Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with study

Visa Problems

The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:23:50 -0800

I'm supposed to be at the Spanish Consulate in Miami getting a student visa tomorrow (appt. at 9:25am), but I don't have all the paperwork I need because some of it hasn't arrived from the school that I'll be studying at next semester(as a visiting student). What do I do? What can I do? Fun complications after the jump. So, i'm studying abroad next semester through Saint Louis University's Madrid campus. They (SLU) were supposed to send me the documents I need to apply for a student visa, but they have not arrived to me in the mail. These documents are (I believe) coming from the Saint Louis campus of SLU. Because of the time difference and the fact that I have an appointment with the consulate at 9:25am tomorrow and that I live in Tampa and i'll be driving to Miami (which takes about 5 hours), there's no way I can wait and call SLU in the morning to see what's up and/or potentially get them faxed to me.
I'm going to call the Madrid office when they open in 2 or 3 hours, and see if they can do anything, but what should I do in the meantime? Is there anything I can do, realistically?
Also, as a sidenote, what do you wear when applying for a visa? Should I put on a shirt with a collar/tie/etc?

Sick of the library

SpringAquifer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:37:54 -0800

Atlanta-filter: Any good late-night places to get some work done in the Emory and Druid Hills area, or possibly beyond? I moved to Atlanta for school this fall. I'm getting a little sick of the library, though, and I'm having trouble finding a good place conducive to studying, late at night, off campus. Free wireless is a huge bonus, though not absolutely necessary.

I know there's a Caribou Coffee a few blocks off the Emory campus that's open until 2 a.m. or so, but that's the only option I know of so far. All the Starbuckses and Paneras and so on close up shop pretty early, it seems.

Thanks!

Becker and Wiley and Bisk, oh my!

otters walk among us — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:57:28 -0800

Have you taken a CPA review course? Which one, and why did it work / not work for you? I'm trying to decide which course to buy, but there's so many options (Becker, Bisk, Gleim, Roger, Wiley, Yaeger, etc.) and, of course, they all claim to be wonderful. I'd very much appreciate your thoughts on the review course you took and if / why it worked for you.
I think that I would prefer a mix of methods, such as online videos, flashcards, and ability to ask questions of someone somewhere. And practice exams, lots of practice exams. An all-textbook review course would put me to sleep.
The only limitations are any software must be mac compatible, and real-world classroom attendance would be difficult unless classes are offered in western Massachusetts.

Help me relearn how to learn!

spacefire — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:42:15 -0800

I have just started my PhD, full time on teaching/research fellowship, in the same field I did my masters and bachelors degrees. This is my first semester, and I am expected to take the qualifying exams in January. Problem is, I seem to have forgotten a lot. I have been out of school for five years since my masters, and, studying for the quals, even topics that I have covered before, nothing seems to 'stick' to memory. I do mock oral exams with my adviser and I can't seem to formulate a coherent thought even on topics I have covered in my previous academic life and also reviewed again days before!
True, I've had some stressful time in the beginning of the semester due to issues not related to school, and I read somewhere that stress
impairs short term memory, but I also feel that my capacity to for instance understand mathematical concepts and relate them to real physical phenomena has diminished a lot since I last went to school.
I am 30 yo male living and going to school in a major city.
I have two months left till my qualifier exams, written and oral with no reference materials allowed, and I really need to get my shit together and pass the quals on the first try, or else my fellowship might be revoked.

Juggling a part-time degree with full-time work

Ziggy500 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:15 -0800

Please share your experiences of doing a part-time degree and working 9-5 at the same time. I've been considering doing a part-time Masters degree in a course that will open up a lot of career opportunities for me, and is something I would really enjoy studying.

However, I can't really afford to stop working, so I would have to work and study at the same time. I don't have kids or pets or any other obligations. I'm young and energetic. Still, the prospect of juggling a 9-5 job with a 2 year postgraduate degree is frankly quite terrifying, though oddly appealing at the same time, and I don't know anyone who has managed this successfully. Can it be done? Do you do it, or do you know people who do it? Is there any point considering this option? Am in the UK if that helps.

