Theres no escape... (1 Viewer)

[Leap]

Ok, heres the problem: (Warning: Don't read if you can't be bothered listening to me whinging).
I have half yearly exams coming up and I really need to get some studying done, but I live in an absolute mad house. There is nowhere I can go for peace and quiet. My neighbours always seem to be using chainsaws, those noisy leaf-blowers or playing what sounds like irish barn dance music outside my window.
The TV is just outside my room and is ALWAYS being watched on full volume by at least one of my brothers and their leigions of friends. The kitchen is on the other side of my room where pots and pans are clashed around at all hours of the day and night.
The other day a group of teenage guys who I assume were in some way friends (or friends of friends) of my brothers waltzed in the front door with electric guitars and started screaming pearl jam songs. (under normal circumstances this wouldnt be so bad, but not when I was in the middle of a complicated essay! argh! )
The local library is several suburbs away, and I'd have to catch two trains to get there, carrying all my textbooks (I have an average of 3 per subject) along with pens, notebooks, print outs of the syllabus etc.
I have tried EVERYTHING! My family think I am being "selfish and unreasonable" when I attempt to discuss this calmy and rationally. I've tried compromising, negotiating, bribing, dropping hints, they just don't get it. I really have problems concentrating and the constant noise is driving me up the wall.
Can anyone see any sort of solution?

 

[Ollz San]

That's bad.
I'm in that kind of situation as well but I just realise I have it so much easier than you.
My family's pretty flexible, I can always talk to them.
And the library's 30 minutes away, on foot that is.
Yet here I am, not studying.

can you perhaps go to a friend's house? Or someone you know maybe?

or wear really big thick headphones...

or go to the park, if there's one nearby, it's usually quiet (and creepy...)...

oh geez sorry I'm not really good at generating ideas.
where you do you live anyway?

 

[underthesun]

Thick headphones with some new-age musics? I can bet it'll work

 

[ND]

Have you tried ear plugs?

 

[bobo123]

sorry to hear that leap
move out to the garage?

im lucky my parents think hsc is the most important thing ever.
"studying" has been my get-out-of-chores card for ages

 

[ND]

Originally posted by bobo123

im lucky my parents think hsc is the most important thing ever.
"studying" has been my get-out-of-chores card for ages

Mine too, "studying" has been my ticket to using the computer pretty much whenever i want (whoever is on it has to get off for the HSC student).

 

[bobo123]

heh
i have no computer restrictions except the ban on games

 

[Butterfly_Wings]

Yeah-noisy family members are the worst. And is it just me-or do neightbours always decide it is a top idea to start doing some exensions on their house when you have exams?!

Don't bother with public libraries-people don't even attempt to be quiet there. I tried doing that for the HSC it did not work at all.

Finding a quiet park or something might work, but it might be just as frustrating, if you just settle down to study and then a gang of primary school kids come along, or if there is traffic noise, or a friendly dog comes along and insists you throw it a stick, or it starts raining (yeah, you get the idea! ). But it can't hurt to try.

Or try to learn to study with music on (if you don't already). When it starts getting loud-just stick your headphones on and turn the music up as loud s you can handle it to drown out any background noise-instrumental music is usually best, but it has to be sorta "loud" instrumental if you know what I mean...if it's sorta wishy-washy with lots of quiet bits, you'll hear everything thats going on anyway!

OR-sleep in the afternoon and study at night, when people are asleep and it is quiet. And most teenagers can concentrate better at night anyway-something to do with the chemical balances in adolescents brains.

 

[professor]

mm....stay back after school in the school library...if it opens...

or friend's house...

 

[Butterfly_Wings]

You could try studying with a friend, discussing and talking things out together, rather than sitting by yourself in silence. If your talking with someone, you won't need silence to concentrate on it, and it can usually be pretty effective...so long as the two of you can manage to keep on track!

 

[ND]

Originally posted by bobo123
heh
i have no computer restrictions except the ban on games

It wasn't really about computer restrictions, it was just that there was always somebody on it. But now, as soon as they here me coming down the stairs, they start to move.

 

[kini mini]

Originally posted by bobo123
heh
i have no computer restrictions except the ban on games

I didn't even have that, I played as much as I wanted. I trailed off after first term though . I went from 5 hours a week to 2.

Leap , I think you should stay back at school as people said for the time being, but you're going to have to deal with your family sometime. Have you tried explaining to them how seriously you're taking the HSC?

 

[GJ_JOE]

The only advice i can give that hasn't already been given is to try to apply for EAS when the time comes.

 

[MiuMiu]

I would do what someone else suggested...........come home and sleep till about 8 or 9pm and study through the night it will be quiet and a really productive atmosphere (ie nothing on tv to watch instead and no one to talk to)

 

[Minai]

I guess u should consider wats more important? Travelling to the library and studying peacefully or being at home with the constant racket....If my HSC were on the line i kno which i'd choose...

I travelled about 30 mins to the state library everyday during stuvac for the HSC simply coz my local library itself was noisy! I'd rather travel a bit and get productive work done than sit somewhere close to home and be unproductive

 

[Ollz San]

speaking of library, were you at Willoughby library on saturday Minai?

 

[Almighty Jafar]

Originally posted by MinAi
I guess u should consider wats more important? Travelling to the library and studying peacefully or being at home with the constant racket....If my HSC were on the line i kno which i'd choose...

I travelled about 30 mins to the state library everyday during stuvac for the HSC simply coz my local library itself was noisy! I'd rather travel a bit and get productive work done than sit somewhere close to home and be unproductive

true. if it's important to you enough, allocate some time to yourself in a quiet area.You'll be suprised with what you'll achieve

 

[Leap]

I guess u should consider wats more important? Travelling to the library and studying peacefully or being at home with the constant racket....If my HSC were on the line i kno which i'd choose...I travelled about 30 mins to the state library everyday during stuvac for the HSC simply coz my local library itself was noisy

Yeah I guess its pointless trying to work with all the noise. I dunno how noisy my local library would be, but I'm sure it can't possibly be as loud as my house.

Have you tried explaining to them how seriously you're taking the HSC?

Well I've got two older brothers, one of them did the HSC last year, and the other one in 2000 and the whole families attitude is basically "HSC? been there, done that!" if you know what I mean. Its like no-one takes it seriously anymore.

You could try studying with a friend, discussing and talking things out together, rather than sitting by yourself in silence.

Thats actually a pretty good idea, except most of my friends aren't doing any of the same subjects as me. Still, I'll try it out - isn't teaching someone else what you're trying to learn the most effective way of remembering it anyway? At least thats what I heard. hmm.

move out to the garage?

I actually tried that once during the year 11 exams, but the petrol fumes were really strong and I think that somewhat affected how much work I did