“How should I study?” - A Simple Guide to Revision Planning
Examinations and tests are students’ enemy number one. A seemingly daunting and insurmountable obstacle to overcome, many students fear these routine evaluations on what they have learnt in school. When it comes to revision, hard work is definitely one aspect that affects your results, but it cannot be denied that how you go about your revision also plays a role in determining your grades.
Finding the most suitable way to study may be a challenge for many students. Fret not, for we will be covering some of the factors that affect how you study, be it for block tests, or the national examinations.
Studying in groups?
Studying is monotonous and mundane to most students. It wouldn’t hurt to inject a little fun into it. The idea of studying with friends may sound enticing to many of us. However, the effectiveness of grinding for midterms, finals, or finishing up projects with friends varies from person to person.
There are various factors to consider when studying in groups. Whether your friends are quiet or noisy; focused, or easily distracted; is your study environment conducive, or is it filled with distractions? These all affect how smoothly you revise for an upcoming test or complete a project.
Given that extroverts tend to be outgoing and talkative, they may find themselves more productive studying with friends that are equally if not more talkative as long as they can remain focused on their revision. Introverts, introspective and reserved individuals, may find it a challenge to study if they are unable to shut out distractions from their environment. Some of which include noise, the presence of a large group of people, and friends who they may be compelled to chat with.
An extrovert may not feel as motivated and focused as they could be studying alone. Therefore, studying in groups may not sound like such a bad idea. The opposite applies to introverts, who can focus much better on their revision while basking in the comfort of their solitude. But in the end, the onus is on you to try studying in groups and by yourself, and see which works best for you.
The sound of symphony, or of pin-drop silence?
Studies have indeed shown that music can improve one’s level of productivity. SolvedEnigma, one of our writers, wrote an article covering this topic. He found that whether we benefit from listening to music while studying is dependent on whether we enjoy what we are listening to while burning the midnight oil.
Should I study in small bursts, or just one large burst?
What if I told you there is a way to study less, and do better in your academics? A magician never reveals his secrets, but an exception can be made here.
According to experts, the key to more efficient learning lies in the concept of spaced learning. In contrast to mass learning, cramming just a few days before your test, spaced learning involves studying in intervals over a period of time. In other words, more frequent and shorter study sessions are better than one long study session.
Let us examine spaced learning from a vantage point. The human mind both learns and forgets quickly. Most students may have difficulties recalling facts they have revised. This is where spaced learning comes to save the day. In practicing spaced learning, although you may face some difficulty while learning, you reduce the rate in which you forget whatever you have learnt. As shown in the graphs below, your rate of learning slows down slightly when comparing Fig 1 and Fig 2.
The crucial part about spaced learning is to take breaks from the topic you are currently focused on learning. For example, you have a test for differentiation coming up in a few weeks. The best way to go about studying for differentiation would be: study, take a break from differentiation, study again, take a break again, so on and so forth.
If you want to make better use of time, you could study for different topics such as algebra or trigonometry in place of the break. Furthermore, you could also consider incorporating bite-sized sessions before and after your primary revision (studying differentiation) to further reinforce key learning points, by revising formulas from other chapters that may be applicable to questions on differentiation.
The complexity, as well as the breadth of the topic determines the number of repetitions you need to use; the more complex or greater in content the topic you are studying for is, the more repetitions are required to ensure that you are familiar with the topic.
It’s time to take a break
Rest is crucial for everyone, more so during these unprecedented times we live in. There is no point in studying 24/7, only to fall sick on the day of your examination, or to succumb to a mental health issue due to the stresses over your student life.
Picture this: it’s quarter past midnight, you are sitting at your desk, trying to make sense of the numbers you see on your paper. You’ve had a long day at school, and it is clear to you that your mind is not as alert as it was in the morning, barely being able to comprehend what a question demands of you.
Instead of trying with great difficulty, to stay awake, step into bed and get some sleep. That way, you can ensure that you will have enough energy for your next day of school.
The importance of taking breaks is understated. It allows you to improve your level of focus and attention, as well as alleviate stress. Feeling pangs of hunger? Grab a light snack for some energy. Are your muscles sore and tight? Stand up and stretch, or go for a short walk.
These simple activities allow you a moment of respite, of inner peace, that will refresh your mind before you resume your revision. That way, you can remain mindful of what you are actually studying.
