How do you guys do it?

[IBM]

I don't know if you realise this, but the vast majority of people on the planet are like this. That's why there are levels of success - ability counts for a lot, but (IMO) ability is nothing without tenacity and discipline. It's also why for those with those two particular attributes, you're much more likely to do well in life.

I've always had this problem. I still do. There's just too much other cool stuff I'd rather be doing than working (which is why it's nearly 10am and I'm in the office browing Hexus - but I'll be leaving shortly, promise).

Two things I've found working;
1) Fear
2) Trickery

The first one is easy. Think about all the bad crap that's going to happen if you don't do what you're supposed to do, up to and including worst case scenarios. Run them all through your head in rapid succession and get yourself into enough fear that you force yourself to focus. Long term side effects? Ulcers, elevated blood pressure, potential risk of heart disease

Second one is more difficult, you have to attempt to simulate in your brain what something interesting feels like when you're reading/seeing/involved in it. Suprisingly effective, but quite draining - you're essentially forcing your brain to feel stimulated when you only want to feel bored.

Sounds like bollocks? Probably is, but it works for me, and I'm doing quite well

[emzallan]

The internet is def a huge distraction.

When I was still at school if I could tell I would be distracted, I would study in my kitchen/dining room and my parents could see me working which would be unconscious pressure.

I also find that a dedicated study room which isn't my bedroom makes a huge difference, it doesn't need to be an isolated room, just not one where you a) sleep and b) go on the internet!

I think at school level it is easy to become disillusioned with subjects because of the teacher or course content. At university it is generally better because it is more specialised, however, I still have had a fair number of courses that I have't liked because of the content/ prof. I also have found that university has even less structure than school so it takes even more motivation to study hard!

[0iD]

I've always thought that if you want it enough, I mean really really want it, you'll do it. You'll find a way.

[Lee H]

If you got a router which can block sites, then add the major distraction sites that you visit to the filtered list so that you cannot access them. After a while you'll get into a routine of not accessing when revising.

Alternatively you could always edit the windows hosts file so that you resolve the websites that you do not want to have access to to your loopback ip address like below ;

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
#      102.54.94.97     rhino.acme.com          # source server
#       38.25.63.10     x.acme.com              # x client host

127.0.0.1       localhost
127.0.0.1       www.facebook.com
127.0.0.1       www.ebay.com
127.0.0.1       www.myspace.com

I used to have 2 host files on my PC - 1 with loads of blocked sites and 1 without any blocks and kept swapping over to the restricted host file when I needed to stop access to sites which take too much time

[TooNice]

The problem with blocking sites, unplugging routers etc. is that it's usually just as easy to switch everything back up if you crave in. So I am going to go with 0iD that it's largely willing yourself into not craving in, then building it into a habit.

[Hicks12]

This definitely sounds familiar, I'm doing a physics degree and I did an essay course last semester because I thought it would make a bit of a change. They ended up being handed in 4-5 days late on average. (Especially after I worked out that they weren't actually penalising me for handing them in late, that just removed any sense of urgency I would ever have had ).

I think this kinda applies to my Business coursework now because as i was ill ive had a major extension, and now ive got another which is due in this friday... fun .

At the end of the day even if you remove all distractions you still need some sort of motivation to do the work. Do you need the grades to get into uni? If so do the work, and do it to the standard required for you to get in. Otherwise you're probably not going, simple as.

Yes unfortunately i do need the grades, need 3 C's and so far im unsure as to whether or not im going to get that but anything i do seems to be wrong even for business studies (was my strongest subject, A* student for AS, not anymore >.<) all more coursework had to be rewritten because it was pretty flawed.

If your teacher is crap and you don't think it's worth your while complaining to anyone then the simplest thing is probably just to get your head down and ignore him, from the sounds of things I doubt you'll be needing too much help from him regarding your work so shouldn't really need to talk to him much. Also, if you are having so much trouble getting any work done, maybe this is why your teacher doesn't like you much? He would do better to try and find out why you aren't handing work in and help you, but some teachers just don't make that effort. Try handing a good piece of work in on time (preferably one that doesn't pick holes in his inadequate teaching methods , unfortunately simply rewording the textbook might be the best way of getting marks from him) and see if his attitude changes at all?


