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As someone who has had problems with mood, motivation and goal-setting almost all of his life... and as someone who is similarly introverted and into the idea of self-made-success... I've learned that the single most important factor in keeping the momentum to achieve life goals is: A regular routine of a healthy diet and (near-)daily exercise This may ...

You either: Get the teacher's guide Get someone to check your work Find similar problems that you do have the answers for and use the same technique You check your work, then check it again, and possibly again I find teacher's guides are often quite useful for reasons beyond just the answers, though. In addition, some textbooks have just the answers ...

It's wrong to think about people as "passive" or "active" thinkers. We're both, only at different times (for example, i'm really passive when i've just woken up, but active after a class). The point is to move from a passive state to an active one, which is a pretty hard process. I'd advise you to build up a varied study patern: go to classes, read the ...

There are a lot of techniques out there for how to absorb information; and, it pains me to say, learning style is somewhat idiosyncratic, and the fundamental concept is to actually learn the material - not just memorize it. So, with those dire portends in mind, here are some strategies I learned from a high school course, reiterated again by almost every ...

I came from an engineering background and moved into comp science and I found Information Theory quite easy and interesting. It was not so much that I was more talented than everyone else, but because it used mathematics that I was already familiar with at the time. I had a natural 'feel' for information theory because I knew how it functioned. For ...

First, don't be hard on yourself. It kinda seems like that is what you are doing. What you are experiencing is natural. Commonly know as "senioritis". I'm one year into my second Master's and I'm already experiencing it. My advice, remind yourself why you are getting this degree. Remind yourself of all the energy and effort you have spent getting this far. ...

One general key to not feeling dejected is to avoid comparing yourself to others. You might find it hard to avoid that way of thinking at first, but try to keep in mind that most happy people do not spend much time and energy comparing themselves to others. You may find that you have a some edges over a few of the graduates from the prestige schools. For ...

I don't think it's about your mind being active or passive, but more about knowing how to read a book. Adler's How to Read a Book could be a good start for you. And since the question asks for some practical tips, I am going to share some here as well. Granted I wouldn't call myself an active reader, but I do embrace interactive reading, which to me is a ...

I disagree with Josh Bruce on some of his tips. In fact, I think some of it is misinformation. There is no such thing as a "type of learner." There is very little evidence that it exists. Also, rereading your notes is a terrible way of learning. It increases your fluency (i.e. your perception is that the material is easy). This will lead to overconfidence. ...

Your brain is already beginning to wind down as you see the end in sight. This is actually very common, people who are 'Finishers' are much rarer than 'Deliverers', and the generally accepted view is that there isn't a magic bullet here... You just need to force your way through. With one month left, forget motivation and just use persistence. Plan how much ...

I'm a big fan of Tony Buzan when it comes to studying, have a look at Buzan's Study Skills: Mind Maps, Memory Techniques, Speed Reading and More! for a short and sweet introduction to his approach. I also recommend Tim Ferriss who breaks down learning into a skill that you can master: How to learn fast and Accelerated learning are both good to read. It is ...

If you have a feeling that you are studying, revising, trying to memorize and got no effect it can mean you need to change the way. Something what you do, become too much routinized. There can be a flow somewhere and you don't see it. You can find a friend who does worst than you and offer him/her your help. Set up some meeting with clear goals. For ...

Try getting up and teaching the material to a willing-to-listen friend, someone else in the class, a study group, or even an empty classroom (real or imaginary). Teaching the material can help you study more effectively in several ways: If you're able to teach to a group of people who are also learning the material, then while they benefit (hearing you go ...

Sleep is necessary for long term memory. It defrags your brain so more information can go in. The more you learn, the drowsier you get, and that's telling you to take a break. Have been there and scored straight A's, I've never seen sleep as a waste of time. The worst possible thing you can do is using methods other than sleep (e.g. caffeine, TV, games) to ...

Well, that would change from person to person. Different people learn differently. For me, I need to have a clear understanding of the topic and it's basics or fundamentals to learn it. Good analogues, or real world examples help. Also, applying the knowledge helps. In 11th grade we had programming, and I had coded a bunch of equations from the Physics book ...

