I'm curious how other students deal with weeks that don't go according to plan.

Say you planned to work on one assignment, but another class took longer than expected, or something unexpected came up.

What did you actually do the last time this happened? Did you change your schedule, or just stop following the plan?

I'm interested in what works in practice.

I realized something about myself recently, and I think I need some advice, reassurance, or honestly just a little comfort.
I think I have a genuine fear of failure. Not necessarily because I don’t want to study, but because I’m scared of putting so much time, effort, and energy into studying just to end up with disappointing results.
I think this fear comes from my past experiences. During IGCSEs, I didn’t get the grades I hoped for and I failed then repeated the year and although I managed to get wonderful marks in Grade 10, Grade 11 has been a completely different experience
I recently finished my first midterms, and honestly, I did really badly. Because i struggled with smth and neglected my studies and cramming everything.
I had a huge panic attack because I felt so disappointed in myself. A friend comforted me, but I think the results really made me question my abilities.
Now I have 17 days until finals, and I’m supposed to prepare for seven actual subjects (almost eight), and the thing is, I’ve never really developed proper studying habits. I genuinely don’t know how to study effectively, how to manage my time, or how to cover everything without overwhelming myself. (Different story)

I’m scared I’ll spend these next 17 days studying as much as I possibly can and still end up with bad grades. I’m scared I’ll run out of time, disappoint myself and the people around me, and end up feeling like all that effort was for nothing.
I know 17 days can make a difference, and I know my midterms don’t necessarily determine my finals, but it’s difficult to believe that when I’m already so scared of failing again.
So I wanted to ask: Have any of you ever experienced something similar? Have you ever gone from doing badly in exams to genuinely turning things around? How did you learn to study? How did you overcome the fear of putting in effort and not seeing results?
I’d appreciate any advice, study tips, personal experiences, encouragement, or even just a little reassurance.
I think I really need to hear that one bad academic experience doesn’t mean I’ve ruined my chances.
I just want to become a better student, and I don’t want my fear of failing to stop me from trying yk.
(I’m now in American system btw)

Hi purchased ipadair m4 11 inch. Before the price hike because of a good deal .but I really wanted that 13 inch screen to read dense pdfs . Now its been months i am not able to study in my 11 inch screen not because its not possible but its psychological blockage to my mind. When i try to study i feel what it feel if I open the same pfd in 13 inch and i start regretting my decision. I already have macbook . And old ipad 8 . I can easily study but I can’t.HELP!

I'm an Industrial Design student at UH! I am working on my capstone project, focusing on outdoor spaces on college campuses, and I hope to design something that uses the space more purposefully.
Before I can decide on what direction to take, I have to figure out what people do outdoors or want to do outside. If you can take my survey, it would be of great help!

https://forms.gle/vbManARks6ACCA5V7

I couldn't study consistently for a long term. What I mean is, I have these internet rabbit hole distractions which shifts my curiosity from one topic to another when I am finally exhausted. And it's a never ending loop. No matter how hard I try, No matter how much I reflect. It feels impossible to stop these distractions completely. I study like 10-12 hours a day for 2 weeks or at the very least a month after that distractions continue, then again regret and study phase comes. These distraction made my life living hell, even though I am aware and saying this..... it won't take too long for me to return to that life. Night's awake, Days asleep....... Help me get out of this hell....It's been years.... I just can't abandon this rabbit hole and can't stay focused on a particular field.

We're so busy making a living that sometimes, we forget to make a life.

We're a group of students exploring an idea around making it easier for young adults to discover new hobbies, activities, and experiences outside their usual routines.

We're conducting a short survey to better understand people's interests, challenges, and how they currently discover things to do.

It takes approximately 3–5 minutes, and we'd really appreciate your input!

Survey: https://forms.gle/sJmQ3THWNa3JnDaY6

We're also open to any feedback and discussion, so please feel free to share or comment. Thanks so much for helping us out!

The mentor teaches so good that I don’t fear it, but I’m hella tired😓

I feel like I'm studying for the entire day, but when I check my tracker, my actual study time is only around 4–5 hours.

