Samantha Edmondson
Daily Egyptian
Miles Reidelberger can study any time, any place and with anyone.
"It doesn't matter if I'm with Albert Einstein," said Reidelberger, a senior in chemistry from Du Quoin. "If I am ready to study, I'll study."
But not every student prepares his or her own schoolwork like Reidelberger. Positive and negative study habits can orchestrate how a student survives late-night cram sessions and everyday homework.
Reidelberger opts to spend most of his study time in Morris Library because of the quiet, no-distraction atmosphere. But not everyone has the chance to free themselves of disturbances when they need to complete homework.
Marty Hagcon, a senior in math education, has three children that need their father's attention and care at his home in Carterville. So when Hagcon is on campus during the day, he does not procrastinate in order to spend time with his family.
"I do most of it in between classes," Hagcon said. "Finding a no-distraction place to study is probably your best study habit."
Four roommates and a dog can often divert Shiloe Gaconnet away from his Spanish homework. But he has adapted a philosophy that began his freshman year living in Neely Hall: keep on track.
"There is always something going on in my house, but I am pretty set in my ways," Gaconnet said. "It's hard for me to start, but once I do start, I just stay with it."
Even at the most popular studying locations such as the Big Muddy Room in the basement of the Student Center, Morris Library, residence hall lounges, Barnes and Noble and Steak 'N' Shake, students must find a niche that suits their mental and physical capabilities.
Gaconnet, Reidelberger and Hagcon all use flashcards and note cards to help test their memories and knowledge of their subjects. All three students agree studying in groups can be beneficial even with its obvious disadvantages.
Reidelberger's chemistry friends offer assistance, even if the study group turns into a gossip session.
"With chemistry, we learn a lot from each other, but I still usually study once with a group and once with myself," Reidelberger said. "I truthfully prepare myself as much as I can before a test; that way I just have to refresh myself."
BrainDance.com Inc. has developed a series of reading and comprehension exercises that help students and businessmen and women to advance their studying skills.
Founded by Patrick Magee, former microcomputer consultant for companies such as Boeing and Weyerhauser, Braindance helps students develop reading and writing habits that can raise their knowledge and reduce studying time.
Among numerous reading tips, Magee discussed methods of periodic reviewing. While reading or studying the material for the first time, the student should create Mind Maps, or charts of key points that explain the subject matter or highlight keywords. After doing this, the student should then take a break and come back about 10 minutes later to begin new material.
Before starting into the next set of homework, they should read over the Mind Map or highlighted areas to refresh the material. The student then should continue this cycle within the next 24-hour time frame, followed by a weekly revisit to the material.
By doing this exercise, Magee said the subject will plant itself in the student's long-term memory and studying it will be a breeze.
For many students, time is a big factor, making a two-week long exam preparation disappear into a late-night cram session. Pulling all-nighters often involves caffeine binges, increased anxiety and sleep depravation.
A recent study by Hope L. Graven at Loyola University in New Orleans tested the effects caffeine consumption had on students' studying habits. Her research did not find a definitive answer, but it clearly showed students who do consume caffeine did not academically benefit from the beverage.
Graven noted in her study, "caffeine is proven to increase the production of adrenaline and may speed up reaction time in arithmetic skills; it has been proven to worsen performance in longer, more complicated word problems."
In relation to college level work, students are above this low level of skill, and what they may think gives them power only speeds them up, leaving them even more tired the next day.
The heightened anxiety levels and caffeine binges can leave a student tired and mentally exhausted, causing even the best study habits to be worthless to the student during exam time.
James Ferraro, SIUC associate professor in physiology, recently conduced a study on the human's biological clock in accordance with daylight savings time changes. He said each individual has Circadian rhythms that give him or her a sense of time, which runs on a 25-hour pace.
"We like the days to be an hour later every day, so it is easier to stay up late than get up early," Ferraro said.
However, general sleep is not typically regulated by the biological clock. Ferraro noted individuals mask sleeping patterns despite what the biological clock says to the brain.
"If we are being told by the clock we should sleep, sometimes we do not listen," he said.
But Ferraro said most students are aware of their own bodies and know if they are a morning person or a night person. Some people can stay up until 3 a.m. studying, and others would rather go to bed by 10 p.m. and then get up at 3 a.m. to study before their exam.
Reidelberger follows the philosophy to stop procrastination before it happens. He takes the initiative to plan ahead, so his mental and physical capabilities are alert and ready to fill in the Scantron test form.
"The more you see it, the more you know it." he said. "The more you look at it before the night before the exam, the less you have to look at it before the test."
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