(I've read this thread, which has been helpful.)

How can I most effectively use an MP3 player to study math for the GRE?

ramenopres — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:07:41 -0800

How can I use an MP3 player to study math for the GRE? Can I use podcasts and other audio tools to prepare for the math portion of the GRE? For 8 hours every day, I am physically occupied but can use an MP3 player. I plan to do written problems during the other parts of the day, but are there podcasts or audio tools that would help make use of this listening time and get my skills up to speed? Is there anything else you'd suggest?

I am looking for tools that will increase math skills and ideally provide a refresher of high school math in order to prepare for the GRE. More generalized math podcasts are all right, too, or something along the lines of Berkeley's online lectures.

Assume that I can't use my hands or look at a book.

(This question is similar to the one requesting assistance in studying for the vocabulary portion of the GRE: How can one study for the GRE during their commute?)

Help me make myself do my work

millipede — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:18:12 -0800

I am in graduate school after taking a few years off, and in those few years it seems I have lost the ability to pay attention to anything. Please help me focus. I just started my graduate program (for City and Regional Planning) in September. I mostly love it. I am not bored by the subject matter, for the most part, and after having flailed about for a few years after college, I finally know that this is what I want to do.

However, I am suffering. I have never been a very good listener in classes. I'm a big doodler of silly faces and writer of my name in fancy fonts. I pay attention somewhat, but tend to zone out when presented with mainly auditory information and when I am not being directly engaged. This has been the case for most of my life--and no, I was never diagnosed with ADD or anything--but it was never that big of a problem, because I did well in school anyway by virtue of being able to concentrate well on the reading and perform well on papers and exams. It used to be that if I were actively doing something, I could focus very well, but if I were a passive listener, I'd zone out.

Things have changed, though. I'm not sure if it's because I took a few years off and I no longer remember how to be a student, or if it's because I have aged beyond some mythical ideal-student-age-window and my brain is duller than it used to be (I am not that old. I am 28), but now, I can barely even make myself focus on my copious amounts of reading. When I had a paper due as an undergrad, I used to be able to sit there with all my research and just write it in one fell swoop. Yesterday, I tried to do that, and I couldn't get beyond four pages and I kept losing my point.

I guess I just don't understand why I used to be able to concentrate on my schoolwork and now I have a very hard time doing so. This is especially panic-inducing because I'm paying for this myself.

Things I have tried:
-coffee
-lots of coffee (coffee helps at first)
-working away from my apartment (but new environments seem to make my mind wander more--in the library, every tiny sound distracts me, whereas in my apartment, I can concentrate a little better)
-working in my apartment and turning the internet off (this helps for a little while, but eventually I will go clip my toenails or decide to clean the bathroom)
-having a study babysitter (I often do work in the company of my sir, who is in the same program. Sometimes this helps--mostly with reading-based work that we are both doing--and sometimes it distracts further).
-small increments of study time (nothing gets done and I count down until there is a break)
-large increments of study time (daunting--more gets done, but it is hard to start).

I'm worried that, because I spent four years essentially goofing off mentally, having a job that did not require any critical thinking, I have forgotten how to be smart.

So far I am doing well in school, insofar as one can do well halfway into a semester. I've gotten good grades on the small assignments we've had. But I look at my google calendar with all my upcoming work on it, and I panic and think that I'm never going to be able to make myself do it all and I'm going to fail and I never should have gone back to school in the first place. It's the spiral of doom.

Help.

How useful and difficult is the ACTC certification material?

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:28:03 -0800

My boss may be offering me an ACTC certification. I don't know whether computers are a hobby or a career for me, and I have limited free time. Should I talk to him seriously about sponsoring (paying the fees) me for the exam? I work at a small Mac shop supporting (not alone, obviously) a few dozen computers, a few servers, and a print system. The print system was built in-house, and we use Radmind on the client machines (although we're now exploring some imaging/ASR alternatives/supplements). Like most of my colleagues, my experience is primarily from Linux and UNIX-based CS courses, which leads to interesting problems sometimes.

