<p>I’m an international student just graduated from high school.</p>
<p>My problem is it’s so hard to force myself to study sth so boring (like Chemistry, Physics). At my school I’d just study a few days before the test and I’m good, but I’m not sure if it will work at Stanford (I got in thanks to ECs, awards. My GPA is nowhere near top of the school.)</p>
<p>Now it’s pretty clear that I’ll suffer if I don’t change my habit. I have 3 AP exams. Although my school doesn’t offer AP classes, the curriculum is somewhat similar and cover over half of what’s going to be on the test. I got lazy (probably partly because of senioritis) and reviewed Princeton Review’s AP guide lightly in the last week before the test. The Calculus BC exam killed me and I don’t think I’ll get a 4 or 5.</p>
<p>So what are your strategies to study successfully? especially something you hate? I’m trying to love it but it’s quite difficult, since I don’t have textbooks for them, I skip tons of Calculus/Physics/Chemistry class back in my school (to participate in olympiad training camps), and I don’t find Princeton Review AP guide exciting.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>[Study</a> Hacks](<a href=“http://www.calnewport.com/blog/]Study”>Study Hacks - Decoding Patterns of Success - Cal Newport)</p>
<p>Study Hacks is great. </p>
<p>The real question: why the hell are you studying something you HATE? I guess I can see why in high school, because you are required to take calc/chem/phys, but are you asking this because you want to be a techie in college?</p>
<p>Thanks llpitch. Do you have his books? </p>
<p>Regarding why would I study something I hate, doesn’t Stanford require u to study broad subject in general education requirement? (IHUM, Disciplinary Breadth in everything, etc.)</p>
<p>Even if I don’t hate it, I somehow don’t manage my time good enough and will spend majority of my time on few things that really interest me (Computer Science, Business, etc.) - gotta resist the urge.</p>
<p>Yeah, I do have his books and they are great. If you read through the whole blog though you won’t really need to buy the books. </p>
<p>You can fulfill GERs with a lot of different classes, I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find at least one that interested you. And if you don’t, if you go study abroad you can fulfill some GERs there. </p>
<p>IHUM isn’t so bad either, and it looks like you guys have some interesting choices for next year.</p>
<p>hmm… maybe try to spend your study time more efficiently.
the way i study is conditionging@@
like i focus on whatever i’m studying intensely for like 2 hours and then i just take a short break watching tv or do whatever.
i think it works pretty well to me because i used to spend a lota time studying something that i could have spent less time on.
i guess basically, just study hard and play hard.
focus on the thing you’re doing.
and ya, i agree that you should probably choose the subjects that you really like…</p>
<p>Snoopydog, I’ll try ur advice. How long do u take a break before studying again?</p>
<p>I have to change my habit from cramming hard a few days before the exam, to really study it along the course. (I know it’s bad, but it’s tempting - gotta get rid of my laziness)</p>
<p>Focusing on these boring books is hard, unless it’s about - let say, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.</p>
<p>try cliffs notes (they are well oriented). Really in preparing for the aps, it’s hard to say. i think the “boring” problem is the stress that you get when you see the orientation of the text. Barrons is very long (and although detailed) it really makes me go to sleep. See the orientation (or style of formatting) of various texts and decide.</p>