Is there a winning formula to study effectively? - Part 1
Hanno Schoeman and Villene van der Westhuizen • August 29, 2020
There just might be.
To understand the concept of effective study, we need to understand and establish what the process entails. Study skills refer to methods and techniques that aid effective learning, especially viewed as a set of skills that can indeed be acquired or taught, i.e. the ability to study effectively.
If students were to spend quality time studying effectively, almost no student would struggle to excel. The first step, therefore, is to set clear and achievable goals and objectives in a particular field of study. The improvement of marks is not as hard as most students might think. It is a proven fact that most students have no idea what the word “study” actually means. The misconception that excessive hours behind a desk, guarantee good marks, is misleading. Some students are at the top of their grade without spending hours on a subject. What can be done to achieve better results?
Firstly, the student must set clear, achievable goals by following a formalised, daily study programme. The issue of actually understanding the learning content contributes greatly to reduce time behind a desk. It is, therefore, advisable to be in contact with teachers and/or peers to explain learning content that the student does not understand. There is no point trying to summarise or study learning content that the student does not understand.
The next necessary step is to summarise important points and create ways and means of remembering these indicators, like using a mind map, coloured markers, flash cards, etc (these have been proven to help study effectively). Therefore, the student must experiment to find the best way suited to his or her individual needs to remember notes, summaries or mind maps.
Organisational skills and effective time management help a great deal to categorise information in context of a topic or a subject. Another great source of motivation is creating study groups or getting a study partner and organise the content according to a scheduled programme and adhere to time frames. The value of synergy in helping to study effectively is greatly under-estimated.
Students often attempt studying while actually being distracted by television, music, cell phones, social media and constant interruption by something. The trail of concentration is basically non-existent and there can be no effective learning while constantly being challenged by never-ending distractions.
Additionally, it is always advisable to first focus on subjects that the student finds challenging. Small victories in a difficult field of study, greatly inspires any student and builds self-confidence. Repetition is the mother of successful study; therefore, it is always a good idea to revisit learning content and revise the previous day’s work to the point of total satisfaction and understanding. In this regard it is also a good idea to constantly work out old exam papers and have these marked by the teacher to further identify and assist with problem areas.
Lastly, it is good to remember the following words of Winston Churchill “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”. One must employ sheer will to succeed and be willing to make great sacrifices in order to study effectively and succeed.
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