How Can I Extend My Study Hours Beyond Four Per Day?

[Ratio33]

The subject of self-studying has been discussed extensively. However, one part that I find missing is an efficient workflow.

I have 24 hours a day but I can only manage to study 4 hours a day (i.e., reading, understanding, taking notes, and doing problems). I have done this for months but I can't push past 4 hours (remaining hours are used for breaks where I watch YT, do chores, and I sleep long hours to reset). When you hear about Leibniz, Newton, etc. complaining there are not enough hours in a day and I cannot exceed 4 makes me wonder what I can do differently. I want this feeling too (and I love math and physics with all my heart but I get kinda dizzy after 4)

I am willing to make any drastic changes and welcome any suggestion. I know its about quality of study not quantity but 4 is not enough.

 

[Vanadium 50]

What are your plans after you are done studying? A desk job? That is 8 hours per day, sometimes more. If that doesn't work for you, perhaps you are better off figuring where you want to end up and then forging a path to get there.

 

[symbolipoint]

@Ratio33
As an example, a review study of something like "College Algebra" can be, you read textbook sections, and go through each section studying, reading, rereading, perform example exercises, any restudy of any parts from the section, and then spend time on several of the section's set of exercises. Check your answers in the rear part of the book, and redo what you did wrongly. Move on to the next section and handle similarly. Each section may require between 2 and 5 hours of study. Be certain you study at least six days per week. You would finish all or nearly all the sections, maybe in 3 to 5 months.

 

[hutchphd]

When you sit down at a desk do you say "now I will study for four hours" or do you have specific materials to cover "I will understand sec. 2-6 or better yet "I will figure out prob 23 (or equation 2.34) however long it takes. This motivation of a daily goal may help. And some days you can concentrate longer .... occasionally not at all. Also I work best if I have a fairly rigid start time. Perhaps an exercise break after an initial hour or two.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I see the OP never came back. Makes me think the root cause is more a shortage of effort than a shortage of time.

 

[Laroxe]

I think study is aimed at helping people to understand and remember some specific sorts of information, I don't really understand why 4 hours should be considered some sort of metric for its effectiveness. When we consider the limits we have on maintaining focussed attention and how complexity and prior knowledge along with interest and motivation make this highly variable, it's the planning that becomes important.

While being aware of the time that can be devoted to study the reality is that this time will be fragmented with interruptions, distractions and poor concentration, its right to consider volition as an important issue. The time available describes a limit, it doesn't really describe the effectiveness of how this time is used, if more time is available, using it becomes a motivational issue. We can think about using the inevitable fragmentation in study as a potential tool in terms of introducing variety and periods for consolidation of new information in memory. This still requires considerable discipline and also an understanding of the best learning strategies

Academic study is purposeful and to be effective requires the use of appropriate tactics and strategies based on an awareness of the subject features as well as their own personal preferences in learning. We need to have a goal for each session which allows us to organise the specific resources needed and the best strategies to employ, its important to consider how we can evaluate our progress and identify remedial actions if needed. No one can maintain focussed attention for 4 hours and its useful to plan for short breaks and using a variety of study tactics, this can help us identify gaps in understanding, make associations with other learning, to revisit the important areas and elaborate our understanding.

 

[symbolipoint]

From post #6, and the imagined prescription of "Four hours per day to study", remind that Ratio33 is able to just manage 4 hours per day of study. He wants to do the best he can on the available or manageable 4 hours per day.

 

[hutchphd]

We can think about using the inevitable fragmentation in study as a potential tool in terms of introducing variety and periods for consolidation of new information in memory. This still requires considerable discipline and also an understanding of the best learning strategies

Very interesting. When I ceased smoking cigarettes (in grad school), perhaps the most difficult part was adjusting my "periods of consolidation" without the regular 8 minute nicotine- enforced interlude.......