Have you ever examined the way you study? Are you one of those muggers who burns the midnight oil night after night till the day of your exams or are you studying smart?
Or do you prepare for your exams with daily studying and revision? Do you fastidiously copy everything your teachers reveal on their slides?
The first way is really the way many students succumb to, including yours truly.
The second way is of course the preferred way. It requires consistent devotion and diligence.
There should be discipline practised every step of the way. Not many follow this path and if you do, kudos to you!
Studying hard is always an approved route. It will certainly earn the approval of your parents.
Imagine the sight of you poring away at your books. The question this begs is, “does this work out for the best?”
By ‘the best’, I mean that it works out well for your class tests, homework performance etc.
Well, burning the midnight oil is an extreme method. It is a sort of Extreme XXX way of doing your work. You will lose your sleep, weight and feel like a zombie.
And great discipline is required for daily studying.
The best way would be to Study Smart. Here are 3 effective keys to studying smart:
How Does One Study Smart?
The most important part about studying smart is to use strategic study methods.
If you have a tutor or mentor, that person will be able to show you some well-worn study methods or some new strategies to study that will greatly cut down your study time.
Get acquainted with strategies that will suit you. Strategies and formulas are fundamental in helping you to surge ahead.
They will cut down on your study time. A composition writing formula will trace a clear pattern for you to follow without having to tackle everything from the word ‘go.’
A good formula will help you to gather only the necessary information and you may even use them repeatedly for good results. This will save you a lot of time and will make your study path clearer.
Studying Smart Also Means FOCUS
There is really no need to read your textbook from end to end. This is a traditional way. Of course, if you want to, just go ahead.
However, if there is a better way, why not try that? Focussing means to spot those areas that are likely to appear in your tests.
Some questions have a way of appearing more often. Focus on them. Your teachers may give you a hint.
Another way is to focus on certain areas and completely focus on them with essays written out in perfect detail.
Form, function and clarity are of the utmost importance. Keep your mind focussed on what you need to write.
For compositions, it is all about clarity in presentation and content. You need to be precise about both of these. Once you are able to churn out answers adhering to these requirements, you will be fine.
Study Smart To Give Your Mind Breathing Space
This is the most obvious reason. You need to give your mind some extra space for breathing. Studying smart will free up your time.
You may devote more time to all your subjects and have some time left over for your exercise and recreation like indulging in family time.
These are crucial for your emotional well-being and performance during those trying exam periods. Create your own wellness routine and weave it around your ‘study smart’ schedules.
Gauge your learning process every week and judge your progress in terms of content and ability to remember it. Revise these every month, just to maintain your overall learning process.
The most important outcome of studying smart is that you will feel you have reached your goals. Studying smart routines takes you all the way to your finish line.
You will literally be able to trace your progress step-by-step as you work. It will require a lot of practice but once you get down to it, you will be able to gain the results that you want.