I think if he carries on getting worse then i really will complain because he is terrible!. Dont normally have much homework for ICt however it is generally done to a high standard, allthough for the past 2 essay questions he has marked me lower than the class even though my answer was pretty much identicle to the reference one he had (it had full marks, mine had 2/8 and was a lot more indepth), and yet others did less and got almost full marks which kinda gets to me after about a year and a half of being put down for simply doing work and answering questions/asking questions etc.

His attitude wont change unless i change to a person who will read and agree with a flawed text book, theres even spelling mistakes in the book so how can i take it seriously lol. I guess i will become a mindless zombie to see if that makes him shut up.


Uni is different to A-levels, but don't kid yourself into thinking you can mess about reading graphics card reviews for a few years. There will probably still be a few modules you find boring, but you should have scope choosing optional modules to learn what you want to, especially in later years.

Im not expecting Uni to be a walk in the park at all, i expect it to be hardwork and all that but it will be an actual subject i appreciate learning. I spend a lot of time trying to work out how to do certain things (like using SQL to setup a games server) and that should help me for Uni right?

One thing I find that I find can help me to work is to get some exercise. If I've been cooped up for several days trying to do work I guess it's not surprise if I want to get up and move around. An hour or so of badminton or something usually makes me happier to just sit down and get on with something.

Hicks.. you have to take is as though it were a PAID JOB.

You have to do it, and you have to do it well. That involves tidying your desk, eating before and having water at your desk to keep your brain going.

You have to set targets and achieve them and then rest for a short time.

Distractions? That's just weak will. Do the damn job or be sacked (or in this case flunk and not GET a job)

Music might help but NOT with lyrics. Classical is good.

Now this sounded blunt . I am trying to sort that out, ive moved my computer downstairs and have tidied all around it along with trying to organise my work (failed but still). I dont tend to eat very well since about 3 months ago but i have slowly been sorting my diet out, hopefully will see a bit of an improvement soon.

It is weak willed, and thats just me! If its school work for a subject/teacher i cba with then i try to avoid it at all cost. I used to be able to do business studies coursework anytime of the day and to a great standard which is what im confused about, i dont get whats changed since then so will be retracing my steps to find out how i managed then!.

Trance is also good - but not the vocal sort - I can concentrate on anything with Trance in be background...

ICT A-Level is a waste of time imho - so don't worry... you can get a decent IT career without it..
The curricilum is all wrong and really doesn't teach you anything useful that you couldn't learn elsewhere. (sorry, just my opinion.... you're prolly too far into it to back out now...)
(I did Comupting GCSE - D Grade as I didn't sit the exam because of illness and I'm still where i want to be.... didn't do anything computing related at A-Level)


Yeh so far ive learnt nothing apart from maybe 1 feature in word 2007... i learnt all my stuff from google and a friend in the states that is a software programer. Wish i didnt have to do the course but there honestly isnt anything good at my school/sixth form, i had to push them a lot just to let me do economics (its an at home course!) so i have to keep going with ICT or else i cant get in Uni so ill be stuck in an endless cycle unfortunately.

I really struggled with my A-Levels as I was just fed up of being at home and education (slight pushy parent issue...)

Im getting bored of home and having a sister with her daughter, they are great but they are so loud and getting on my nerves now as when i finally get down and settled i hear her crying or my sister yelling. And education is getting mindnumbingly boring, ICT doesnt challenge me... business is now all coursework and doesnt involve me learning anything new as ive covered it all before. Economics well, thats the only course im ok with right now but am behind simply because i wasnt able to do it recently.

To re-iterate:

Make sure you're getting enough sleep (remember "enough" varies from person to person - especially if you've had Glandular fever...)
Eat well... cut down on the junk and feed yourself healthy stuff... fatty stodge just gives you sugar rushes which are no good for concentration - drink lots of water - a hydrated brain is better at thinking!
Cut it down into manageable chunks and stick to your plan. Don't rush it all... Do a bit of reading then go out for a walk... do some writing then read a bit of a magazine etc.
Set yourself an area free from distractions.
Most of all... Believe in yourself... you can do this... you just need to work out how!

