Textkit versus study

[Timotheus]

there are days when self discipline is totally gone. I find myself with my books open paper and pens ready to to begin and textkit forums open reading every possible post new and archived and noticing my time for study has just up and gone.

I presume I am not the only one that does this.

[edonnelly]

Well, I can't say I'm always on task, but I have come up with a great method for me -- I do most of my studying while running on the treadmill, and I do that every night. If I'm in a mood where I don't feel like studying, I'll still want to run, and then I have to study. If I don't feel like running, but want to study, I know I have to go down to the treadmill. It's a great way to kill two birds with one stone. The time flies by. So far it only works for reading -- I have yet to come up with a way to write exercises or to use the computer (though both, I suppose, are possible) while running. It can get a little dangerous running, reading and trying to look words up in a dictionary.

[Timotheus]

how can you RUN and read. even when i get on a tread mill i bounce to much to keep my eyes on the line.

but I don't knock it if it works GREAT

[edonnelly]

For me, the problem was the book bouncing. All the book-holders I could find attached to the treadmill, and so they got to be very bouncy. I could hold the book, but that's not ideal, and it still bounces. Instead I made a book holder that rests on the ground and never touches the treadmill, so the book doesn't bounce (I do, but I guess I got used to it, and that's not nearly as big of a problem).

[William]

Interesting. I'd probably fall flat on my face while trying to read on a treadmill.

I simply reward myself if I put in a good day of studying. I allow myself to watch some crap tv for a half-hour, or I'll have an ice pop. The real reward, though, is satisfaction after having studied hard.

I find the best results come when I keep a log to track my progress (or lack of it), and I study at the same time of day every day. (Early morning works best for me.)

WB

[Bert]

On days that I feel real motivated, I do memory work and do assignments for the White study group.
On days when the motivation is a little thin I read the Iliad.
It is more fun than vocab memory work so I can do it even on off-days.

[Paul]

I'm disciplined every goddam day. Wait....that's the bourbon talking.

Cordially,

Paul

[Carola]

I'm very disciplined about study, but I have a tendancy to try to do too many things and take no account of the fact that I am going to be tired/hungry/grouchy after a very long day. So sometimes the study gets a bit erratic by the evening. I remember many years ago reading an interview with Bob Dylan - he was asked when he got the inspiration to write all his songs. "Every day between 4 & 6" was the answer. So he just trained himself to sit and write something, anything, maybe only 1 tune in 20 was any good, but that's what it takes - persistance. The point of this is that even if you do get a week when you don't do much, just let it go, don't stress, and try again next week.

[GlottalGreekGeek]

I have not voted in the poll since I do not understand the first answer option.

I have some discipline and some erraticism. Recently I had a fairly large break from working on Greek since I fell sick, messing up my schoolwork and my greekwork, and then I had to catch up on my schoolwork. A few days ago I have finally was able again to devote serious time (as in half an hour) to stuyding Greek each day.

Whenever I have had such a hiatus on Greek, it refreshes me each time to realize how much stuck with me when I pick it up again. I guess I sometimes need a little distance to see how much progress I have made.

[Bert]

Whenever I have had such a hiatus on Greek, it refreshes me each time to realize how much stuck with me when I pick it up again.

You must be one of those 'the-glass-is-half-full' type of people.
I tend to get discouraged by what I have managed to forget.

[screamadelica]

For me, the problem was the book bouncing. All the book-holders I could find attached to the treadmill, and so they got to be very bouncy. I could hold the book, but that's not ideal, and it still bounces. Instead I made a book holder that rests on the ground and never touches the treadmill, so the book doesn't bounce (I do, but I guess I got used to it, and that's not nearly as big of a problem).

Wow -- you're very lucky if you have the ability to do that. When I study I go through three or four sheets of paper at the least. It's writing, writing, and more writing: there's a mountain of paper on my desk and a mountain of flash cards. Sorry, trees.

I've found that a relatively painless way to learn the third declension is to write the unaltered form -- that is, root + original case ending -- and then note which ones turn into what, so you can see why and how the Attic form became what it did (the why is as important as the how in learning, I've found). As you can see, that would take a lot of paper to get every variation of the declension down, but it's worth it.

I don't know Homeric so I'm probably in the wrong place about that -- but the point is, if you're so visually gifted that you can just read on the treadmill and call it studying, I envy you very much.

[Sanskrit]

Reading on the treadmill is somewhat difficult. I like to sit on a chair and relax with a book or work on a desk doing exercises. Audio books though are great to listen to while exercising. I have walked through several lectures and audio programs this way.

[Rindu]

Ah, it's back and forth with me. Today, for example, hasn't been a terribly productive day. Nevertheless, I usually do pretty well--I find it helpful to study in the library rather than try to do anything at home. Staying away from computers is very helpful as well--the internet, as you mention in your first post, is very time-consuming.

[CharlesH]

edited for brevity