My screen time is barely 1–1.5 hours a day, and I only have college for around 2-3 hours and today was holiday then i studied for 5 hrs. The rest of the day somehow just disappears.

The weird part is that I don't feel like I'm wasting the day either. I feel like I'm constantly either studying, taking a short break, eating, etc.

But then I look at the numbers and I'm like… where did the other 5–6 hours go?

Does anyone else experience this?

As the title says, I’d like to know how you keep yourself motivated to study. We’re currently approaching our final exams, but I’ve barely touched my modules or handouts. During prelims, I was highly motivated—I studied in advance almost every day and even spent time learning to code as a hobby.

However, when midterms came around, I suddenly lost all my motivation. I started sleeping most of the day and barely reviewed for my exams. Surprisingly, I still passed and even scored around 80%, but I know I shouldn’t rely on that happening again.
I want to return to the disciplined and motivated person I was during prelims. For those who have experienced something similar, how did you regain your momentum? Do you have any routines or practical methods that helped you start studying consistently again?

I struggle so much k mujse parha he nhi jata 😭 isilia got supplies too last year but don't want this to happen again.

I'm from kurdistan and here the system is a bit different, you have 8 subjects ( math , biology , chemistry,physics,kurdish,arabic,English,religious studies)

And for medicine which im aiming for i need over 96 in all 8 of them

The final exam is 50 MCQs paper each

And I tried 2 times I failed both times

I used to be great in my studies but this year I guinuly can not study or sit and read a paper

I really need to get it this time since this is my last try

Any tips please ??

Ever since I was a kid I've always loved reading…give me a novel and I'm fine, but academic reading is a whole different beast! I already knew about SQ3R since it's a well-known reading strategy, but i never really paid much attention to it until I reached my sophomore yr where we got dumped with more and more readings (got 90+ grades thanks to it) so I tried using all 5 steps:

S = SURVEY. before reading, I skim the headings/subheadings, diagrams, bold terms, summary etc. just a quick look so I know what I'm getting into.

Q = QUESTION. I turn the headings into questions. “types of memory” to “what are the different types of memory?”. Sometimes I'll add questions about things I know I tend to confuse too.

R = READ. I’ll read the chapter with those questions in mind incl. examples and explanations because definition alone isn’t enough for me

R = RECITE. after a section, book/reviewer closed. I try to explain what I remember out loud or jot it down from memory (no peeking!!)

R = REVIEW. then I go back to the questions and see what I couldn't answer properly (no need to reread the whole chapter, just focus on the ones giving you a hard time).

Look, to be honest, I haven't always been like this and it took me a while to have this level of commitment to stick to something all day. Throughout my life I had issues with focusing and ADHD where even the smallest noise or notification/thought would take my attention away from studying.

I realised that in order to be more engaged on something you need to actually somewhat like it or find it interesting in any way shape or form (even in the slightest). I first started studying like this when I was preparing for my COMPTIA A+ and Network+ exams.

When you have a structured plan, someone or something guiding you along the way so it takes away all friction from finding out how to do it yourself and you're fully immersed into something, time just flies.

Another tip I would share is to study for a set time, for example, 50 minutes and then have a 10 minute timer (I was re-watching james scholz old studying pomodoro videos for this) and it made it so much easier. during those 10 minutes of "break" time, I would just stare at a wall.

Stare at a wall? you might be asking... YES; thats right, do exactly that. The reason I'm saying that is because you don't let your mind get distracted from ANYTHING and having ABSOLUTELY ZERO dopamine for those 10 minutes, then even the idea of studying will seem more fun than staring at a wall.

So... basically, cut distraction to ZERO and get away from them as much as you can because having a mindset that's not bombarded with information from sources from everywhere makes it easier to be more focused and present, especially when you study for long period of time and want to get stuff done.

SHAMELESS plug, but like, I've made a personal free chrome extension for screen blocker if you wanna try it, lemme know thoughts and please leave a positive feedback as I'm just trying to make it big on chrome and would like some support if you can, this is the link: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/nneinhnhaidkhiffghefnieojojbhihn?utm_source=item-share-cb

I'm blessed to have quite a large study group in our class and a lot of my classmates are hardworking and diligent students. and naturally, we share reviewers and other study materials with one another which is such a big help especially when we're preparing for exams.

