How to study 12+ hours per day without hurting your

[DukeofDuke]

We'll I eat dinner between by 12 hour study period, that's my 15 minutes break, yet my bum still hurts. As for a social life, my best friends are my textbooks. Socializing with so-called "friends" have gotten me nowhere in the past.

So everyone is saying that the only solution to my problem is to cut down on my studying time? My brain only gets tired after 12 hours, and if I don't study during those 12 hours (which I really love doing), I feel I'm wasting precious time. I'm being serious here.

As a man with friends, I take offense!


I'm of the opinion that your time is being wasted no matter what you do, if you want to get technical about it. Rather, your time is never wasted in the proximate, not ultimate, sense so long as you don't think it is. The only value we can find is that which we create. So, if for you, friends are a waste of time, and studies aren't, I suppose you are right.

But that can't be healthy...

 

[DukeofDuke]

s...Socialization is a necessary process for gaining intelligence...I'm going to be cliche here, very cliche...GO READ A FEYNMAN BIO!..and listen to what he has to say..

Yeah I think this proves my point.

 

[ephedyn]

Now, I'm serious about this but there was once when I had to average 14-16 hours of study every day over the course of 3 weeks.

What I did was to find some spot in the airport, sometimes observe the people around me; and at the dead of night, when I got bored/tired/stumped, I would run backwards across the span of the arrival hall for as long as I dared (less than a minute), before going straight back to work. Also, buy a bunch of bananas from the convenience store.

 

[Choppy]

Now, I'm serious about this but there was once when I had to average 14-16 hours of study every day over the course of 3 weeks.

When I did this it was called final exams.

 

[Bourbaki1123]

I think some experimentation is in order: you must determine whether or not you are getting diminishing returns as you go through the day. You have indicated that you can get through 1 section a day and do all of the problems in that section, but that is not necessarily the most efficient way to grasp the subject. I think that the first thing to do is distinguish between knowing facts and understanding their connection and consequences(to a reasonable degree, some consequences are very subtle).

You should try various methods of getting through sections, maybe only do one problem of each type in the exercises and then move on to the next section. If there is a subsection that deals with an application that does not interest you, don't do it and don't do the problems for it. Your best bet is to look at some course outlines for universities on the subjects you are interested in and follow them after obtaining the book(s) used. Following the daily regimen for several extra courses at once may prove to be more useful than forcing your way through one entire section and all of the problems every day.

Talk to your professors to make sure you have picked the best book for you. t is often the case that starting with a more intuitive and less rigorous approach can speed up your results. Once you have the key intuitions then the rigor falls into place.

I know when I first started getting into math I studied for 8 hours a day to get from the level of a decent student in high school algebra to being the best student in my calculus class in three months(the summer before college, they let me take calculus because of my SAT scores). I continued to study outside of class and even tried to decipher Rudin's analysis before I had my first proofs class (I barely managed to get through the first chapter) and I still study outside of class. I have found that my extracurricular study has made studying for my actually classes predominately redundant, I don't need to anymore. I have the framework to pick up new concepts quickly now. I am taking my first graduate course as a first semester junior. I will probably be ready to tackle Hartshorne's Algebraic Geometry within the year ( I am doing independent study courses with an algebraic geometer).

I have not studied for more than a few hours a day since the summer before college. I have found a way to study efficiently that works well for me, you just need to do the same. Try new approaches, study interesting but somewhat tangential topics (I find that analytic philosophy gives me deeper insights and fresh approaches to my studies).

I have found friends that add to the quality of my life; they are intelligent and they have diverse interests. I often learn something new when with them. Try expanding your desire to learn to other fields, try meeting new people that actually add something to your own ideas.

To those like John: I have very little motivation to earn more money than what would be necessary for me to be relatively comfortable. If I have a kid I suppose that (assuming my wife works at a professional level), an assistant professor's salary should suffice if need be. Working on mathematics for me is not about its marketability; if I come up with a highly profitable innovation, then great , if not I will not be concerned. I would most definitely choose the opportunity to do research I love on a prof's wages than to pound out algorithms for a bank for six figs. Maybe I'm a foolish idealist, but at least I know what I want in life.

 

[theman408]

life is only once dude.

