/sci/ - Science & Math

add structure to your study schedules and frequently review what you've done and where you're headed

>>8413948
Define structure.
I'll usually pack my day with shit, i'll literally work till I sleep, like a month or 2 before my major exams.

I like my field, I like studying, but for some reason I can't sit my ass down and study for 10 hours a day like I should be doing.
I know I'm blowing away my life's most productive years by being lazy, but I just can't snap out of it.

>>8413941
>Study literally 8 hours a day
That's just the equivalent of a normal workday you lazy pleb..

>""academia"" fuck up

Holy succ, I can't even make myself study for a couple hours in one day before going outside.

>>8414011
Is that fun for you?

>>8414001
Studying = Highly intensely using your brain for 8 hours straight, and you have to force yourself to do it. No one making sure you do your shit.
Working = Don't matter if you focus or not, as long as you get your shit done, good or bad, you still get paycheck.
The mental strain is much different in both cases

Why don't you take some responsibility instead of being a whinging crybaby and blaming everything else?

I can already tell from your post that your "psychological limitations" are entirely your own fault and could most likely be easily avoided.

First of all:
>living on ramen
Great idea, because a good diet isn't essential to brain power or anything. Ever heard of the term you are what you eat? It's true, and your brain is cheap noodles. Treat your body right with exercise and a good diet so you can function at your best.

Also if you unfuck your shit and are still struggling I don't see why you'd be opposed to Adderall. Even try something like Modafinil and experiment with supplements if you truly want to be a machine.

>>8413941
are you a math major

>>8414068
Yeah because it doesn't matter if you focus at your job or do your job correctly. Its not like you're going to get fired.

hier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBz3oHR5_mg

>>8413941
I cant sit and study for 4 hours OP. Don't stress about it.

>>8414068
Nigga, I know what studying involves. I also study ~8h a day and it's fine. You're just a brainlet.

>>8414096
>Fired for completing my job, with slightly lower quality.
ok

>>8413941
>go to the library early right after class
>spend about 20 minutes getting stuff done over the next 6 hours in between shitposting
>go home too lazy to get anything else done and smoke weed
>once an exam rolls around be completely unprepared
>spend 20+ hours at the library in the day or 2 before, study for maybe 5hrs
>stay up the night before with tops 4hrs sleep while chugging energy drinks and blazing to actually study
>end up with a passing grade that is a good 5-10 points lower than if I had actually studied 2 days in advance

pretty much what i did from junior year through my masters, in the classes that weren't trivially easy

>>8414108
yeah I was only joking anon I know that most workplaces are full of inferior creatures who really can't compete.

>>8414107
8 hours doing what? Memorizing chemistry reactions?
Try solving mathematics problem sums for 8 hours, your brain is constantly solving problems, not absorbing information. The former actually works your brain and not some bullshit you think is hard. One of the reasons i chose mathematics, i didn't take the easy way out and ended up with chem or bio. I at least have some respect for physics

>>8414111
Probably why I would sell out and work in private sector.
>Pays a fuck ton
>Requires literally 0 effort
Fuckin brainlets, who get tired after working.

>>8414116
>plugging and chugging
>hard

heh

>>8414116
>I at least have some respect for Physics
Physics Major here. Respect is given where its received mathbro.

>>8414116
>seriously buying into the "undergrad majors power rankings" meme

Jesus christ...

>>8414116
If math is so difficult and unsatisfying to you then why the fuck did you decide to major in math?!

PLEASE don't tell me your decision was influenced by a desire to be respected for having the "hardest" major because that is just a colossally stupid reason for going into mathematics.

>>8413941
Yoir burnout phase is basically just me normally.

Luckily I still have a 3.4.

>>8414129
>Intellectual satisfaction
>Intellectual challenge
At least I feel as if I'm challenged, I feel more fulfilled. Not like something you brainlets can understand.

>>8413941

Take breaks desu

>>8413964

Is this what it takes to make good money in life today?

Dang.

>>8414136
How do you live in that state of being literally dead? Literally shit feels like nothing's progressing, like literally you're in a mental block. Is there something you see that I don't?

>>8414068
>Studying
>Highly intensely using your brain for 8 hours straight
This is what that first anon meant by structure. Nobody is telling you to do this for 8 hours straight and based on what you wrote in the OP it's doing you more harm than good.
>and you have to force yourself to do it. No one making sure you do your shit.
You have to force yourself to do every single action in your life. If you don't enjoy studying, don't do it. Simple as that

>Working
>Don't matter if you focus or not
Maybe if you work in a McDonalds, but most real jobs take some actual focus.
>as long as you get your shit done, good or bad, you still get paycheck.
That's not even true unless you actually work in McDonalds. Maybe it's people like you with that shit mindset that cause an association of fast food with horrible quality.

The more work you put in the higher the payoff. It's the same thing with studying. You're stressing yourself out by assuming studying is more mentally demanding when it really isn't. Start treating studying as a job or you will fail. You are paying to learn this shit. Stop wasting your own money or stop complaining.

>>8414155
Yes I'm paying to learn this. That's why I need to make my money's worth and make sure I do the best that I can, if possible better than my best. It's gotta be perfect, something that I may not be able to produce in my job.

