Help with studying effectively.

[>--stethoscope--o]

How do you deal with procrastination??? When I'm studying I only seem to get past 2 concepts in a whole day or 2 pages in a book! It takes me so long and I don't know why. I don't know what to do and how to fix it. I want to be more productive and get through say a chapter in a day or 1 1/2 chapters. How do I do that? Is it possible to do that and still end up with A's on an exam? I'll also set up goals for a day and something always ends up happening where I can't start on the set time I want to study. When I do study I also get either weak or tired, it's crazy!... I don't know if it's procrastination or lack of time management and what to do about it. Advice on this is greatly appreciated.

[CrazierThanYou]

I'm bad for not making much progress too but you just have to do it. I will often be reading and then realize that I didn't "get" a single word I "read". I just have to force myself to focus on what I'm reading.

[Annaiya, NP]

I am the exact same way, I'll be wide awake and then start reading homework and fall asleep on my book. It's terrible. I have learned some ways to deal with it, but it is a constant struggle.

I always set goals for myself and if I don't meet my goals for one day then I know they HAVE to be met the next day. I've also found doing homework in small blocks is easier for me than sitting down and doing 4 hours straight. For example, I'll study for 30 min. then go do laundry for 15, then study for 20, then go make lunch for 30, etc. Although I get to the end of the day and feel like I spent all day studying, I find I learn more that way, because I'm actually focused on what I'm doing. Writing papers are the worst for me, because I have to do them in large blocks of time.

I generally get all As so it is possible. But you just have to constantly be planning for what you have to do for each week and don't let yourself get too behind. Nursing school moves too fast, so if you get behind it is nearly impossible to get caught up again. Good luck, I feel for ya:)

[Despareux]

Try sipping on water when you're studying. The act of reaching for your water will create a [very small] demand for O2. Since most people are dehydrated and one of the signs of dehydration is the inability to concentrate, sipping on water while studying, will help increase your ability to concentrate.

Doing isometric contraction exercises will also increase O2 demand, help tone muscles and help prevent muscle deconditioning. It's especially important for students to do these exercises anytime we are sitting for long periods of time.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I do a 30 minutes on, 10 off thing. I study for 30 minutes, then get up, stretch, make a sandwich, fold a load of laundry, go kiss my husband, step outside into the sun and snap the flowers off my basil, make that phone call I need to, whatever. And then I go back to it. The brain fatigues like any other body system. Generally speaking it takes three exposures from different directions (audio, visual, tactile, etc) for a concept to begin to stick. And generally speaking, on average, the human brain can only absorb and file information in 30 minute segments.

I am sure that is not true for everyone, but breaking it up works for me and I get a lot more done. I also review my notes right before going to sleep, which I have heard has your brain processing and storing all through the night. Again, not sure it works, but my grades are very good, so I am good with what I am doing. Best of luck to you!