Deciding what to do during your break can also dictate how the rest of your study session will go. What you choose to do during your break should help you preserve your momentum, and not derail you from completing the task before you.
A Place to Call Sanctuary?
Some of us may not be picky about where they study, but to those of us who are, let us take a look at our options.
First up, studying at home. It seems like the most logical answer; you do not have to travel, there is a restroom nearby, and food and drinks are much easier to come by. Yet, we have to consider that some avoid studying at home due to the level of noise within the household, the presence of distractions such as electronic devices, your bed or pesky siblings; or less commonly, a lack of space perhaps?
After being dismissed from lessons in school you may feel motivated to study, but then upon arriving home, the drive to revise slowly fades away due to its relaxing and welcoming embrace. Some pros of studying in a school include the possibility of being a more conducive environment due to the lack of creature comforts such as a bed or a sofa, teachers whom you can call upon for consultation (provided that they are free), and plenty of space to study.
Not only that, if you live far from your school, it may be a better use of your time to study in school instead of travelling back home, and studying then; the time you save could be spent taking a nap, or going to bed earlier. However, some may be dissuaded from studying in school because they may find the presence of a large crowd discomforting, or that there may be too much noise due to school events.
Public libraries, similar to schools, lack creature comforts that may distract you from the process of learning, and are spacious enough to house many students. What libraries have over schools is that they are a mostly quiet environment, allowing students to concentrate on their revision. Libraries are free to be accessed by the public, and may be more crowded than schools on certain days. Hence, there may not always be sufficient vacancies for students to study in libraries.
Moving on to cafes such as Starbucks and CBTL, which can be found all around the island. Cafés provide students a comfortable environment to study, with lounge music playing in the background and the smell of delectables and coffee beans contributing to a relaxed ambience. Cafés are convenient too. If you need to grab a bite or a drink, the counter is just literally a few steps away from you.
Some may be against studying in cafés because it comes with the obligation to make a purchase at said café, and that during said cafe’s busiest operating hours, students who are studying may be forced to leave to make space for other patrons.
Other potential locations to study in include restaurants and food courts. Though restaurants may require you to purchase an item just like in cafes, you can choose not to purchase anything if you are studying at a food court as there is a lot of space for patrons to sit. But as with both locations, noise may be an issue to some.
Perspectives
An NSF that came from a JC background recalled that his secondary school and JC life were generally smooth, but that JC curriculum “did get difficult”. He found himself struggling with electrochemistry as it was not covered in his secondary school syllabus. He also mentioned that in terms of grades, “I did do a lot worse compared to secondary, but that doesn’t really mean much because that’s what happens to everyone.”
Interestingly, he found JC hard not particularly because of academics, but because he was “doing academics and everything else, like CCA and VIA concurrently.”
In terms of the general environment of both levels, a distinct difference he highlighted is the expectations of academic achievement placed upon them. He mentioned that “I always felt in my secondary school there was a kind of atmosphere of mediocrity, like we all knew we were just normal people way below the elites, but in JC, though we weren’t elite, we never felt elite JC kids were any better than us.”
His teachers in JC definitely had higher expectations than that of his secondary school, but “ultimately though, the teachers I met all wanted the best for their kids.”
Life in polytechnic paints a starkly different picture from that of JC. Sharon, a student from one of the five polytechnics in Singapore, says that “I struggled a lot in my first year because I couldn’t adapt fast enough” and that “I was used to primary and secondary school’s structured learning.”
Taking charge of your learning in polytechnic is also crucial in order to pass. She found herself having to “do my own research and assume the things I understood from my research are right” when her friends or herself did not understand what was covered in class.
On top of that, Sharon also recalled that “once you fail a module, you’ll have to retake it.” This further increases the weight of the workload you currently have, which can make polytechnic life more challenging than it already is.
Conclusion
Just like how our curriculum changes with the times, so does the way we study. To learn new things, we must figure out how to optimize our revision.
Now look, I am not saying that you should study like it is the only way to survive in life. Rather, this is merely a suggestion on an alternate approach to studying (think “study smart”, not “study hard”). It is also important to have some fun, and you can’t have fun if you don’t have time. After all, it‘s fun that allows you to preserve your sanity.
With a combination of the optimal strategy, the right mindset, and the discipline to carry out your plans, your future is looking brighter already.