>>8414144
There are challenging problems in pretty much any scientific field. Undergrad is a meme, it's not real life. Sure, an undergraduate degree in biology might require fewer man-hours than one in pure mathematics, but a gifted student will supplement their studies with material that satisfies them and will go on to solve actually challenging stuff in their PhD studies. Obviously /sci/ is gonna try to convince you that what's important is doing a hard major but that's because they're all undergrads. Only a fool would take their advice to heart.>>8414145

>>8414175
>only a fool would take their advice to heart
>Take breaks desu
So do I follow them and take breaks or not?

>>8414152
I just live for the quiet moments of bliss I find walking around and absorbing my surroundings on calm days. I attain a flow-like state.

>>8414163
When you're in school:
>I'm paying to learn this
>I need to make my money's worth and make sure I do the best that I can
Yet when you're at work:
>Customer is paying for product
>Doesn't matter if I focus, get pay check whether it's good or bad
Do you see the hypocrisy?

>It's gotta be perfect, something that I may not be able to produce in my job.
If you can't produce when you're getting paid to produce, why would you be able to produce when you aren't being paid for it? Like I said, treat studying like it's your job. If you treat your job like a joke, well then you deserve to fail.

>>8413941
I've never fucked up with university. i actually enjoy my field of study, so working just feels as fun as playing video games

>>8414197
>Implying the stress and strain from a job will match that of in Academics, when you have to literally get everything down perfect. The job you have only needs the applicable part of your academic perfect. That's a great cut in intensity.
The only profession I know with the job equal to the intensity of the studies is a medical doctor.

>>8414205
Do doctors really need to think that much though? They just use the stuff they've memorized along with the experience they've gained through the years to diagnose diseases. Very different from studying, say, highly abstract mathematics.

>>8414205
>in Academics, when you have to literally get everything down perfect.
Nobody ever said this. If you're a perfectionist, at least be a perfectionist in your business rather than being selfish with your perfectionism and only reaping the rewards for yourself.

>That's a great cut in intensity.
Either the job you are working is not intense enough, or your field of study is too intense for you. If you enjoy the intensity get a new job. If you don't like it then don't study as much. But don't tell me that the two have to be different. The only reason you view it that way is because you've sheltered yourself from any other view.

>know that if i don't study i'm going to fail this exam
>if i fail this class, my life is over
>can't bring myself to study, keep fucking up homework assignments

guess i'll just work at mcdonalds

I've had a fairly hard knock at just about everything, saying I'm a broken person would be conservative. I had to spend a lot of time working to pay for my first year of engineering that I just started, and I've had a problem with insomnia for just about two years now, but it's manifested itself in the last month to the point where I've gotten about twenty hours of sleep this month. It's making me tank my midterms, and I'm starting to lose hope. Seems like my only option is to apply for medical leave, try and fix this and come back next year with debt attached.

>>8414144
So you're Intellectualy challenged, huh?

>have high b going into the chem 2 final
>go on a zoo date with crush day before final
>so distracted by girl can't study or focus for final
>end up with a C in chem 2...the shame.

>>8413941
You are a machine.

>>8414116
>chem and bio are the same
Chemistry and physics are approximately equal in difficulty after lower division courses

t. chemistry physics double major

Kill yourself, mathfag

>>8413941
You realize we have finite attention spans right? I balance my day fucking around and being productive since I realized that whole "go ham" technique is unsustainable while taking Ochem. I used to feel guilty about people spending hours in the library while I spent like 2 hours a day max studying, but then I realized half of them are being inefficient or are just brainlets.

I'd recommend Kal Newport's "How To Be a Straight A Student," all the students interviewed even say they don't spend all day studying. Like I tell my tutoring students, you're wasting time and adding a bunch of unnecessary stress to your life.

>>8414116
>t. someone who's never taken pchem or an advanced genetics course

>>8413941
Don't fall for the students live off of instant noodles meme. You can eat beans, rice, and chicken just as cheaply but much much better for you. Invest in a crick pot if you're really strapped for time. Also break up your study time with short 10 minute breaks of letting your mind wander every hour or so. Don't neglect your physical health either, take at least a half hour or hour walk everyday to clear your mind.
A sound mind requires a sound body, OP

>>8414478
>Kal Newport

Fuck off with this meme.

>>8414556
>He doesn't follow the tenants of Kal

>>8413941
If you consumed food and sleep you could learn, it's that easy

Do that, even adderal won't help you when you're not taking care of vital shit

>>8414558
Fuck off, frogposting memer.

>>8413941
Some fucking retard posts here that has his own lab as an undergrad with like a 2.5GPA.

He said in his thread he basically does something similar. So this is not a recipe for failure.

>>8413941

> No protein
> overworking
> cramming

What could go wrong?

OP seriously you are an idiot.

> Get some protein
> Next time, study in a more sustainable manner.
> When cramming you can get more in by taking naps. But there is a limit.

Books "A mind for numbers" also "Deep Work" by Cal Newport

Hey... when people talk about how many hours they study a week/day, do they typically include doing homework in that? Or

>>8415011
Yeah. I know I never "study" beyond just completing the homework assignments. """"""Studying"""""" is a brainlet activity. Just pay attention during lecture lol

>>8415002
>Cal Newport
When will the memes end?

>>8414988
He just doesn't have the mind for it then. Similar to how weebs try to be Japanese and fail miserably.

>>8414397
But did you smash that shit tho?