Stick with it, Uni WILL be better.... Have you applied to anywhere to do anything yet??? Keep that goal in mind...

And as you know, the HEXUS family are always here to help (apart from when you're supposed to be studying!)

Sleep: Yes i do need sleep more so good point, will sort that .
Food: No sweets, done. Now to stop family buying crates of chocolate and giving me some!.
Time: Split it into do able sizes, i shall try!.

Yeah i keep thinking everything will be a lot better when im at Uni but its the getting there that i dont want to do! . Ive applied for plymouth Uni to do - Computing(3rd year software/games development),Computer and Information Security, Computing Informatics, Computer Systems and Networks.

I got replies back yesterday and all got conditional, however im struggling to decide what one to aim for... all have exact same conditions but what one to reply to .




Thanks for all the useful posts/comments guys, will put these to good use!.

[finlay666]

TBH... stress

Stress of a deadline is a brilliant motivator to get something done in time

I have 1/3 of my dissertation to hand in on Monday, along with a timed assessment I need to make my designs for and textures/tech design. I also have to make up 6 months of no work from someone on my group project we kicked out so we can submit the work she never did.

Will I get it all done? Of course I will.

[Zadock]

@Hicks12: not sure what advise to give you here really. In terms of keeping the quality of your work up just be methodical and keep a copy of the marking citerion at hand and try and tick all the boxes. Also get someone to proof read it for you.

In terms of revision you just need to find out what works for you, and take lots of breaks. I remember using visual aids, so my technique was to draw and write. I would basically re-write all of my lecture notes, then condense them down again to que cards and in doing so I went through everything twice and ended up with a set of bullet points that would cause me to remember the details of a topic. Its a long winded way of doing it but it worked for me. I would draw diagrams as well as much as possible because examiners love it when you can represent something with a diagram.

One more point, at degree level it also looks very good if you can reference in an exam. Not in huge detail but you can back up something you are saying with the name of a study, author and date it goes down very well.

I'll stop there or it looks like I'm on the preach lol!

[TooNice]

Food: No sweets, done. Now to stop family buying crates of chocolate and giving me some!.

Umm, any reason for that? I am not saying it's bad, in fact it's great, but that's my vice when I am studying. In fact, I affectionately name the sweets I eat when I am studying 'study food' (well, the brain needs carbs to function, or so I tell myself ).

[Hicks12]

Sugar= hyper activity? I did find after a lan last week i had no ability to concentrate and was well hyper... ive never been hyper in my life so thats a first for me . Couldnt do my work but i was having a laugh, however that wont get me to Uni so yeh best to cut it out .

[jim]

I really struggle to concentrate on a lot of things for very long, I get pounding headaches with certain things (especially computer programming, hence why I gave up learning java... which isn't even that hard). I did absolutely sod all for GCSE, no revision (apart from the morning of the history exam when I learned all the dates) and all the coursework was done at the absolute last minute. Luckily, I still did okay so it wasn't a major problem. A-level though, that's a completely different kettle of fish.

I was really ill with flu in the summer of Year 12, missed loads of exams and screwed everything up, but at the same time I knew even if I hadn't had flu, I probably wouldn't have done very well - the GCSE tactic didn't hack it. So I knew I had to work really hard, and just did what I could, although it still wasn't much in comparison to other people. Pulled myself up to AAB, but still a bit short in Chemistry, so I've just retaken my final chemistry exam today... again the revision absolutely killed me, hated every sodding minute of it and was so hard to go more than 30 mins or so without then spending another 30 mins on GTA or something for stress relief, but thankfully it's done now.

I still wanted to go to Uni though, so two main things for me:

Firstly, I hate doing all this work, I was sick and tired of it and it was driving me mental. So I've taken a year out, got a job this year. Much, much better, no homework or revision (apart from that chemistry rubbish), and it's so much more stress-free. Some people say "you'll never want to go back to education", but I was always determined to go to uni, for the lifestyle and the people more than anything I think, so it's not a problem. And I'm now looking forward to it so much more.

