less intense and stress-free as well.

Answer as many past or sample exam papers as you can and try to find every combination of question that could come up. When you think you've answered all possible questions answer them again and again until you get sick of it. When you sit down for your exam and look at your paper for the first time and see that you know all the questions off by heart then it makes for a hell of an easy and stress-free exam. There's always some tricky questions that you've never seen before that come up so always expect them too. In summary your understanding of the material and repetition is the key.

How do I get motivated? The thought of sitting down for an exam, not knowing any of the answers and just sitting there twiddling your thumbs for the duration of the exam is enough to motivate me. I have to force myself a bit to start studying but once you get into a daily habit you can't stop. Also having a regular study schedule, taking regular breaks and going for walks to clear your head makes studying a lot easier and more effective.

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Salami

It appears that no one has wished Ody luck on his exam. Let me be the first.

Good luck, mate.

James

I have my problems with study too, I'm extremely easily distracted and I just lose all motivation after a while. I like to read out loud however, I think this may be because I am an "aural learner". Well that's at least what one of my teachers concluded. In a similiar respect recording notes and putting them on my iPod also comes in handy.

Odyshape

Thanks! I just wrote it. I ended up going for another 5 hours after I posted the OP :O. Things went pretty good. Know I got 2 for sure wrong on my MC portion of the exam out of 20. My written was okay. I had all my facts right for the most part but I mistook the Ali's (third caliphate) son for the Syrian emperor Ali fought... for one of my 4 written responses. Everything in it is correct except for one blatant error. Im guessing a B+ which is better than I could ever hope for learning almost the entire course in one day.

Salami

Sorry about that! I suppose you can't memorize an entire course in one night then. Imagine if you'd have started two days ago!