When I was in secondary 4 and was just starting to learn differentiation, I got totally lost and hence got stressed up. This got worse after I received my common test result, mainly in calculus, which I failed.
From 90+ to a fail, naturally I got very tensed up. This resulted in me visiting the toilet often whenever I was doing practices on calculus. Something magical then started to happen. Whenever I got stuck at a question, I would go to the toilet. After I came back, I instantly knew how to solve it. I was amazed by my own 'magic' and I remember that my friends who were studying with me too. They even joked that the toilet gave me inspiration. Or was it?
Years later, I came across articles talking about incubating thoughts. It sounds interesting and thinking back, I believe that I have been "using this method" to study. As I was writing this post, I found an interesting article on incubating thoughts. It kind of explains how I usually study.
In secondary four, I would take a nap every afternoon and watch TV in the evening after school everyday. In between, I would study for about 1 to 2 hours. Recalling back, none of my friends actually believed me. They thought I studied all day long and had little leisure time. In any case, I found that I understood what the teachers taught easier with my sleep and TV.
Believing that I have found my unique method, I followed the ritual closely:
Learning a new concept
After learning something new in class, I will not think about it. Ask me what the teacher has just said right after the lecture, my answer will always be the same: "I don't know". It's not that I am selfish and want to keep the knowledge to myself, it's just that I really don't know. Try asking me a few days later, I am sure that I will tell you what you want to know, of course only if I manage to catch the concept.
Handling a difficult problem
I will only spend at most 5 minutes thinking about a question, even in an examination. When the time is up and I still don't know how to start, or I know I will be stuck somewhere, I will forget the question and move on to the next. Forget is the key word here. First, if I don't forget, I can't concentrate on the next question. Second, if I can't think of a solution while fully concentrating, I definitely can't think of a solution when I am supposedly trying to solve another question. Hence my take is to leave the problem aside and the answer will come to me.
Years later, I came across articles talking about incubating thoughts. It sounds interesting and thinking back, I believe that I have been "using this method" to study. As I was writing this post, I found an interesting article on incubating thoughts. It kind of explains how I usually study.
In secondary four, I would take a nap every afternoon and watch TV in the evening after school everyday. In between, I would study for about 1 to 2 hours. Recalling back, none of my friends actually believed me. They thought I studied all day long and had little leisure time. In any case, I found that I understood what the teachers taught easier with my sleep and TV.
Believing that I have found my unique method, I followed the ritual closely:
Learning a new concept
After learning something new in class, I will not think about it. Ask me what the teacher has just said right after the lecture, my answer will always be the same: "I don't know". It's not that I am selfish and want to keep the knowledge to myself, it's just that I really don't know. Try asking me a few days later, I am sure that I will tell you what you want to know, of course only if I manage to catch the concept.
Handling a difficult problem
I will only spend at most 5 minutes thinking about a question, even in an examination. When the time is up and I still don't know how to start, or I know I will be stuck somewhere, I will forget the question and move on to the next. Forget is the key word here. First, if I don't forget, I can't concentrate on the next question. Second, if I can't think of a solution while fully concentrating, I definitely can't think of a solution when I am supposedly trying to solve another question. Hence my take is to leave the problem aside and the answer will come to me.
To end this post, I will like to say that if I don't recognise you, someone I know, when I walk past you, it is not because I have forgotten you, it is not because I am avoiding you. It is simply because I am thinking and/or some ideas have just surfaced to my mind. Take no offence, for I have even failed to recognise my dad before when he walked past me. :/
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