STUDY
SKILLS
Some essential tips to develop
effective study methods
- Take responsibility for yourself; understand that you are the only person who is responsible for your success and failure in your studies. Stop blaming your parents, teachers or anybody else for not achieving what you are capable of.
- Recognize that in order to succeed, you have to take decisions about your priorities in your life and how best you use your time and resources
- Focus on your values, principles and goals. Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you should consider important or unimportant, both in your studies and the way you live your life
- Prioritize your academic goals above all other goals in your life, Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don't let the demands, desires and expectation of your friends, classmates or even parents, or other interests, like interest in games, gadgets, sports, love relationships etc, to distract you from your goals
Use
the SQRURR technique
- S - Survey – initially just run through the portion to be studied to have a general idea about the topic. Go through the headings, side headings, captions, pictures, charts, graphs etc. check for any relationship or continuity with the previous portions studied
- Q - Question – check for the available questions either at the end of the chapter, in the model question papers or generate your own questions
- R – Read – read the portion slowly giving adequate importance to important / critical words, formulas, important terms, definitions etc. look for answers for the questions you have already raised. Reread the parts which are difficult to understand.
- U – Understand – try to understand the content, and frame your understanding in your own words. Try to relate the concept to practical use preferably in your day to day life
- R – Recite – summarize whatever you have understood in your own words , answer all the questions available related to the topic, write down the important words, terms, formulas and definitions to check to what extent you remember them
- R - Review – review the information aloud or in your head whenever you get have free time or even during the time when you are involved in activities that does not require your full focus.
Things
to remember while studying
Place
of study
- Find a study space where you can be the most focused and productive, the space where there are minimal distractions. Keep one of these places as a permanent study space and use others as an alternative only when this particular place is not available
- Keep your study place clean and organized. Have only the books and material relevant to the topic which you plan to study at a particular time in this place.
- Get a dedicated chair, table, and lighting
- Keep your mobile or telephone and television remote at a distance which is not easily accessible
- If you like music in the background, but don't let it be a distraction.
- Use the right furniture, table and chairs of appropriate height and shape to avoid strain on your body especially your hips and back bones, if you are studying by sitting on the floor use a simple mounted structure to keep your study material, so that you need not bend too much. Don’t study lying down or in the bed
Plan
and organize
- Make a list the portions which you have studied and the ones you have not studied
- Keep a daily weekly monthly schedule planner to split the portion of subjects to be completed within a specific time period.
- Keep the details of the important dates relevant to the exams, in a place where you can see it frequently.
- Have weekly reviews of the schedule to understand the levels of execution, effectiveness of the schedule and to make necessary alterations
- Also plan how much time you need to spend to answer each type question and each part of the paper based the model question paper. While you plan the time to have an initial run through of the question paper and the time to review and correct any mistakes in the end period should be included. Reasonably effective plan may to complete a 3hours paper in 2 &1/2 hours
- If you feel that even after consistent efforts over a period of time you plan is not working, understand that your plan is not a realistic one and create a more realistic alternative plan
Time
of study
- Discover which your effective time periods for studying. Whether its Morning, afternoon, or evening?. Decide your study time based of the factors such as your energy levels, least distraction and alertness. The best time to study is always the one which you feel as the best. once you have decided on it, make sure that you maintain consistency in studying during this time,
- Prioritize your subject /portion of study on the basis of the most effective time and least effective time. Learn difficult subjects or portions during the most effective time and easy ones in the least effective time
- Plan the subject and topics to be studied before your start, preparing your schedule.
Focus
- Before you begin studying, take a few minutes to summarize your objectives and goals. Remind yourself of the study strategies and the time period available.
- Gather all the study material related to subject or portions you had planned to complete.
- Don’t keep any material that can distract you with in your vicinity including books related to other subjects
Incentives
- Create an incentive if necessary for successfully completing a task for example listening to a song which you like, taking a some snacks which you like, a short break to play some games etc.
- Give yourself the reward when you've completed a task
MANAGING BOREDOM AND DISINTEREST
Change
topics
- Changing the subject you study every one to two hours for variety
Take
regular, scheduled breaks that fit you
- For every thirty minutes of studies take five minutes break
- During this break time just close your eyes and relax yourself
- If you have been studying continuously in a sitting posture, get up and stretch yourself. You can even have a short walk which will make you feel active
Use active studying techniques
- Walk around and read loudly
- For every fifteen minutes change the method of studying. For example first study loudly in a sitting posture, followed by writing down the points which you feel as important or the ones which needs frequent reading and review, then draw the related drawing graphs etc, then have a brief discussion or sharing of what you have studied with your friends or any other people around you.
- Involve in activities that does not demand your attention such as jogging and review what you have studied. Alternate between studying and such physical activity.
- Read out loud, record it in audio tapes for listening whenever you are less active
- Involve in discussions and debates with your friends or teachers on what you have studied and your understanding of the content.
- Create mental images about what you are studying, draw pictures and diagrams frequently to reinforce
TIPS
FOR MEMORY AND RETENTION
