Please help. I don't know how to study?

Question

Hi!

I'm 29 years old, graduated in the area of medical engineering but still find it hard to study and actually learn new things.

For example right now I have a great book on MRI- but the information seems to come in and come out at about the same rate. It just goes right through my head and doesn't stick.

I must admit I'm not always interested in everything I have to learn. I tend to like and enjoy knowledge when I actually have it.

I'm not sure what the best way to learn is. It's so much easier to be on constant breaks with a coffee in one hand. Things are also very hard to understand- complicated formulas and stuf: sometimes I can spend ages on the same page. This also doesn't help and just makes me fall to sleep when reading. :)

What are techniques of learning more effectively so things stay in the head?

Answer 1

try sitting down with you book and hand write what you are reading word for word on blank paper

my uncle was getting his butt kick by history class and found that the only way he could remember it was to re-write the book over and over

Answer 2

This is very common phenomenon, called plateue stage, where further learning stops or appears to stop and subconciously the mind consolidates what has come in already, than gradually the mind again picks up new things, some are retained and some are forgotton.
For students at your stage , it is not so important as to what has been retained in the mind, but what has not been -is where you got to work hard. The best way is --open a chapter-ask your self "what I know and what I do not know" repeat again, and again, till you are confident that "this is what i do not know" . This is yopur starting point to further the process of learning. Analyze why you do not know -- and-- out of that portion, revise select and discard what you know. What left is some portion of the full text that you really do not know.

Sleep over that portion for a while, go through it at least thrice , ask tha same question again, perhaps if your efforts were sincere, you will say " oh yes I do know it".
This is not the end, just the begining. What you know, in how many different ways you can express it. In your case if it is say MRI segment of your studies, make a rapid fire questionair , spliting the whole chapter into say 100 or 200 points having "yes" "no" or one line answers. Sit down focus on MRI and ans all questions as best as you can, note down the time, Check your wrong answers, correct them.

Repeat above session as many times as possible till you have answered all questions correctly and in shortest of time.

Pack up

Repeat after say one week, if you can correctly answer 80 to 90 % you are on the right track

All you need is regular reminders to the mind that these are the things that have been stored and ensure mind retreaves them promply when ever required in future.

Best of Luck

Answer 3

If the information is going in and out then that is a sign that you are not understanding the material. Rather than pressuring yourself to get through the material faster (which wont help you if you dont retain it) take your time and really understand everything. Sometimes reading aloud helps me pay attention. I also like to have my computer right there so that I can look up any word or idea that I'm not familiar with. This helps to form associations between concepts, which helps you retain and access the information for later use. Set small goals for yourself too, say to thoroughly understand and get through 2 or 3 pages if the reading is really difficult, then take a short break and then do another 2 or 3 pages. Best of luck!

Answer 4

Ask yourself, "what is my goal after I'm done with school"?. From what you say you seem to be interested in the subject of your pursuit. Try thinking of the best time in which you feel most energized to study, most people choose night times between 10pm until. I believe that is when you get the most benefit from your studies...Make sure though to try and get some rest during the day, everyone gets burnt out some time, try and not get anxious over it, it is fairly normal. Also make sure that you eat right as well. Sometimes a nice cool bath just before studying does the trick. Good luck!

Answer 5

If you feel that way you have two choices.

1). Accept defeat and drop out.

2). Screw defeat and keep reading. If you read something 13 times it is guaranteed to stick. Think about it you are 29 years young, you have your degree in medical engineering. Trust me you know how to study or else you wouldn't have gotten than far.

good luck! oh yeah send me some of those big bucks when you are totally done :)

Answer 6

Look carefully at your diet. Alot of people are allergic to genetically engineered foods. Wheat, for example. That might be what's making it harder for you to retain what you've learned.