Tips for staying woke in the library
 

Does anyone have any tips for reading a boring text book in the library and trying to stay woke?

I just keep falling asleep because the book is so boring. But I really need to read the chapter.

Coffee? :)

Be sure you're well rested before heading to the library. If you're exhausted/operating on too little sleep, you are more likely to nod off.

Take detailed notes. Writing helps fight the urge to nod off. ... though... i have succeeding in noding off while writing.

I like to read my boring stuff in a highly-trafficed part of the library where it would be embarassing if I fell asleep.

Play high-energy music in your headphones? I doubt that you could fall asleep with a heavy beat ringing in your head. Even though I've done it before...
Study with people. If there is a group of friends or class mates with you, everyone can police one another on the staying on task bit. I've done this before and it works. We study, we break, then we study again.

I never studied in the library. I always did best when there were weights around me. If I lifted weights for a bit -- enough to get some blood flowing, I was fine.

Take a break. Walk outside to refersh yourself. Come in and you'll be ready to work for another hour.

Ritalin

-Rudey

Co-sign on the taking notes/highlighting. Usually if I was doing that I could keep myself going.

Either that or take a break every so often.

My friend fell asleep one time and her highlighter bled through like 50 pages or so. It was pretty funny.

I'm a fan of studying at Barnes and Nobles or Boarders. Quite enough to get work done, but enough noise to not fall asleep. Plus you can get coffee/tea/caffinee when needed (well, in most stores). Boarders even had sandwiches!!!

Le sigh, I miss Boarders

read a section/page and then summarize in your notes. Reward yourself after X-many pages (my reward of choice: peanut butter M&Ms: 2 M&Ms for every 4 pages of case-studies)

OK I'm not trying to insult you here, but I can definitely see someone doing this with a monkey in a cage every time he gets a trick right or something.

-Rudey
--hehehe this will keep me giggling for a good 5 minutes hehehe

Both of these are really good ideas, esp. if the reading and/or class topic is quite boring.

I used to study w/ friends (who were also enrolled in the same class as I was). We would goof off every so often, but otherwise get a ton of studying done.

If I was studying alone, many times I went to Borders or another bookstore. I would use my headphones and listen to some upbeat instrumentals (such as acid jazz) to keep myself awake.

yeah, it seems weird but it works for me.
Remember the charts that teachers used in elementary school and when you passed a spelling quiz or something you'd get a gold star added by your name? I found that those work to motivate me to exercise. *shrug*