SPEEKERBOXX

MAKE STUDY EASIER AND FASTER!

We all know how boring study can be but here are some helpful tips to make the most of your time!

Don’t just sit there! Make sure that you write the important notes that you’ve read. It’s easier for revision and you’ll remember more when you write it in your own words.

Be prepared! Your study is more efficient if you have a plan of action.  Know before you start what you want to achieve for that session.

Your style! When you take notes remember to take them in a way that makes sense to you. This makes it easier to revise because it is familiar to you already.

Study in a SMART way!

Specific :- Don’t just sit down and say that “I’ll do English for an hour” but, DO say that “I’ll do stylistics for that time and at the end do a sample answer to make sure you’ve got it into your head.

Measurable :- Set out a checklist to monitor keep control of your progress and your subjects.

Action :- It’s a waste of your time and your evening if you just sit there and read. Make sure you are occupied and your time will pass faster than you’d think.

Realistic :- If you think you can sit down in 1 night and revise all your notes on Macbeth for example, your really stupid.  Break it down into achievable tasks.

Time :- DO NOT sit down for an hour and then get up once that hour is finished, your better off not starting if that’s the case because half your time is spent checking the clock and then that makes your time feel longer. DO sit down and write for example an Irish essay in the time that your teacher has recommended. (If your teacher hasn’t given you a time plan for your exam make sure you ask him/her to. It's easier to get the most out of your work that way.)  

P = Preview :-

 When you start to study, give a glance over the piece you are about to read for 2/3 minutes just to familiarize yourself with the piece and then you’ll be able to read the piece more fluently which makes it easier to learn and cuts the time that it would take if you hadn’t read over it first.

Q = Question :-

Remember the 7 question words when you’re reading over a passage because when it comes to answering the questions these will answer the questions 99% of the time.

R = Read :-

Read over the piece as normal but now you will be subconsciously looking for the answers as you read the text carefully

While you are reading a piece that there is the slightest chance you’ll be quoting from, make sure you note any piece of the text that is significant and is influential in the text.

R = Review :-

Make sure before you put away the text you’re reading that you have an understanding of the things that you’ve written down.  Look at your notes/answers and compare them to the initial questions that were given. Make sure your study points are as long as they have to be, do not put in unnecessary extra material that will just clog up mind.

Improving your long-term memory for easier retention of stuff you’ve learned

Chunking :-

When you chunk information, you free up space in your long-term memory, which in turn makes it easier to remember the other information that you might have forgotten. Take for example a phone number that you know, you recall it as 123 4567 instead of 1-2-3...

Repetition :-

When you learn material for example French, it is estimated that a week after learning it that you will have forgotten 66% of it.  This doesn’t give you much hope of remembering it by the time your exams role around.

Schedule :-

Quality is most definitely better than quantity, but by the time you reach Leaving Cert, you should be aiming to do 4 hours of study per day. That is an amazing amount of time and if you can do it, well done! You have to remember it’s only for 1 year of your life and this exam determines the rest of your working life so in the long run it’s worth the effort.  Build up a timetable for the evenings and weekends. If you have to miss some time during the week, make up for it at the weekend, don’t let it get away!

Routine :-

When you set out your timetable make sure you stick to it, but you must also stick to the time you start at each evening, make it the same, that way you’ll settle in to the routine faster and it becomes less of a chore because it just feels like regular part of your evening.

Study breaks :-

Approximately after 40 minutes of study, your concentration starts to seriously break down. This is why most of your classes are never more than 45 minutes. When you’ve done a 45-minute study session, reward yourself with a break to help you boost up your concentration levels.  

Your environment :-

It’s obvious by now but don’t study in front of/in the same room as/where you can hear the television or with music. TV is the worst distractions because you can’t do anything else while watching them. Also the most annoying thing when your studying is to hear the theme tune from your favourite show playing because all you’ll want to do is watch it.

 When you finally have no choice but to start studying, go to the room where you intend doing your study for the rest of the time. That way you’ll have the same setup and you won’t have to try to get comfortable in other rooms night after night. Have a comfortable chair with support for your back and a desk that is the proper height so you can sit upright and lean on. Make sure the room is warm and dry without any distractions.

 If you can’t have these conditions in your house, ask your neighbour or relation who lives close by could you study in their house if they have a spare room. This is a very good option if you’re sharing a room with someone and they want to watch TV or do some listening work or if there is alot of noise in your house with alot of people around, coming and going all the time.