 

[creepypasta13]

I have found friends that add to the quality of my life; they are intelligent and they have diverse interests. I often learn something new when with them. Try expanding your desire to learn to other fields, try meeting new people that actually add something to your own ideas.

diverse interests such as? do they mostly study all the time?

 

[DukeofDuke]

diverse interests such as? do they mostly study all the time?

Film-making. Ever tried it? Its actually a lot of fun.

Another friend of mine likes asian chicks (fetish-ly), opened up some pretty interesting discussions on beauty, attraction, sexuality, etc.

One of my friends likes working out a lot, pulled me into it and I can say confidently that my quality of life has increased. Same with running, I can now run a mile without having to catch my breath at the end of it (though I sweat a lot) and its definitely helped me on occasion.

One of my friends got me interested in reading GEB, which is so far a pretty good book. Another friend reinforced my wish to read a book called the End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs. Don't underestimate the value of smart friends and their reading lists.

Another friend hates the Nieztsche I've come to appreciate, and its forced me to learn him even better in order to defend (some) of him.

Another friend got me listening to Muse. Epic band.

My friends have often been benchmarks for my own progress in Physics, and have often helped me on concepts I've had a difficult time with.

Good company certainly builds depth of character and being, as well as the intellectual and academic benefits they sometimes give.

Oh, and I'd like to see you go through a breakup without a good friend to vent to. Trust me, it'll be a lot worse than otherwise. Of course, if you're studying 12 hours a day, you won't have this problem

Oh and early morning coffee runs are far superior when done with friends.

 

[Bourbaki1123]

diverse interests such as? do they mostly study all the time?

One friend of mine has an encyclopedic knowledge of American and European history and a pretty solid working knowledge of comparative religion. He is also interested in film and literary analysis. We have interesting discussions concerning politics, history and films/books. I don't know if you could say that he studies. He reads for several hours every night, if that counts.

One friend is an engineering student. He is published. I don't know how much he studies, I don't think its much, but he will graduate suma cum laude with publications nonetheless.

One friend is a mathematics student who shares similar interests to me and we discuss math for the most part.

This is not really relevant to you I suppose. In high school I spent 6 hours a day during the school year and more during the summer working on guitar and music theory. As a result I became a very versatile and technically proficient guitarist. All I wanted to do was develop my skill at guitar and my ability to compose music. I think I understand where you are coming from. Is learning math the first object of obsession for you? Have you had others before? I have had a few. Art, then music, then philosophy then mathematics. I still pursue the last three fairly regularly. Each of these areas were objects of my obsession for a few years at a time. I made them the focus of my life and had little social life during middle and high school. As a result, I am very good/well versed in them (although I'm still working quite a bit on the math). Before college I did not have much of a social life, now I have found a balance. I work on mathematics a good 3-4 or so hours a day and tinker with my philosophical interests on a regular basis while maintaining good rewarding friendships. Maybe you need to work out your obsession to its end and take the fruits it provides for you.

 

[Thymo]

If you have money, buy a whiteboard that you can stick on your wall. That way you have the opportunity to stand and walk while doing maths, physics or whatever! I do this and think heavily whilst walking in circles - this makes me feel like I'm doing things like Einstein did! It's fun, try it out! :D

And... Social activites are only for people whom like it. I (and apparently Mathboy) don't, and we have the same fun as you guys have with socializing. And I couldn't have wished for anything else, I love doing what I do, contrary to many people's ignorant assumptions! It's kinda annoying when people think you're sick if you don't like what they do... Just mentioning it... ;)

~ Thymo

 

[creepypasta13]

i only like socializing with my friends. i don't really enjoy small talk with acquaintances or people i barely know. i don't know how unhealthy that is though...

and besides reading and studying i don't really have any hobbies except this one sport i play

 

[muppet]

Isaac Newton could spend 18 hours a day working, and go for months on end with barely any human interaction. He achieved a lot- as you might expect- but he was a seriously maladjusted human being, who was completely incapable of taking criticism, had few friends and never had relationships. He'd already been screwed up by his father dying before he was born; he disliked his stepfather and felt betrayed by his mother for dumping him on his grandmother when she married again; he records a sin from his youth as threatening to burn his mother and stepfather alive in their house. Anyone without Newton's intellect who tried what he did would probably have a nervous breakdown- that no-one would notice- and end up like the guy off Salad Fingers. Talking to people is something that gets easier with practice, and makes such important contributions to your mental health. Friends support you when fate screws you over, provide new perspectives on your common interests, broaden your horizons, and boost your self-esteem.