I'm very interested in computers, and daydream about some kind of techy job, whether as a sysadmin or a programmer. I would totally jump at this chance to learn an operating system on someone else's dime, except I'm also a student and I cannot realistically reserve any significant amount of time to this effort except during the month of December.

So, broken out into more specific parts, my question is this:

1. How will knowing the ACTC material help me do my job, which includes both Apple-supported software and others? In other words, how relevant is the curriculum?

2. What is an ACTC certification worth in a prospective sysadmin?

3. Is it realistic to expect a pass after a month's study? My boss has made vague suggestions of willingness to buy study material and an examination for anyone who was interested, but he would then (reasonably) expect a serious effort to pass the exam.

Anonymous because I'd prefer my boss not to know my reservations going into this. Throwaway email at actc.clar@gmail.com for clarification.

Cert Study Guides Needed

Darktan — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:06:11 -0800

I'm an old school IT tech who needs some certs on his resume to get past the HR drones. I'm looking at CompTIA and Microsoft certs as a start. What I need are some good sources for study. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm not looking for a boot camp, just some good up to date study guides. Thank you. Peace

Common characteristics of scientific fraud or misconduct

Mapes — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:19:21 -0800

Article or book that discusses common characteristics of scientific fraud or misconduct? Several years ago I read an article, essay, or book chapter that listed common factors in many uncovered cases of scientific misconduct. One was that subjects typically acted alone; conspiracy was extremely unusual. Another was that researchers generally believed that the faked data represented the truth and would be confirmed if more time or resources were available.

Does anybody know what I was reading?

Where can I find a list of Postgraduate Photography courses in the United States?

stackhaus23 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:10:56 -0800

Where can I find a list of Postgraduate Photography courses in the United States? I've been looking at taking a Masters Degree in photography here in the UK. However, since I love to travel – especially to the US – somone asked "Why not look at courses in the United States?"

...good question! The only problem is, I don't know where to start... other than Google.

Any suggestions?

Places to study in DC?

Neekee — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:47:57 -0800

Law student seeking nice place to study in Washington, DC - not Starbucks or a library. Any recommendations? Preferably somewhere near a metro and with free wi-fi. I'm look for a coffee shop that's not crowded or loud. There was an earlier post about this but some of those places are closed and others are in Virginia, which is pretty far for me.
Thanks!

Quiet places to study in Edinburgh?

tyris33 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 09:29:54 -0800

Quiet pubs and cafes for a student to study in Edinburgh I'm currently on a year long exchange in Edinburgh, and I'm looking to find quiet places to study--they don't have to be dead silent just no loud music playing and loud conversations at the table next to me. I know noisy cafes are great for hanging out with friends, but I'd like a place where I can focus on what I'm reading. If you know of any pubs, cafes, parks, libraries, etc., that would be great. Bonus points for old places with lots of atmosphere (fireplaces, comfy chairs, etc).

Hydrogen and Oxygen bond to make water... but why?

Vorteks — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:39:54 -0800

Please help me really grok chemistry. TMBG's recent song "meet the elements" has got me thinking more about chemistry recently. I never really studied it when I was younger, but I've developed more of an interest now.

I understand certain basic concepts - atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, atoms combine to make molecules, etc, but I don't really "get" it. When you combine, say, vinegar and baking soda, what's really happening at the atomic level? Why do different combination of 3 basic particles behave so differently? Why do some molecules have more potential energy than others? These things escape me.

If there's anything that's helped you really understand this topic, please recommend it! Books, games, documentaries, websites, youtube movies, anything is fair game. I'm not afraid of college-level math, but I find the "dry" writing style often found in textbooks, scientific papers, and encyclopedias very hard to pay attention to. Something with an amusing writing style, or with a large visual component (videos, diagrams, charts, whatever), or with very down-to-earth language would be most effective, I feel.

Thanks in advance Mefites!

Help my American girlfriend become a Mrs. McCluskey (UK teacher)!

almostwitty — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:52:36 -0800

My (American) girlfriend is looking to come over to London to study to become a teacher. She already has a certificate substitute teacher licence ... but that's not much use in the UK. Or is it ... ?

