study tips?

It's on a person-to-person basis. Try things and see what works for you. Some people are more focused with brighter light, while for others that's to their detriment as it skews their concentration. Some people prefer studying in more focused spaces (At school or at the library, at a work desk/work space, etc.) while I personally almost always study on my bed (That's actually probably bad in many ways, but, personally, it does work for me, admittedly). There are tips and tricks to remembering acronyms and numbers. Associate them with things in your mind... as to what you can or should associate them with, that'll depend on you. Some people have sharper brains in the morning, for example. Some people absorb information or grasp concepts better when they're in a certain mood. Listening to music can help.

There's nothing too specific I can say, but keep at it, and make sure to not overextend yourself. There's no good in pouring material into your brain all the time if you don't allow yourself to process it, after all. Also, good luck! =]

 

Try drawing or sketching out important acronyms or numbers by hand (i.e. not on a PC, in a notebook) and somehow the process, with some visualisation, can help make it stick or aid recall

good luck!

 

Repetition.

Connect new facts with facts you already know. That way you're not just memorizing stuff, you're creating a complex inter-connected web of knowledge inside of you.

 

Firstly don't judge yourself next to other people, different people find different things difficult. To remember acronyms and numbers you should try and place them in a story. Brains are used to remembering things in that format.

 

You could make flash cards if you're just doing rote memorization. Put the acronym on one side and the actual words for the acronym on the other side. If the acronyms are short, then cut the flash cards in half with scissors so that you save paper.

Another strategy is to read over the acronyms and numbers several times, cover the sheet, write down as much as you can recall, and then see what you missed. Make a note of anything that you missed. They should be focused on more for recall.

 

Copying out the information can really help me, along with audio recording acronyms so I can listen to them on the train.

 

I used to re-write my notes to "print" them in my brain.

 

Yes, I have forgotten a lot of the stuff from first and second year of school. I just review it when necessary. Since I had exposure to the material before, going over it the second time is not as difficult. A lot of my courses are like that; they have pre-requisites, so information carries over. People either remember it or they don't. In the latter case, it's beneficial to review so that you integrate all the information. Like suninsthesky said, doing so allows you understand rather than just memorize.

 

Hi Stridenttube!
Are you familiar with the concept of multiple intelligence? There was a brain study not to long ago that suggest different people have different intelligence factor that makes them work best or their brain function best under a certain condition. For example, if someone is "Kinetically" intelligent, that means they work best and study best while (as an example) exercising, or moving around. If you are a "Visually/Spacially" intelligent, you study best by organizing thoughts into graphic organizers, illustrating concepts, etc. I'm "Musically" intelligent, meaning I often sit down and work easily when listening to music of different types.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

Here's a link to a lot of them.
Depending on what your studying for, the website Quizlet maybe extremely helpful.
You can enter in information as a virtual flashcard, but it can automatically be converted into a test with multiple choice, T/F, fill in the blank, and matching for you.

Best of luck!

 

I'll give you some of my thoughts on this because studying is pretty much my entire life right now:

The first thing you should do is figure out what type of learner you are. There are three main types (audio, visual, and kinesthetic). Figuring out which one of these you are, will help you develop a study method that works well for you. For example, I am an auditory learner, with a slight amount of visual. So, I just listen during lecture, and then study on my own outside of class by doing problems (if it's like a math class), or reading out loud to myself if I have to memorize something.