 

[n!kofeyn]

I don't understand all the harping on mathboy for his want to study. If that is what he wants, then so be it. Why does he have to conform to what everybody else notes as normal? Nikola Tesla mentioned in his autobiography that his hours for nearly a year were from 10:30am to 5:00am the next day. He continued this type of work ethic throughout his life (and developed it during his university years). I would say that Newton's behavior and personal defects were not solely a cause of his secluded studying, but more from his underlying personal nature developed during childhood. Many guitar players, including Dimebag Darrell, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, etc. mention how they used to practice 10-14 hours a day. Why is studying any different. Greatness takes practice and if mathboy wants to study 12 hours a day, then let him. Although I do agree that a balance of life is helpful, and that it is very, very important to be able to communicate not only your ideas to, but just plain communicate with, other people.

 

[lurflurf]

Isaac Newton could spend 18 hours a day working, and go for months on end with barely any human interaction. He achieved a lot- as you might expect.

Can someone in the
While(Alive==yes)
get drunk
get laid
nap
end

camp name someone from Newtons time who achived more using that method than Newton did?

 

[DukeofDuke]

Newton never got laid.

He was proud of that fact.

I'm just saying, his laws may have been great for the rest of us, but I'm not quite sure he lived a "good life." Many geniuses don't.

Nobody said working 12+ hours a day isn't incredibly productive. They said its not healthy. Neither was Newton's life, I'd wager.

 

[ephedyn]

Well, there are a few key points that people are missing here:
- I doubt the threadstarter intends to carry on this cycle for the rest of his life. He probably just wishes to do this only while he is in university.
- We do not have sufficient evidence to deduce anything of Newton's lifestyle. And besides, our eras are incommensurable. An appropriate social habitus of his time may differ vastly from ours. Even up till the early 20th century, people could spend 3 years on the Antarctic plateau, through harsh winters, with barely a morsel of food and drink, in poor shelter from the katabatic winds, in some of the worst imaginable living conditions... and presumably, very little social contact!

In other words, we've reduced this to figuring out how he can study 12+ hours per day, which seems to be a previously solved problem:

http://books.google.com/books?id=jM...&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=rb woodward 186&f=false

"...he was forced to withdraw after the fall semester of his sophomore year because of poor grades... Then, during spring and summer of 1935, he earned enough money to re-register... and signed up in the first term... for 186 credit hours of classes. Since there are only 168 hours in a week, even counting nights and weekends, he skipped a few classes. But he managed to show up for enough examinations to fulfill the formal course requirements for both the B.S and Ph.D., and in June 1937, at the age of twenty and after only two years of research, he received his Ph.D. He was back on track."

 

[Winter Flower]

I would like to thank you for posting this topic about your enthusiasm for your subjects and learning, since in my classes it seems like the people who comment are always the ones who complain about not liking the material in a class or having to learn too much. It is nice to read another viewpoint. :)

 

[muppet]

I don't understand all the harping on mathboy for his want to study. If that is what he wants, then so be it. Why does he have to conform to what everybody else notes as normal? Nikola Tesla mentioned in his autobiography that his hours for nearly a year were from 10:30am to 5:00am the next day. He continued this type of work ethic throughout his life (and developed it during his university years). I would say that Newton's behavior and personal defects were not solely a cause of his secluded studying, but more from his underlying personal nature developed during childhood. Many guitar players, including Dimebag Darrell, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, etc. mention how they used to practice 10-14 hours a day. Why is studying any different. Greatness takes practice and if mathboy wants to study 12 hours a day, then let him. Although I do agree that a balance of life is helpful, and that it is very, very important to be able to communicate not only your ideas to, but just plain communicate with, other people.

My motivation for emphasing the importance of things that aren't maths came from the first page, where the OP said that "so-called friends" had gotten him nowhere, and that he didn't go out with his family on christmas day so that he couls study. To me, that speaks of someone unhappy. I've certainly no beef with anyone who works hard; I love my subject, and respect the efforts of anyone who spends time mastering it. I've pulled the odd 12-hour day myself. But there's a difference between someone who has a passion for a subject combined with a good work ethic, and someone who's hiding from the real world seeking security in academic study.

