4 - Richard Hsia: Is there any point in studying?

Is there any point in studying? 

    Re-reading, taking notes, watching videos, flashcards.. there's so many ways people 'study'. In my experience, 'studying' isn't really effective.. but at the same time, I feel I haven't found an effective study method that suits me.

    I've never understood how students study for hours. Three hours reading a few pages of notes.. how? I know for college students it's much harder so I wouldn't understand. But from the perspective of a high school student, I never understood how it's worth your time to keep reviewing the same thing over and over again. How many times do you read something before you're not even fully focused on it anymore, you're just reading it mindlessly, putting your mind into autopilot but trying to convince yourself you spent the whole time studying. 

    I've personally never really 'studied.' Teachers, parents, even classmates all recommend it, but it often feels like a low effort and reflexive answer. Don't understand something? Go study! Well, I've had a hard time figuring out how to 'study,' and I've tried to over and over again. It just doesn't seem to help me at all, no matter what the method, frequency, or any other variation. I can't figure it out. I guess I should study more on how to study.

    My main problem with studying is how easy it is to get bored. I feel that once you lose your focus, which I do easily, I'm not even learning or memorizing anything anymore. I'm just reading it, reciting it, but not absorbing it. 

    Most high school students are told to simply go home, re-read your notes, look over flashcards, review slides. But like I said, this personally never helps at all. I know there's great study methods out there, but a lot of students unfortunately aren't exposed to them. I wish more advanced study methods were introduced besides rereading material, and forcing your brain to run on the hamster wheel of rereading notes the night before your unit test. 

     One form of studying I will give credit to is Quizlet. For memorizing vocabulary, Quizlet is really awesome. When your teacher gives you 30 words to memorize you've never heard of before, Quizlet is the way to go. As long as you do one of the actual activities, and not just flipping over the virtual flashcards endlessly, you should be able to start memorizing the terms after a while. 

    So, this raises the question, should I study? Well, I should, when I find a way that works for me. Or, I could try and brute force my brain into studying using the traditional methods I mentioned, but I'm not sure I would be able to actually go through with that. Until then, I'll likely continue my ways of never actually studying. If studying works for you, awesome! Do whatever it takes to keep you successful in class. Until I can relate, I'll keep on running away from the concept of studying until it inevitably catches up to me one day.

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