Secondly, I looked back over my sixth form life. I wanted to do chemistry - that had always been my "dream" if you like. But thinking about it, I hated revising for chemistry, it made me go mental. So I thought about what had actually engaged me - what was interesting and fulfilling. And for me, that was my History coursework. Reading the books, getting my own opinions, and then writing about them. When I was writing my history, I never found myself getting distracted. Neither did I when I was doing creative writing in my English GCSEs - so I concluded that writing was what I really enjoyed. Didn't make me stressed, didn't make me get distracted, I could get enveloped in it. So History is what I've switched to.

For other people, they could get absorbed in music, or sums (I can't understand it, but they do), or whatever. The point is though, if you can find something that really captures you, it feels a lot less like work and you're less inclined to look elsewhere for something interesting... all people are different I guess.

[scaryjim]

ICT A-Level is a waste of time imho ... did Comupting GCSE - D Grade as I didn't sit the exam because of illness and I'm still where i want to be.... didn't do anything computing related at A-Level ...

Can't reiterate this strongly enough. I have A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and a BA in Religious Studies and Applied Social Science. I then got jobs in tech support and programming.

I now have an MSc in Computer Science, but look at my background and it tells you that it doesn't really matter what you start with as long as you start with something - you can often pick up the relevant qualifications later - sometimes paid for by your current employer!

I'm the last person to advise anyone on how to revise / concentrate / complete coursework: I was, and still am, terrible at it. I'm lucky that I'm one of those people who can basically take everything in during lessons / lectures, then just reproduce it when it comes to exams, so revision wasn't a big issue for me: coursework is another matter and I was perpetually failing to meet my potential due to the last minute rushed nature of my coursework.


Having said that, here's the thing that worked for me for the one or two subjects I did revise for (language GCSEs, mainly) - I found a relaxing space.

I removed all the distractions I could - TVs, books etc (I didn't have a computer back then) - but I made sure the space was comfortable and relaxing and I leafed through my papers and textbooks: I didn't try testing myself, or worrying about whether I was taking anything in - I just, literally, revised: looked at again. In the summer, I even went down to the local parks and gardens, and just sat on the grass with my books - again, it was comfortable and relaxing, and I didn't worry about whether I was learning or not.


Now, coursework... I am still bad at this - nowadays it's project delivery rather than coursework, of course, but the principle is very similar. What I'm currently working on is setting myself intermediate targets. So the deadline might be 6 weeks away, but I'll chop the work up and set deadlines in 2 weeks and 4 weeks to have certain parts of the project done. Then, once you've done that - and this might be the most important bit of this tactic - you arrange to show someone the intermediate stages. Setting up a meeting with someone else to show them how you're doing means you can't just wheedle out of the intermediate tasks, so when it comes to the night before the dedline you'll at least have some of the work done already . Who you show it to doesn't really matter, but ideally they should be someone who'll be willing to take some interest in your work, hold you to your deadlines, but not be on your case all the time about meeting them. It's hard to find the right person, but it might help you focus more if you know that you have something arranged.


So, having said I'm the last person to ask for advice, I've waffled on interminably Feel free to take all of the above with as much salt as you can get your hands on...

[tiggerai]

... this thread has re-ignited my want to do a MSc - now I know where my career wants to go...

... so I'm gonna apply... intake september for an MSc that's 20mins from work - part time so I can still work.

keep it up guys, you'll get there eventually!

[TheAnimus]

Might be worth talking a bit about rhythms too?

Human beings are simple things that like repitition. Eating at the same time each day, getting up at the same sort of time each day (no more than 2 hour extra on sun type thing).

Seeing sunlight, making the most out of the daylight hours all helps. I was a total night owl at uni, but come exam season, I was in bed at 11pm (my own bed!).

So try that too. If you've got a gf, regular sessions If not, same applies.....

[scaryjim]

... so I'm gonna apply... intake september for an MSc that's 20mins from work - part time so I can still work.

Good luck tigs; I didn't regret one minute of doing my MSc, and I'm pretty sure it was instrumental in me getting my current job.

[tiggerai]

Good luck tigs; I didn't regret one minute of doing my MSc, and I'm pretty sure it was instrumental in me getting my current job.

I wish I could do it full time and get it out the way, but I can't afford to do that with my mortgage to pay!