 

[lombardoja]

Hammock

 

[zpconn]

If you really are spending one hour absorbing new material and then eleven hours doing problems, I actually think that's a really bad way of studying.

Unless we're talking about research-level algebraic geometry here, it should never be necessary to spend that much time doing problems in order to learn a subject. If you're studying mathematics this much every day, you should easily by now have reached the point where you can absorb new mathematical concepts extremely quickly.

Once you reach this point, your time would be much better spent in, say, actual research. You need to talk to the faculty at the math department, explain your passion and your commitment to your subject, and see if they can set up some research opportunities for you. I'd be surprised if they don't try to help you out. This will be a significantly better use of your time.

 

[Codester09]

I can definitely relate to both sides of this argument. I, too am a first year university student. Studying math is a rewarding experience and lead to a lot of great things, but meeting new people and getting other points of view is equally important. I guess what I'm trying to say is.. you can be the greatest mathematician in the world, but if you can't network and meet new people, your success will definitely be hindered in the future.

 

[crrazygrrl]

woow!i am amazed by how much you can read and all the posts in this forum!but something caught my eye. You mentioned @ mathboy you have wife and kids?so when do u remove time for them?do you have any friends at all?well life only comes once and yes we all do have ambitions and goals in life but that doesn't mean we go into it mentally and physically. yes u may be a professional at math. but universities and colleges and some jobs also look at extracurricular activities. hoping to get a response thou this post maybe a few months back!

 

[flyingpig]

This is actually an interesting question

 

[anthonych414]

That's cool I wish I could study for that long, the most I;ve studied for one day is like 3 hours, I'm trying to study more physics and math, but I have official Brevet exams and I'm scared I'll get confused in my exam, I have a lot of physics and math textbooks that are above my level and I'm going to start studying in them in the summer.

@BioCore: you said you are in the life science program are you lebanese?

 

[tej125]

oh my god! i am your biggest fan mathboy! how do you study for 12+ hours and actually love it, i mean how do you love it. what's your mind set. i have tried to convince myself in the smartest ways, but they were not successful enough! the attractions(TV, games, etc..) keep pulling me. and sometimes i just get really tired. how do you control yourself from those attractions. and how do love studying so much! i need your help please.

 

[johnnyies]

I have chalkboards and whiteboards. I stand up when I study.

 

[Leptos]

I found the best way to study is 1-2 hours in the morning when I wake up, 1-2 hours when I get home, and 1-2 hours before bed.

 

[abelgalois]

Personally I admire mathboy's ability to study 12+hours a day, especially since he does it out of pure enjoyment. The only time I devoted that much time a day to something was when I was really into MMORPGS as a teenager. I hope I can find that sort of dedication and passion as well.

That said, you probably should devote a slice of your time to friends and other activities and or trying new things out. Having something else that you love doing, preferably with other people is a good way of preventing burn out.

 

[gretun]

i found the best way to study is 1-2 hours in the morning when i wake up, 1-2 hours when i get home, and 1-2 hours before bed.

this

 

[nlsherrill]

12 hours a day is nuts. I hope your exaggerating...I'd like to see how long you could go before you get burned out, or go insane.

But hey, if that's what you want to do and you find your own selfish pursuits are more important to you than everything else, then your completely entitled to that viewpoint. However, like others have mentioned, networking and collaboration is very important. Success these days surely will not come without both of these.

I personally study for a few hours then take a short break like get a bite to eat and watch a 30 min tv show, then get back at it. I also will study a lot earlier in the day if I know I'm going to go out and drink or w/e with my friends that night. Some will say going out is a waste of time and you gain nothing but I highly disagree. Getting away from the math for a few hours and taking breaks really helps me come back to the table with a fresh mindset. But hey, that's just me.

 

[sava28]

Hi mathboy!
I'm a student of MIPT, and my best time is 13,5 hours of pure studying. Try to study by standing on your feet or while you walk. There are no limits. Lev Landau could study 15-18 hours...

