Limited time for school Tests

Homework and Study Help
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Hello, I am Navity,

I am a native Hindi and English speaker, I have always been some what under-average when it came to school, most likely due to the fact that I can’t really focus for one thing for more then 30 minutes.

As a new semester has come around I wish to be able to learn a thing/memorize it in a somewhat short amount of time.

As my focus is also diverged into many other things, as I have freewill to do so as I please as my school isn’t that serious, BUT now it has gotten serious, and I need to ‘lock in’

I have taken a look on this forum, the resources and various other Over-The-Counter things, so I do have an overview; I have tried to make a memory palace and some-what succeeded.(But it was a very small one with one 4 loci’s)

One of my main problem is I get so socially and mentally exhausted after school I physically can not focus on a thing and understand/learn it.

I can study before school, of course and when I don’t have school; On weekends I am so mentally and physically exhausted My weekends are just me resting.

I have a weekly test every Tuesday, which consists of 25 marks, the syllabus goes as follows for each subject:

  1. English- Litrature (2-3 Chapters, optionally a poem too)
    - Language( 2 -3)
    - writing(letters/diary entry’s etc)
  2. Hindi - Same with English
  3. S.Sc. - One Geography, one history, one civics, one for economics
  4. Maths - 1/2 chapters
  5. Science - One for Physics, chemistry, and Biology

Then one half yearly with all the chapters from the weekly test 1 and 2, alongside more, then weekly tests 3 and 4, then finals with everything done throughout the semester + extra.

My question to you is:

  1. How can I understand, learn and memorize information in the most effective, and a not so time consuming manner?
  2. What, and when should I learn?

any tips/recommendations are heavily appreciated!

Tagging knowledgeable users: @Josh

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Bump

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I’m not sure if this will help, but whenever I get overwhelmed, even when I’m completely exhausted, sometimes taking a 1-2 mile walk or doing a 30-minute exercise routine will fix the problem for me. It might be worth experimenting with if you haven’t already tried it.

Can you identify what is making you so mentally and physically exhausted at school? Keeping a log of what your activities and how you feel throughout the day might help identify the problem. When you feel bad, you could write it down in the log and then try to remember what you were doing leading up to the moment when you started feeling bad. If you can identify the triggers then it might lead to a way to avoid them.

It’s difficult to answer these questions in a general way without knowing you and your specific situation.

For memory techniques: Links to Art of Memory Resources

For a quick method to help remember and understand material better: How to Use the Feynman Technique

The book Make It Stick also has good general tips about retaining information.

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Hey, I believe everyone’s experience is unique to them. The people immediately around you may not understand your situation (despite knowing you personally and being under the exact same conditions as you are), how much more likely is it that a group of people from all over the world will better understand you? I can tell you to send a list of topics and try to start brainstorming on encoding ideas but of course, most of my associations will be meaningless to you. In summary, learn the basic techniques and apply to your needs.

I am pretty sure that whoever thought up number PAO wasn’t thinking of memorizing sines, squares and square roots but here we are​:upside_down_face:.

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First of all I appreciate your reply.

I have tried this out, I box for a good 30 minutes which really did somewhat help me until I put on Radiohead and almost broke my right arm.

I will give it working out in general another try after my arm is healed.

Most likely because of all the social interactions, the thing is I don’t really like anyone in my school; but I still communicate and try to keep a social life in school. I have no friends whom I actually like.

They get annoying, even after I push them away.

I tried switching seats to the 1st bench (where it’s basically empty) and they sit in the last bench, they just come forward.

I also can’t really not talk to them at all/ignore them for the sake of my miserable social life, +the fact I can’t look like a loney lad in front of my ex’s friends who are in the same class as me, and also the fact that they(my “friends”) send me the school work.

I have read most, if not all the basic/beginner Guides/Resources, though I must say I was only reading for 1/4th of them, not comprehending.

I’m not very sure how I can be more specific, but I’ll try my best.

I wake up at 5:30,(I can also choose to wake up at around 4 if need be)
I go to school, where I barely study, because I get so easily bored; I mostly do my incomplete work: I socialize with my classmates, etc.
Then there’s a 50 minute bus to my school and my home, in which everyone is screaming, and the gal in front of me rants about her boyfriend.

I come home so exhausted I don’t even wanna lift my hand up to drink water.

After some rest, I get on my computer and do computer-things.

Every Tuesday I have an exam, and I can only study 30 minutes each day, with 45 being the maximum.

After studying for 25+ minutes, I don’t absorb the information, only read it.

I’m not really sure what more I could possibly say, let me know what you’re looking for and I will gladly tell you!

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Would headphones help? You could listen to an audiobook or course. I like The Great Courses on Audible (Amazon). The lecturers are often good.

If people are trying to talk to you and you don’t want to socialize, you could say something like, “I’m studying an audio course at the moment” or something like that.

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I study in a strict private school, meaning a strict uniform, haircut, no phones and all that.

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Can you bring a notebook so when people try to talk, you can say you’re writing a paper? Or review some paper flashcards, or some other activity to look busy?

I don’t know the answer — I’m just brainstorming some possible ways to avoid having to socialize too much, if that’s what’s making you exhausted.

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I could definitely do that;

That alongside some L-theanine too!

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One more idea is to sit on the end of the row of chairs or desk and put an earplug in one ear to reduce the amount of noise, while still being able to hear what is going on. I do that sometimes.

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Have you tried the linking method? It can be done with or without loci.

So for learning a new definition for vocabulary or scientific terms you think of an image that represents your actual word or that sounds like it and another image for representing the definition. It doesn’t have to be a perfect just close enough to get the answer.

Ex:

Homeostasis- The maintenance of a stable internal environment despite external changes.

“Home” and “stay sis” stand out to me.

I’m imagining a scene where theres a home with my sister inside and theres a nice fire going to keep it warm and it’s dry and calm inside. Outside it’s windy and rainy so I have to leave and tell my sister to stay home but it comes out “Home you stay Sis!”

The scene preserves the definition by creating a stable environment despite external changes and the term is linked by the sound of the word
Also learning the roots will help since they will come up in different words

homo-same

stasis-stable

If you offer some of the current assignments you’re working on maybe I can give some examples.

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Maybe you can get a small study group going and you guys can come up with mnemonic aids for the lessons of the week. You’ll have some like minded friends working together maybe that will help keep people from interrupting you if you sit together on the bus too?

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You might not be so exhausted if you incorporate memory aides. But it does take dedication. The easiest memory palace I found was Dominic O’ Brien 0-99 system attributing people (using their initials) assigned to numbers. Tying people and action to what you are memorizing. And conveniently having an order. Also use this to Bills remember other memory palace. Hope that helps.

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