Note: It seems like this should really be a comment on one of the other answers, or an edit, but I couldn't decide where it fit best. The length of the time period is not as important as its constancy. One big benefit of fixed-time Pomodoros is the way you get into a rhythm of work and rest. After you've used the technique for a while, you'll find that ...

No, just stick to the existing periods. When you become creative with the work periods, you'll lose respect for the Pomodoro time limits and it will lose its effect. Always take the break. You can forfeit the 15 minute break as a 5 minute if you have the energy and momentum to do so. Breaks aren't that long, use it to go to the restroom, get a cup of tea, ...

I think you need to apply a little statistical thinking to this. The kind of people you are talking about are the .00001%. The vast majority of us are not going to reach that level nor do we need to as the vast majority of the jobs out there do not require or want the skills of the .00001%. There are plenty of good, interesting jobs where you can contribute ...

I was thinking like you when I was 16-17 back in school. I even almost chose a different profession. Fortunately, I changed my mind on time ))) There are some facts that everyone has to deal with. The first one is that there is always someone better than you (as well as you're better than many others). You need to accept this and not be surprised that kids ...

Take a break.. i guess u need to switch your brain to something u enjoy and haven't done for sometime.. some activity.. but it should not consume more than two-three days. stay away from your studies for this period. I feel You will be refreshed enough to be motivated and be able to complete your semester. And try to spend some time with anyone you know who ...

Don't summarize everything. You're right -- it is time consuming and often not useful. A 'perfect' summary will often be longer and more difficult to read than the real thing. However summaries and outlines are very powerful tools for understanding.. just use them when needed. I've done some very difficult subjects. Here's what I do. Note: I make the ...

Would be different for different people, but in your case, it seems you have a hard time focusing back on work again if you do something stimulating in the break, so I guess the answer here is - something relaxing, but not distracting. Listening to music, taking a nap, or a walk, or you could try meditating.

You could create a note for each assignment and change the tags from "#pending" to "#done", leaving them in the same notebook. Smart searches would then let you get the list of #pending assignments. I don't see that as much different than moving between notebooks, but you might. If you don't want to create a separate note for each assignment, and you must ...

Try gamification. Take some friends and start a studying competition. If you're competitive, that might do the trick. Personally, when up against really boring/hard stuff, I try to write a study guide/summary of it. It makes what you achieve more tangible, which is valuable. It also makes you reflect on what you understand/don't understand, which lets you ...

Read the question Read the question again Keep the pen and paper aside, and visualize the problem in your head If required, draw a diagram/figure on paper. Solve it. If you cannot solve it, try it again. If you still can't do it, visit your TA or professor. My university has study centers for almost all subjects. Yours might have some too.

You could try using the Evernote add-on for Sticky Notes, that way you can have 2 notes in your desktop (Pending and Done) that get synchronized to your account if you make any changes. That way, you avoid creating a single note for every assignment and you have a visual reminder of what to do.

This might not apply to your situation, but I thought I would post it in case other students would find this useful. For some this could be a rather difficult situation. I would recommend visiting the counselling services office (most universities have one). Some of them will provide anxiety or stress management tips. Some are run by students so will ...

I'm writing here a few tips that can help you with motivation. Take a dog for a walk. Go to nature and enjoy it, especially if it's sunny day. Or try squash or other sport. Eat healthy nutrition. This is a large topic to describe here. Organize your thoughts with outliner (e.g. Workflowy). If you're tired of reading. Try TTS (e.g. Neospeech Julie or Paul), ...

Short answer: Use time constraints as a launch pad to develop deeper understanding. Longer: Using a very limited time to develop a deep understanding of something is setting yourself up for failure. Instead of trying to develop a deep understanding quickly, develop a broad understanding VERY fast, then use the remaining time to dig deep. I try to ...

Depends on your goals. If your goal is not failing exams, do whatever you think it's more convenient to achive that goal. Sometimes even if memorizing seems to be the short-way, it will not be sufficient to make you approve. The question is too open to give to firmly state a general rule of thumb, but I'd say that first try to pass exams and then you'll ...