u/Zealousideal-Pay-70

This might sound a little weird, but I'm looking for a study buddy (or a few).

I can't study with my close friends because we end up getting too distracted, but I do better when someone else is there in person to lock in with and keep each other accountable.

I'm a female going into my senior year, and I'd prefer someone around the same age or older (not a huge deal though). I'm looking for someone who's motivated and down to study for long hours consistently.

If you're interested, let me know! You can comment or DM me. :)

I feel like I've struggled with ineffective study methods for most of my life. I was never naturally strong academically, so when I started putting in effort and trying to improve, I often still failed. Even so, I never stopped trying and have experimented with many different approaches.

For example, in physiology, I would write everything I knew on a whiteboard and try to recall it from memory. It seemed helpful at first, but by the next day, I would only remember fragments of the information. The process was also very time-consuming, especially given the large amount of material to cover. I do not think I memorize well through repetition alone. Instead, I usually need to truly understand a concept before I am able to retain and remember it.

I learn best through example problems. In subjects like organic chemistry, I often remember how to solve a problem and then apply that knowledge to similar situations. However, I still perform only around average. I think part of the issue is my difficulty memorizing specific details. Sometimes it feels like my brain just cannot retain information in that way.

For biology, I have mostly been studying through previous exams and practice problems. The problem is that the questions and scenarios change, and the concepts are applied in different ways. I find it difficult to learn and retain concepts when I don't know how they might appear in new situations.

I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it feels like my memorization is very linear. I want to make endless flashcards, but:

1. I don't always have the time to make them all.
2. Even when I do, I feel like I still can't remember everything.

It also feels like I need time for information to sink in. When I spend hours trying to memorize something, I don't remember it immediately, and eventually I get burned out from the repetitive cycle.

What study methods helped you actually remember information while still managing your time effectively? How did you learn concepts deeply enough to apply them to new situations instead of just memorizing facts? I am trying to aim for grad school, but I need to fix my study methods before I attempt to do so.