Experimenting with Studying
I nervously looked around; everyone around me was scribbling away in their blue books. I looked down at the question. "20 points. How does the federal government of the United States define who is 'American Indian' or a 'Native American?'", it read. I was sitting in my ethnic studies midterm utterly confused. How was I supposed to remember the exact definition? I could write an essay on how the definition of "American Indian" or "Native American" affected the Native Americans, but I could not recall what the definition was. I considered myself to be an analytical learner. I see connections easily, so I always excelled in my math and science classes. When it came to classes that required memorization of terms, definitions, or dates I was defeated. I told myself that I was just bad at classes such as history or ethnic studies. This was far from the truth.
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. However, a weakness can become a strength. A student needs to realize that there are many different ways to learn something. The best way to learn math is not the best way to learn history. So, before dismissing a topic as difficult or something you are not good at, you need to play around with different methods of learning the information. Giving up on a subject that seems difficult at first is easy. It takes time, effort and determination to find the perfect way to master a specific subject or topic.
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. However, a weakness can become a strength. A student needs to realize that there are many different ways to learn something. The best way to learn math is not the best way to learn history. So, before dismissing a topic as difficult or something you are not good at, you need to play around with different methods of learning the information. Giving up on a subject that seems difficult at first is easy. It takes time, effort and determination to find the perfect way to master a specific subject or topic.
Understandably, this can seem unnecessary. Why spend time trying to find a way to study when that time could be to study the way you already know? The simple answer to that question: Studying is about the quality of time spent mastering information, not quantity. When you find the right study method for the specific subject, you can save yourself many hours.
I'll accept, it is difficult and risky to experiment with different studying techniques while fighting for that A in a class. One solution is to start the experimentation early, as early as the 7th grade. In seventh grade classes start to get increasingly challenging. This is an excellent opportunity to adopt different learning styles for different subjects. You will have the time to try out different note-taking techniques and to comprehend how your needs differ from subject to subject. The skills you learn can then be applied to more demanding subjects in high school and college.
I'll accept, it is difficult and risky to experiment with different studying techniques while fighting for that A in a class. One solution is to start the experimentation early, as early as the 7th grade. In seventh grade classes start to get increasingly challenging. This is an excellent opportunity to adopt different learning styles for different subjects. You will have the time to try out different note-taking techniques and to comprehend how your needs differ from subject to subject. The skills you learn can then be applied to more demanding subjects in high school and college.
When experimenting early is no longer possible, directly ask the instructor how they would recommend studying for the topic or exam. Most of the time, when asked, the instructor will give insight into how to best master the material and will highlight the most important topics in the course. This help guides you on how to study AND what to study. That is exactly what happened after my ethnic studies midterm.
My midterm grade was 63.7%, but I did not give up. I was determined to do better on the final. I went to my professor and told him "Here are all my notes, I have been studying connections and annotating the books we have read. How can I do better next time?" He recommended that I use my time to make and review flashcards of specific dates, terms, and definitions. And so, before the final, I made flashcards and read them over and over again. I aced the final.
My midterm grade was 63.7%, but I did not give up. I was determined to do better on the final. I went to my professor and told him "Here are all my notes, I have been studying connections and annotating the books we have read. How can I do better next time?" He recommended that I use my time to make and review flashcards of specific dates, terms, and definitions. And so, before the final, I made flashcards and read them over and over again. I aced the final.
Comments
Post a Comment