After a few different methods I've come down toYou people exercise too much. You only have so many heartbeats before the thing stops working, you know!
I've just started uni as a mature age student and had to figure out how I best study / learn too. I'm a bit lucky to be able to retain info pretty easily, but still found it best to figure out my 'style' of learning to make sure I don't short-change myself.
So basically, my advice is to figure out how you best retain information (since that's the most important part of school/uni - critically analysing concepts can't be done unless you 'know' them) and then make a plan around that. For me, I have found that a continuous cycle of taking notes during lectures and then just doing a quick read over them a little while later means I retain the vast majority of info and I'm good to go.
Whatever way you find best for retaining info, be deliberate about doing that every time you sit down to study and you will probably set yourself up for the best result and minimal stress.
1. Pre read lecture slides if available, no more than 30 minutes, just to get a grasp
2. Watch lectures online, and convert important bits to a single word file on the day or as soon as possible. making full use of styles.
3. at the end of the week revise lecture material.
4. When doing assignments etc, you have a single file to work from
5. can revise effectively for exams
I think I posted earlier, but 30 minute timed blocks with increasing breaks throughout the day.
Last semester I tried to do all of this in the last two weeks, I aced both exams, but struggled throughout the semester.