Last year we shared the results of a surprising study which found that it really is possible to spend too much time studying for the EPPP.
Researchers discovered that those studying to pass the EPPP stopped improving after 200 hours of study.
What about those who spent beyond 400 hours on their EPPP study materials? This group of people not only failed to improve, but were less likely to pass the exam.
Anyone who has tried to apply herself to prolonged periods of study will know that our greatest enemy is distractions. If this was true for conventional study, it is even more the case when our studying takes place on the computer, which in the last ten years has become a veritable ecosystem of distraction technologies.
If people studying in the past suffered from an inability to locate the needle in the haystack (“situational overload”), the digital overload we suffer from today (what might also be called “ambient overload”) comes from facing a haystack-size-pile-of-needles. (Read more about the difference between situation overload and ambient overload here). The result is that it takes a Herculean effort to stay focused.
Grand Master of memory, Ed Cooke, spoke at the Wired 2012 conference about some of the ways anyone can improve their memory using basic techniques. Mr. Cooke walked the audience through some memory exercises that anyone can do. These exercises build on the principle that new memories stick in our brains to the degree that they embed themselves in the pre-existing constellation of memories we already possess. This video is a must-see for anyone who believes they were simply born with a bad memory.
The world of academic psychology was sent into a tailspin earlier today after it emerged that over half of psychological experiments could not be replicated.
The disturbing findings, which were published in the journal Science, concluded a year-long process of reviewing 100 studies that had been previously published in academic journals. These studies formed part of the core knowledge by which psychologists understand people and their relationship to the world. Continue reading
In our previous post ‘Multitasking and Your EPPP Exam Prep (Part 1)’, we talked about the importance of achieving the right work-life-study balance. Most students studying to pass their EPPP inevitably have several projects on the go at once, such as employment, family and internship work. Because this type of multitasking is an inevitable and natural part of life, it is important to learn to do it effectively.
Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to think about anything except your EPPP exam prep?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could put all your other responsibilities on hold until you became a licensed psychologist?
If you find yourself asking questions like this, know that you are not alone. Most students who are busy with their EPPP test preparation also have to navigate around numerous other commitments including jobs, internships, housework and family commitments. In fact, TSM’s customizable schedule is tailored for exactly this sort of situation.
Sometimes the best way to succeed at a task is by studying the mistakes we want to avoid. At TSM we talk a lot about the habits of successful students, but it can sometimes be helpful to pause and consider the habits of bad students…and how to avoid them.
PhD student Stephanie Allen has compiled a helpful list of 8 bad habits that unsuccessful students typically exhibit. Her list, which can be read at the Oxford Royale Academy, identifies the following eight areas that are often characteristic of poor students. Continue reading
In this fascinating Ted Talk by moral philosopher James Flynn, we learn why IQ scores persistently rose throughout the last century, and why they continue to rise today. If Flynn’s findings are correct, it’s not that past generations were more stupid than we are, but that they interacted with the world in ways that were profoundly different to how people began to perceive the world following the rise of modern science and technology. What was lacking in traditional societies was an ability to think hypothetically and to make logical inferences from abstractions. Flynn’s findings are a fascinating testimony to the power of neuroplasticity and the role that cultural and environmental factors play in the processes of cognition.
Further Reading
Have you ever felt that you didn’t want to begin a task until you were ready to do a really good job? Have you ever put off beginning something because you lacked confidence that you could measure up to your own expectations?
If so, then you probably know from experience that there is a strong link between perfectionism and procrastination.
If so, then you probably know from experience that there is a strong link between perfectionism and procrastination.
Procrastination is a topic we’ve been exploring at the TSM blog during the past few weeks. Before continuing this discussion, it may be helpful to recap the ground we’ve covered so far in this series.
Recap of Procrastination Series
In Part 1 of this series, I showed evidence that the longer you wait between graduation and taking your EPPP, the greater your likelihood is for failure. I drew attention to the fact that because of memory decay, those who waited an average of 4-5 years between graduation and their liscencure exam had an average failing score of 493.60.
In Part 2 of this series we looked at some of the factors that lead a person to procrastinate, in particular the feeling of being overwhelmed. I offered some specific steps you can take for beginning your EPPP practice even when you feel overwhelmed.
In today’s post we will continue this discussion by looking at the relationship between procrastination and perfectionism.
In my last post I shared research showing that waiting too long to prepare for the EPPP could directly diminish your likelihood of success. We saw that because of “decay theory”, your optimum time for taking the EPPP is as close to graduation as possible.
In this post I wish to continue that discussion by looking at why we procrastinate and what you can do to avoid it.
Are You Overwhelmed?
One of the factors that often motivates us to procrastinate is a sense of feeling overwhelmed. For example, you consider all the EPPP prep necessary before the exam, and the thought of it makes you feel utterly exhausted. “How can I possibly learn all of this?” you think. “I don’t even know where to begin!”
These types of feelings lead to procrastination. When we are overwhelmed by a job we need to do, the tendency is for us to put it off and delay making a start. However, if we wait until something has become urgent to tackle it, then we no longer have the luxury of attending to it at a convenient pace. The project we have delayed to begin then becomes all-consuming and pushes other things out.