adminTerence Mapuka: Cool Lifestyle Correspondent
The exams are around the corner for those classes writing external exams.It is a period full of anxiety and last minute preparations. Here is a quick guide on smart study, this is for all learners whether you are writing external exams or not.The first thing of note is to understand why people have to study in the first place. People study at different levels for varying reasons but one universal reason is to increase knowledge. That should be our reason as well. It is the knowledge we gather now that will help propel us in life.
What is the best environment for you?
When you are planning a study routine you need to do a self-assessment. Of note you need to understand your strength and weaknesses, more of a SWOT analysis. You need to know when your energy level is the highest, and your most productive time of the day. It is at this time that you should have your studies the most.
Is it in the morning, afternoon or evening?
Are you a late night owl or an early bird? Once you understand that you can then attend to routine things like tidying at low energy times of the day.
Do you study well with soft music or total silence? Do you study better with a study partner or you do more when you study on your own?
How long should your study sessions be?
It has been proven that short bursts of concentration repeated frequently are much more effective than one long session. Long study sessions create fatigue, stress and distraction and you cannot concentrate. Your mind will start to wonder off into oblivion and for you to call it back to earth it will take time to regain your focus on studies. The pressure comes because you are told to study hard, however the best you can do for yourself is to study SMART!
Research has shown that maximum concentration time of a person is 90 minutes. For younger people 30 to 45 minutes is the best. That is why the lesson periods at school are in that range. You need to take 5 to 10 minute breaks and focus on something else entirely. When I was studying in college we use to have a table tennis set, we would cool off playing there, it was refreshing.
Others take a snack, listen to some music or take a shower or swim, just find out what best works for you.
How do you prioritise subjects you want to study?
Your study sessions will not make sense if you do not prioritize your tasks. How do you tackle these tasks when you study? As always there are some tasks that are more difficult than the others. A famous Shona proverb says if you want to eat a dog, best you eat the bull dog. It speaks of tackling the most difficult of choices. It is also supported by Brian Tracy in his book Eat That Frog. So what does it all have to do with studies? Tackle the most difficult subject or topics first. When you start studying, you are fresh and your concentration levels are still high, you can tackle the most difficult of tasks first. This approach increases the intake of all that you are studying. You can follow the tasks in that order; take on the next most difficult tasks and finish with the least difficult ones. You will see also that with time your concentration is reduced but because you are taking on lighter tasks you can continue with relative ease. More is achieved with this approach.
A professor once illustrated this with a glass jar, rocks, pebbles, sand and water. When he had filled up the glass jar with rocks the size of a tennis ball he asked his class if it was full and they said yes, He went on to shake into the glass jar some pebbles which quickly settled at the bottom of the jar. He did the same with sand and lastly water. It was clear to the class that when you start with the bigger tasks (most difficult) you will find room to put more of the lighter tasks. If you do the reverse it will soon be a mess and you will not complete many of the difficult tasks. It is important to prioritize when you want to study SMART!
Importance of a study group
As much as the final outcome is a personal reflection of your efforts in the examinations, the best thing you can do as you prepare for exams is to leverage on each other’s strengths. After you have assessed yourself and seen your weaknesses you can then approach friends and colleagues to find assistance in the areas of your weakness. It is not surprising that those you approach are also weak in an area you have strength. This is the foundation of study groups.
Study groups help you to make use of others strengths for your benefits. It also gives you an opportunity to showcase your own strengths thus building your confidence as we approach the final examinations. Having a team that depends on you can boost your confidence greatly and improve your focus because you will feel obliged to assist everyone to succeed.
Study groups help you increase the rate at which you take up new information. Speaking of concepts and explaining the material to others will help you reinforce ideas and improve uptake of knowledge. Repetition of this means stronger memory. This allows you to access more information as well since there will be varied views and insights in one place.
The sharing and open discussion enhances your thinking skills. It is proven that learners who study together tend to share notes and other class materials thus building and broadening your understanding of the subject. The wealth of knowledge in a study group can allow you to understand more the key concepts and help you not to spend time stuck on a concept you cannot understand.
Now that is what we call studying smartly!
Terence Mapuka is with zwTEENS, an organisation which helps teens with career choices. You can reach Terence on 0772 101 601, [email protected] or visit their website www.zwteens.com
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