Anyway, are there any recommendations for good/cheap universities that offer a teacher training course? Or any way of doing it?

Teach me how to study!

kro — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:31:04 -0800

What is the most effective way to study? I don't know how to study. I've looked through all the previous posts about studying and study skills, but none of them really address my problem. I'm not a grad student, I'm not in serious trouble of failing any classes, and I'm not studying for a specific test like the GRE's. I just don't know how to study

The problem isn't my notes- I *finally* got that under control this year. I'm a sophomore with double majoring in bio and education, double minoring in chem and , and depending on the class I either take notes in Notebook view on Word (the ability to record lectures into my notes is a godsend) or just on paper. I do my homework and I go to all of my classes. But when it's time to study for a test, I draw a blank. For biology and chem, I've been making notecards- which is really good for vocabulary, but not so good for concepts and ideas. I feel like there has to be a better way than notecards. And what about math classes or classes where notecards aren't really practical? Should I make study guides? How do I know what to put on the study guides? Would it be better for me to make outlines throughout the semester of things to study from so I don't have to compile it all before an exam into a study guide?

Like I said, this isn't because I'm doing poorly in my classes. I switched my major from a social science to biology and I'm being faced with studying for math and science classes now. I was a straight A student in high school and I don't think I ever studied for a single test- but things have changed now and I need to pick up some study skills, quick.

Help me build a nerd-ish virtual dollhouse

ollyollyoxenfree — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:31:20 -0800

Is there software that mimics a 'memory palace'? Lately, I've been using the open source flashcard software Anki (previously mentioned on this site). I've also been experimenting with memory maps. I've been using both as the foundation of Bloom's Taxonomy (using other techniques and tools for other areas). Both have helped with my study, but I've found that I'm more likely to remember things when visualizing my own memory palace. It seems I have a knack for remembering layouts of places. I can still draw the layouts from relatives and friend's houses from as early as five years old, so I think that a virtual simulator of a memory palace might be quite powerful for learning (more so than visualizing it in my head).

So, is there any software out there like this?

I've googled around, and found this guy's blog discussing Second Life as a memory palace. I was thinking along similar lines. Something like The Sims or Second Life, but for memory training would be great (alternatively, can you use these games for that purpose? I haven't played them, so not sure about their architecture for such a purpose). Thanks.

Double Take

gensubuser — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:30:26 -0800

How ethical is it to look at previous years' exams? I know that some students have access to previous years' problem sets and use them to extreme benefit. We have been told that exam questions are often like previous years' questions, and have not received any instructions that any material is forbidden.

On the other hand, I assume acquiring the actual exam would be forbidden. What is ethical here? Alerting them to the availability is not an option.

MBA-filter: are there any recent studies about the impact of earning an MBA on career success?

kaufmajm — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:37:12 -0800

MBA-filter: are there any recent studies about the impact of earning an MBA on career success? I'm looking for information on whether or not earning an MBA increases job prospects, career success, career satisfaction, and lifetime earnings.

I've been able to find a detailed academic journal paper from 1995 by Pfeffer and Fong, but I'm looking for more recent data. Anyone know of similar studies done within the last five years?

Help is greatly appreciated!

Make me a better student with lower blood pressure

Chrysalis — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:04:28 -0800

Help me handle/reduce assignment stress while doing uni by correspondence. I finished school 8 years ago, and am now attempting university studies by correspondence. Studying, writing essays etc is a whole new world for me, and while I am very disciplined with other areas of my life, it's been very easy to just pretend university doesn't exist when I don't feel like it. Except now, I have 3 assignments due in 4 days. This is my second round of assignments, the same thing happened with the first round, and while I promised myself I'd do things differently this time, I actually tried doing them earlier but found it really hard to "get started" - I sat in front of my computer for 5 hours last Saturday and only wrote a paragraph so I got frustrated and avoided it for the rest of the week. I know I work best under pressure and last time I ended up with really good marks, but I also don't want to spend the next 4 days feeling incredibly stressed out and horrible and procrastinating etc cos at the end of the day I know that I have to do the assignments and I can only do what I can do. I am incredibly tempted to just go out and pretend this isn't happening - instead I keep looking for anything to distract me to justify not dealing with it.

