Students have been asking me how I study. I always
point them to this blog but since it's the start of the year, let me summarise
some study techniques that I used when I was in school. In this post, I will
give a general guideline on how to approach a new chapter. Do note that there are other elements to studying (read my other posts) and this is merely a short summary focusing on understanding a chapter.
Read through the notes beforehand
Right! Read through the notes before you step into the
class. Read it on the way to school or read it the night before like a storybook. You
may not understand it, but even reading word by word helps. It gives you an idea
of how the notes are arranged and allows you to glance through some of the new
words (you may not even see some technical terms before).
At times, the new chapter is linked to previous chapters and
you may even develop some linkages on your own. This is definitely helpful when the teacher also makes link while teaching (you won't feel lost!).
Make notes during lesson
During the lesson, make notes. Whatever the teacher says,
capture the important points and write down. Use short forms. Scribble. There
is no right or wrong short forms. Develop your own, as long as you understand
what you have written.
Review notes
After the lesson, read the notes again, together with what you have written. Add on notes if needed. From personal experience, I always
have things to add on to my notes during review. I would recall something
that the teacher said or link to another knowledge that I knew beforehand. Write them down.
Do homework
It is important to do homework. Doing homework makes sure that you are learning the right thing (if you get it correct) and points out any
wrong concept (if you get it wrong). Doing homework also prepares you for the
test and exam.
Ask questions and discuss
If you have any question, ask. You can ask your friends,
parents/siblings/cousins, teachers, tutors, or anyone. Questions can be
qualitative or quantitative. It can be a discussion on topics such as “do you
think World War II can be avoided?” or simply a question “how to do integration by
parts?”.
Do more (timed) practices
This is very important; in fact, this is the phase that prepares
you for the exam. Time yourself when doing questions, do not spend more than
what is allowed. When you are doing full year paper, make it like exam
condition. Ask your family members not to disturb for the next x hours, lock
yourself in the room, do it like you are in the exam hall. Always challenge
yourself to do faster and more accurate the next time round.
Tuition
For students without tuition, it’s not an issue. You have to
be more proactive and seek resources. There are assessment books everywhere and
past year papers are sold throughout Singapore. Buy them, do them and get help
from friends/teachers etc (see above).
For students with tuition, make full use of the tutor.
Bombard the tutors with questions (especially for 1-1 tuition). Ask for more
practices. Discuss topics with the tutor. Listen to and apply the tips given by
the tutor (students usually feedback that the tips I give are not given in
school. I believe there are countless tips out there and believe it or not, I am learning from my students everyday).
Hope this post helps. All the best for the new year! :)
