What is the best way to study?

Flashcards? Mindmaps? Summaries? Using colours?

The best way to study is to understand first. It doesn’t matter which study method you use, if you don’t understand the work, it will always be a challenge. Of course you can parrot learn work, but when the work becomes too much or interpretation is required, understanding is key.

Test your understanding

The easiest way to make sure you understand is if you can break work down into keywords and reassemble the knowledge in your own words so that you can explain it to someone else.

How do I do this?

1. Take a section of the work and read the heading before continuing to the first paragraph.
   1. Ask yourself: what does this paragraph have to do with the heading?
   2. Take out some keywords that gives more information about the heading.
   3. Make sure you know what each of the keywords mean.
   4. Turn it into a question where the keywords you use are incorporated into the answer to the question.
   5. Write down the question and the keywords underneath it.
2. Continue with the rest of the section in the same way.
3. Diagrams:
   1. Diagrams are about more than learning labels, but also about processes.
   2. Make sure you understand the process and can break it down step by step and explain each.
   3. Use the labels of the diagram to explain the process behind it.
   4. If you are not good with drawing, make a copy of the diagram and use colours and arrows to explain the process.
4. Ask someone to check your keywords and make sure you didn’t miss anything.
5. Once you are done, take a new page and using only your keywords, write a paragraph about the heading. You can ask someone to check your work, or check it against the section in your textbook.
6. You can now take the keywords, and make flash cards or mindmaps using your keywords.
7. When you study and do past papers use your keywords to remind you of the context.

Summaries:

Your summaries need to be  made from your own keywords in words you understand.

Use bullet points and try to write as basic as possible.

Look at 3 levels:

Name, Explain, Examples.

Summaries are good for subjects such as:

• CAT theory
  • What does the concept mean?
  • What are the specifications?
  • What are the advantages over previous technology?
  • What are the disadvantages over previous technology?
• Tourism, Consumer Studies, Hospitality, and Geography
  • Use diagrams and maps to help explain the concepts in context.
• History, Business Studies, and Economics
  • Use your essay questions and deconstruct it into keywords or key sentences that you need to explain further.
  • Try to practice your essay as a speech to make sure you remember the details.
  • Look at 3 levels: The basic fact, expanding it with an explanation, and examples. (Name and explain with examples.)
  • Also focus on cause and effect.

Flashcards:

Your summaries can become flashcards. Flashcards take time to make, but they also use a lot of paper.

You can use your summaries and write a question on the one side of the paper and your summary on the other side.

Flashcards are good for learning:

• Definitions in any subject;
• Vocabulary of new words you might struggle with;
• Maths and science formulas.

Mindmaps:

Mindmaps are more than just information in bubbles. It shows how concepts are connected.

Mindmaps can be useful for studying processes in subjects such as Life Science, cause and effect in history,

Contact us to book study workshops for more information on how to study the subjects you struggle with.