 

[creepypasta13]

Looking back on this thread again and being similar to the OP, I would like to share my thoughts. I started off college being painfully shy and studied close to 12 hours/day. I then realized that I had to work on my social skills.. for practical reasons, like networking, interviewing for jobs, etc. But I had no interest in things normal people like (watching movies, TV, listening to pop music, etc) and had no non-academic hobbies. Thus, socializing was extremely difficult for me. I changed that by getting involved in a sport. I met a lot of non-physics majors and made decent friendships with some of them and a lot of acquaintances, but towards the end of college. However, being in so many uncomfortable social situations got me really depressed and my grades suffered. It dropped from a 4.0 to about 3.6

So I screwed things up. Ideally, I wished I had spent my early college years socializing and, after building up the bare minimum social skills needed to be 'healthy' and helpful for practical purposes, I should have spent my later years studying close to 12 hours/day. Thats why I'm really jealous at people who do really academically and still have good social skills. They developed them at a younger age and didn't have to waste time in college to work on them. As a result, I got admitted to top-20 physics and math schools, but didn't get to any in the top-10. I don't know if I made the right decisions or not as it really hurt not getting into any top-5 or top-10 schools. I'm not painfully shy anymore and have gotten past interviews to get job offers. But I paid a big price, considering that my social skills are still far from great and my odds for becoming a professor are now dramatically reduced

 

[DrManhattanVB]

Looking back on this thread again and being similar to the OP, I would like to share my thoughts. I started off college being painfully shy and studied close to 12 hours/day. I then realized that I had to work on my social skills.. for practical reasons, like networking, interviewing for jobs, etc. But I had no interest in things normal people like (watching movies, TV, listening to pop music, etc) and had no non-academic hobbies. Thus, socializing was extremely difficult for me. I changed that by getting involved in a sport. I met a lot of non-physics majors and made decent friendships with some of them and a lot of acquaintances, but towards the end of college. However, being in so many uncomfortable social situations got me really depressed and my grades suffered. It dropped from a 4.0 to about 3.6

So I screwed things up. Ideally, I wished I had spent my early college years socializing and, after building up the bare minimum social skills needed to be 'healthy' and helpful for practical purposes, I should have spent my later years studying close to 12 hours/day. Thats why I'm really jealous at people who do really academically and still have good social skills. They developed them at a younger age and didn't have to waste time in college to work on them. As a result, I got admitted to top-20 physics and math schools, but didn't get to any in the top-10. I don't know if I made the right decisions or not as it really hurt not getting into any top-5 or top-10 schools. I'm not painfully shy anymore and have gotten past interviews to get job offers. But I paid a big price, considering that my social skills are still far from great and my odds for becoming a professor are now dramatically reduced

I really hope you don't think you need to be in a top 10 school or top 5 school to become a professor. Yes, its nearly impossible. But there's research groups even at top 50 schools that will put you on track for a top quality post-doc.

Studying 12 hours a day for 5 days a week outside of midterms and finals is absolutely ridiculous. I am skeptical, because I've never needed that much time in order to master the material well enough to get A's, usually 4 to 5 hours per day is enough for me.

 

[creepypasta13]

I really hope you don't think you need to be in a top 10 school or top 5 school to become a professor. Yes, its nearly impossible. But there's research groups even at top 50 schools that will put you on track for a top quality post-doc.

Studying 12 hours a day for 5 days a week outside of midterms and finals is absolutely ridiculous. I am skeptical, because I've never needed that much time in order to master the material well enough to get A's, usually 4 to 5 hours per day is enough for me.

Well the odds are much better at a top 5 or 10 school. At the schools I got admitted to, most of the faculty whose research I'm interested in are young, recently tenured professors, and not really well-known.

The OP and I didnt study 12 hours a day just to get A's. We used that time to learn material outside class or learn more details about the class material in order to greater appreciate what we were learning (as opposed to doing the minimum necessary to get A's).

 

[DrManhattanVB]

Well the odds are much better at a top 5 or 10 school. At the schools I got admitted to, most of the faculty whose research I'm interested in are young, recently tenured professors, and not really well-known.

The OP and I didnt study 12 hours a day just to get A's. We used that time to learn material outside class or learn more details about the class material in order to greater appreciate what we were learning (as opposed to doing the minimum necessary to get A's).

Well I guess I envy you in that sense then. Its just I find it very hard to find that kindve time during the week to study, and I can only stay in but so much on the weekend before I begin to get depressed and feel lonely.