How To Prepare For Exams Without Going In Default State?

[likhil]

With all this existential questions how to focus on studies.

[Azrael]

6 hours ago, likhil said:

With all this existential questions how to focus on studies.

Interesting question. I study computer science and have times in which I have to learn for 5 weeks straight, 5 days a week, 6-7 hours a day. Also I'm heavily invested in looking into Zen, enlightenment, all this kind of search. So basically what I do is that I retreat while learning for the exams. I meditate a lot, do walking meditation, be highly concentrated while learning and really merging with my discipline (the stuff I learn). I really look into how I can play the game of what I study as productive and effective as I can do and all I need to know about that, basically comes from self-actualization.

Use what you learn here and apply it in every situation you're in. Every game you play is best played by knowing that it is a game and by studying the rules (self-actualizing). Most "normal" people who don't look into this will call this cheating when seen in action and if that happens you know you're on the right track.

Cheers

[Joyboy]

@ArikInteresting answer, I want to ask how you overcome procastination. It's my biggest problem.

Edited April 10, 2016 by 7oo13ad

[Azrael]

2 hours ago, 7oo13ad said:

I want to ask how you overcome procastination. It's my biggest problem.

Basically by working with to-do lists. This does the job for me. It sounds simple, but in this case simple is very significant. For example, if I have to learn for 5 weeks this can seem pretty overwhelming.

What I do is that I research all the topics I have to learn in advance, then structure them and add to each day of the work weak different topics to learn. I take enough time for each one, add some days where I just do testing and some other where I just go with repeating the prior ones. This way I can take off the weekends because I never come into this situation in which I have to do an all-nighter. Planning is key w/ learning.

For every other bigger event you can do it as I stated above. For the actual day you can just list the topics you have to do, weigh them with numbers and you are all set. Do this the day before you have to do your tasks. Also, there are really nice apps out there so you can do it w/ your phone and e. g. auto-repeat some tasks. I tend to go that way a lot.

The psychological trick here is the following: IF you actually go with this simple method and you have some time off in the day you tend to go over the list and do a few little things and then plan to do the bigger ones. And most importantly, cross them off when you're done. That's the 20% of productivity tricks you need to get the 80% outcome.