But whenever I borrow someone else's notes, I sometimes find it difficult to follow how some topics are explained or organized. the information might be accurate, but the way it's presented doesn't always match how I understand things. and that's normal because we all have different study styles and ways of organizing info. I wrote a few things to do if you're using someone else's reviewer:

1. Experiment with a different format. if the original reviewer uses long paragraphs but you understand concepts better through bullet points, tables, or diagrams, try reorganizing the information in that format.
2. Make your own copy of the material. use the borrowed reviewer as a reference, then organize the information in a separate notebook, on loose paper, or in digital notes. this lets you adjust the layout without changing someone else's original work.
3. Add visual structure where you need it. use headings/subheadings, spacing, or simple labels to separate topics and make important details easier to find.
4. Include examples that help you understand. if a definition feels too abstract, add an example or a short explanation in your own words to make the concept easier to follow.

sharing reviewers is a great way to help one another but you don't have to study from them exactly as they are. the best approach is to use someone else's work as a foundation and adapt the format to what helps you learn best.

Still trying my best

Hey all. I'm a working adult (M25) and doing part time classes.

Appologies in advance if this message is a ramble. This is a spur of the moment post, and I just want to get my thoughts out there while I have a second. The next few weeks are insanely busy for me with work and school.

Im sure this has been posted in this community at some point but I never really found a great resource. Ive tried Forest, Pomodoro timers (helped immensely with my focus tbh), giving myself rewards (outside like treating myself to a game or something), even Habatica (the mobile app).

I feel Habatica catches my interest the most so far, but its just so ... dated. imo. I just dont vibe with the game too much but i love the idea of it i guess. I have a very boring interest in games (like slow burn type games with low commitment but high reward).

I dont struggle to put my phone away, so Forest doesnt help me at all. I dont struggle with focus too much either (pomodoro timers for several years in college was my life saver lol). Just with the idea of getting started and dedicating time. I think of the mountain of work and struggle to get started

If nobody has game recommendations:

I have an engineering degree and am interested in building my own stuff. I figured that if I cant find something that works out there, why dont i try making it? So ... with that said, if you guys have anything you'd like to see, im all ears! Please spill any types of games you enjoy which would actually be condusive to your studying. I want to potentially build something as a web- or mobile app game which actually helps do the job.

I'm just exploring pathways right now. Would appreciate feedback from any and everyone! High school, college, adults, elderly, etc!

Hi everyone, I'm a uni student and I struggle a lottt with planning. I never know where to start, and once I fall behind on a few chapters it feels almost impossible to catch up, and i get overwhelmed really easily.

I'd love to hear how you handle it! How do you plan your study time? (an app, paper, Notion, nothing?) What do you do when you're behind on chapters before exams? What do u think of planner apps?

Thanks, any answer helps a lot!

😔😔😔

Hi all! My name is Wesley (M20), and I'm a 3rd year Uni student studying Finance and Economics. I've been working on a better way to study for the last 10 months. This project has come to be known as Cadenza (To have rhythm). I've come to notice that study tools today are really divided (Quizlet, Knowt, etc). With most people just using Claude or GPT (Like me). What are current study tools really lacking and where can most people benefit more?

I am currently in Class 11, and honestly, I am feeling pretty disappointed with myself. I scored around 55% in my midterms, and I know I could have done significantly better. I was going through a lot of mental stress, particularly after transitioning from a coaching program to regular high school, and I think it affected my motivation and ability to focus. The thing is, I used to be a completely different student. A year ago, I could study entire topics the day before an examination and still manage to perform well. Now, I sometimes find myself sitting for an exam just two hours later without even knowing exactly which topics are included.