So my question is fourfold:
1) What can I do to retrain myself to have better study habits going forward?
2) What do you do when you feel mentally blocked when you're trying to write an essay?
3) How do you motivate yourself to learn when you're disinterested by the topic?
3) What do you tell yourself when you get so stressed out that you start trying to avoid the thing that's stressing you out? (which of course makes it worse) <---- this is the biggest issue for me right now

Help me help myself! (okay, now back to this essay...)

Essential medical textbooks?

kenchie — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:02:15 -0800

It's my nephew's birthday this weekend. He is going to University in September to study Medicine (in the UK). Are there any essential medical text books I could get him to help with his studies?

Looking for a book recommendation to study Revelations

snap_dragon — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:38:49 -0800

Been reading the Bible in One Year...and nearing Revelations. Can anyone recommend a book on Revelations that comes from a Reformed perspective that is for the layperson? If not Reformed, other perspectives will do if you have any suggestions. In the end, I am sure nobody understands it but I have been putting of reading it and reading about it for years.

Clinical Psychology reading

curious zoe — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:44:47 -0800

My friend is applying for clinical psychology postgraduate study at the end of this year and she would like to make sure she is well read on relevant books (nb. not text books) and blogs etc before the interview. Can anyone reccomend any books, websites or blogs that would be good for my friend to review prior to her interview?

I live a double life, but without the cape and the fun.

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:17:00 -0800

Help me deal with the cognitive dissonance of combining hyper-theoretical university study with a get-to-the-point, no-time-for-bullshit job in the broadcast media. I'm in my mid-20s. For various reasons, my career began before my I finished my degree. I'm now trying to combine part-time study in the social sciences with an editorial job in the broadcast media. I'm struggling, deeply, with what I suppose is the cognitive dissonance of balancing the two.

At university, I fill my head with big words, reading messy parenthical sentences written by the great bean-platers of the world. I listen in lectures as my professors make snide remarks about The Mainstream Meedja, blaming it for society's ills. I share classes with 21-year-olds who live with their parents and work at McDonalds for for 'going out' money.

At work, I inhabit a busy newsroom full of smart people who have absolutely no time for intellectual bullshit. I reduce 300-page academic reports to 5-par news leads. I assess interviewees based on their ability to get to the point without academic jargon or prevarication. My editorial judgement rests on my ability to be bored by anything that isn't compelling enough to merit precious minutes of airtime. I work with adults who have their shit together.

Combining work and study is hardly unusual, and most of the time I can manage the pressures it puts on my time. But there's something about shifting between these two extreme frames of mind, inhabiting these two different worlds, that makes me feel like my head is being split in two.

I need coping strategies and advice from people who've been in similar situations. If you've ever had to exist in two wildly different worlds, how did you stay sane?

So you don't need to ask:
- My plans for the future require me to finish this degree - overseas visas, possible postgrad study, etc.
- It's too late to change programs, and I can't afford the cost of starting over.
- I don't want to quit my job or take extended leave.

Help with A-level Biology study skills

stenoboy — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:00:45 -0800

I'm planning a career change and need help on how best to tackle A-level Biology I need to study A-level Biology to stand a chance to get on a dental hygiene and therapy course. I have nine months before the exam and need to get down and study as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Does anyone have any study tips for a subject like biology? Because there are a number of facts that one must just know - like how the heart works, for instance - how do you best go about notating the information you need and presenting it in such a way that it makes sense when it comes to revision?

To make matters more complicated, I'm doing a home study course. There is lots of support from the National Extension College who run the course, and I have a tutor who marks assignments and gives advice, but I'd like to hear of anyone else's approach to the study of a science subject and how best you ingested and regurgitated the vast amounts of information.

I was thinking perhaps of using mind maps but they can end up being a little scrappy with lots of unconnected information. Is there a better way of using mind maps or Cornell notes or something?

I should just say I have an old-style O-level in Biology so have the basics, although things have changed a bit since the early '80s!