🗑️ 🧵 /study/ help
Anonymous at Wed, 2 Apr 2025 19:48:51 UTC No. 16635365
How the hell do you actually retain what you study?
Serious question: how do you guys actually remember the absurd amount of info in uni-level STEM courses? I’m trying to grind through physics and chem, but after a week it’s like my brain does a factory reset. I’ll spend hours reading, solving problems, watching lectures… and two days later I forget what a goddamn mole is.
I’ve tried Anki but making cards manually is actual suffering. I end up spending more time formatting cards than studying. Someone in a Discord I lurk in mentioned an app https://flashcards.ai — supposedly you just paste your notes or textbook pages and it spits out a deck. Haven’t tried it yet but might give it a go before finals kill me.
How do you study effectively? Is it just reps and pain? Do you make summary sheets, or just trust in spaced repetition and hope for the best? Any unconventional methods welcome.
Anonymous at Wed, 2 Apr 2025 21:15:19 UTC No. 16635454
At university age I didn't really understand how to learn, I did poorly. I think the most important thing is grasping the fundamentals of what current material is building on. So it really should feel like a natural extension, new information that makes sense given your existing understanding. If you are just memorizing but don't really "get it" then you're doing it wrong and need to backtrack until it makes sense.
But there's some courses you just have to take and really aren't interested in, I guess it's okay to just coast through some things and brute force the info into your brain just long enough to pass exams.
Anonymous at Thu, 3 Apr 2025 07:30:11 UTC No. 16635789
>>16635365
when I study to learn I have very hard time to remember anything. When I don't care and watch or listen casually for no real reason I remember almost everything in great detail. I wish I understand how to use that to make learning easier and faster.
Anonymous at Thu, 3 Apr 2025 07:50:36 UTC No. 16635794
>>16635365
sometimes it just takes a few months or a year for stuff to gel in your head.
it's really weird. if you've ever played an instrument, you'll know that sometimes after practicing all day you just have to sleep, and then magically you are way better