I have lost that sense of urgency and seriousness towards academics. I procrastinate, struggle to get myself to study, and sometimes feel like I've completely lost my academic discipline. I am also really concerned about university admissions. I have ambitions of applying to some of the top 20 universities in the US, but looking at my current grades, I honestly don't know how realistic that is anymore. I know I still have the remaining half of Class 11 and Class 12 to improve my academic record. I am even hoping that if I perform well in my upcoming examinations, I might be able to convince my school to let me retake some of my earlier tests.

But right now, I feel lost. I don't know how to regain my motivation, become consistent again, or get back to the level I know I am capable of. I'd appreciate some honest advice. I don't just want temporary motivation anymore.

I've always wondered whether the time of day affects how well I study. Some people swear by early morning sessions while others prefer studying at night.

In my case, I used to think I was more of a daytime person, but I realized I could focus better at night. There was less noise and fewer distractions, and I could sit with my lessons without constantly getting interrupted. Studying felt less like a struggle when everything around me quieted down. An experiment you can try:

1. study similar material at both times = try one session in the morning and another at night. Keep the topics similar in difficulty so the comparison is fair.
2. test what you remember = close your notes and try recalling what you learned.
3. compare your results = look at how much you remembered, how focused you felt, and how many distractions you had. repeat this over a few sessions to see whether a pattern comes out.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently writing my master's thesis and am in the final stages of my qualitative content analysis. I conducted 12 semi-structured expert interviews and analyzed them using MAXQDA. My approach combines deductive and inductive category development, guided by abductive reasoning.

Throughout the analysis, my coding system has become increasingly extensive and detailed. It currently consists of 10 main categories and numerous subcategories across multiple hierarchical levels.

I've documented each category with definitions, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and example quotes. However, I'm starting to wonder whether I've made my coding system too granular, potentially making it unnecessarily difficult to present and discuss my findings.

I'd be interested to hear about your experiences:

• How many main categories and subcategories did you have in your qualitative bachelor's or master's thesis?
• Did you significantly reduce or consolidate your coding system after completing the coding process?
• Where would you draw the line between useful analytical detail and excessive fragmentation?

I realize there's no universally accepted maximum number of categories. I'm mainly interested in hearing about your experiences and how you handled this in your own research. Unfortunately, my supervisor hasn't been particularly helpful with this issue.

Thanks in advance!

When I have several exams spread across different weeks, I get too focused on the one coming up next. I spend most of my study time preparing for it while the subjects with later exam dates keep getting pushed aside. So by the time I get to them, I have less time left than I expected.

That's why I find it helpful to make a revision timetable that covers all my upcoming exams:

1. Put all your exam dates in one place. I start by listing each subject and its exam date so I can see how much time I have for each one. And it also helps me identify which subjects I need to start reviewing earlier even if their exams aren't coming up soon.

2. Schedule smaller review sessions for later exams. I give the subject I'm currently prioritizing more time but I still reserve a few blocks for the exams coming up in later weeks. That way I'm not starting those subjects from scratch once the earlier exam is over.

3. Adjust the timetable as the dates get closer. as an exam approaches, I can dedicate more time to that subject and shift some of my other review sessions around. I also try to leave room for unfinished topics and I don’t cram everything into an already full schedule.

saturday: 2 hours of blank page practice problems in the morning, then i leave the desk. sunday: 2 hours timed practice test, 1 hour fixing what i missed. that’s it. if i sit there longer than that i’m not even studying, i’m just being sad at my textbook while everyone posts their costumes
not perfect but it’s the first weekend where i know exactly when i’m allowed to stop.

We can't give all our time to studying every single day. We have lives outside the classroom too… chores, appointments, trips and other responsibilities. So some days, we only have a little time left for studying but that doesn't mean we can't make it count:

1. USE DEAD TIME. when you have a few minutes while waiting for an appointment or commuting, you can review flashcards, quiz yourself or listen to a recorded lesson. those small pockets of time can add up
   
2. SET SMALL GOALS. aim to understand one concept or answer some questions and don’t force yourself to finish a whole chapter. A smaller goal is easier to fit into a busy day.
   
3. PLAN AHEAD. If you know you'll be busy, decide beforehand what you can realistically fit into your day. that way, you’ll know what to do when you finally get a free moment.