The Studiers
When I am getting ready to study, I always go to my room where I have collected my own little library. I am the type of studier who does not want to be disturbed; this ensures that I can finish all of my schoolwork on time. As such, whenever my friends invite me to a study group, I always decline their invitation. I have also met many other students who employ their own unique styles of studying. However, these students’ study styles are either good or bad, depending on the kind of person they are, because each person has vastly different levels of determination when it comes to studying for exams or doing homework.
The first category is the “Who Cares” type of studier. They are the ones who do not care if they pass the exam or not. Many of them may copy from other students during the exam because they are lazy, and cheating gives them a way to get what they want without putting in any effort. One can find these people at parties or an Internet cafés; for them, partying or “Facebooking” is far more appealing than going to the library and spending time studying there. Occasionally, these people drop one of their courses but do not even bother to complete the paperwork to make it official. Their excuse is that there will be always next semester. However, more often than not, when the next semester rolls around they will fall back into their same old routine.
The second type of studier is the “I swear, I will do it later”, aka the Procrastinator. They are the ones who repeatedly tell themselves (and everyone else) that they will study or do their homework later. They habitually look for distractions, and may try to justify their decision to delay doing their homework by saying that they work better when they are rushed or under pressure, but the quality of their work usually proves the falsehood of their claims. An example of this type of student would be when they say, “Oh, I have something else to do right now. I will do my homework later.” They pretend that they have many other important things to do, but in reality they are just procrastinating and in denial. Also, “later” has the same problematic property as “tomorrow”– it never comes. The second procrastinator says, “Oh, I will just stay up all night to study; I just need to take a nap first, or maybe watch a movie.” Then, when they look at the clock, they realize that it is already 12:00 a.m., and they have done nothing. At this point, they panic. They study non-stop for the next four hours, which, of course, results in sleep deprivation. It is also fairly obvious that a lack of sleep affects their ability to learn in general, and tends to make them grumpy. Another consequence is the temptation to use artificial stimulants to cope with the lack of sleep. Coffee, energy drinks, prescriptions, and recreational drugs all have the capability to be abused by these people, and they will then most likely suffer the very negative after effects. Then, there are those who would rather study with their friends than by themselves; people call this group the Social Butterflies. They are the ones who get together in a group at the library or their favorite coffee shop. They thought it would be better to study with their friends, and that they would encourage and support each other. However, it does not always work out like that. At first, they study hard, but eventually the conversation turns to social chitchat and other unnecessary things, and all the pretense of study comes to a halt.
Similar to the “Who Cares” are the Sneaky Geniuses, who also could not care less about studying. They are the ones everyone secretly envies and despises. They appear to not even listen, take notes, or make an appearance in class. They put off all of their schoolwork during the whole semester, and do not care about their grades. However, when the day of the exam comes, it seems like they have some magical power of memory, because at the end of the day they have scored an A on the exam, while everyone else who has worked hard all year scores a C.
Finally, we come to the most loved and envied type of studier, which is the “I value education more than anything else in this world”, aka the Real Deal. Unlike other students, they literally do not have time to party. They know college is not like middle or high school, and they know A’s are not easy to come by. When looking at the way these students prepare, one would think that they are getting ready to conquer Everest, their bags bursting at the seams with books, folders, and other educational paraphernalia. These students are found in vacant classrooms in lonely campus buildings, or perhaps in the library, sitting beside the bookshelves or any place that is peaceful and quiet. The Real Deals just do not want to be disturbed, so whenever someone invites them to a study group, they will always decline the invitation.
Every student has a different study style, and it is very important to remember that we are each responsible for our own successes and failures. If a student chooses to be one of the “who cares” variety, then that is his or her choice. If, however, the student is savvy and really wants to be successful, he or she would greatly benefit from adopting good study habits right from the start. It will not only serve the student well in the sphere of education, but throughout his or her whole life.