A how to study guide By PLAU

Index O Why study is important O Getting started O Obstacles O Tips & Hints O Subject-related tips O Resources

Why is study important? There’s a reason the word ‘dying’ can be found in ‘studying’, it can get pretty boring sometimes, but why? Yes, if you don’t like a subject that can be a deterrent too, but the real reason is because study isn’t part of our routine. Breaking that routine is a huge pain in the ass and that’s why we avoid study like the plague.

It’s important because.. It’s going to save you a lot of time. This might not make sense, but in the long run, you’re saving yourself A LOT of time by studying. You get the grades you want, and you end up doing the job you desire without wasting time and repeating courses. This also means you won’t end up like this..

Hey, at least he still has facebook

Getting Started Easier said than done, try this for starters. - Bring refill pad and a categorized folder to school. At the end of class file away your notes in the right subject category, make sure to keep your subject notes on separate papers. When you get home dedicate at least minutes rewriting your notes so that they’re easier to read and more compact (if needed), file away rewritten notes in a different folder. Keep the second folder near places like your TV or computer and make it a habit to read these notes from time to time. This is hands-down the easiest way to study without sacrificing a lot of time.

Obstacles Every problem can be solved in two steps. Awareness (1 st step) Action (2 nd step) For the first step, ask yourself what’s preventing you from studying, I made a list of excuses you might use to avoid studying in the slide below if you can’t think of any. Second step just involves motivation, which is pretty easy to find.

Awareness I don’t have enough time to study Oldest excuse in the history of mankind, the problem isn’t that you don’t have time, it’s that you don’t want to make time. Internet/friends/music etc is a lot more interesting than studying, so you end up losing half your day to these things and when it’s 10:00pm you say to yourself ‘oh man I have no time to study’. If you genuinely don’t have time (work) then try to read your notes while doing the mundane things (eating breakfast/walking to school/on bus/before bed/etc). It’s boring as hell and I just don’t want to do it. This is understandable, but this problem rises from not knowing how to study. If you don’t have direction, you’re going to stare at your books and say ‘this is stupid and I’m not learning anything’. If you follow my guide on the ‘Getting Started’ chapter you’re going to have direction and a routine that doesn’t take all day.

Awareness I don’t need to study, I get good grades anyway. No. Just no. This might hold true for year 9 and 10 where you can throw intelligent words together and get excellence for your paper, but that’s building some really bad habits that don’t work in your senior years. Trust me on this one, no matter how intelligent you think you are, you are doing the unintelligent thing by choosing the easy path. You might get away with not studying in your senior years, but that’s going to backfire on you (personal experience). I don’t have self control, I procrastinate too much. Sometimes you just can’t study because you keep coming back to your computer/music/video game/hobby. This is directly tied to the ‘I don’t have enough time’ excuse. What sucks about shifty self-control is that you don’t have the self-control to fix it, my only advice is to get your family involved. Harass your parents to restrict your main forms of procrastination (not completely though). If you can overcome this - nothing can stop you.

Action

Tips & Hints O Start small. Dedicate small amounts of time to study (15-20 minutes) and gradually increase to minutes. O Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Talk to your parents/older siblings and friends and tell them you really need help studying for your subjects. Most would be happy to help. O Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class. You’ve heard this tip a million times. ‘What if I sound stupid for asking so many questions?’, there’s at least 17 other people in your class that are thinking the same thing and are too scared to put their hand up. If your teacher explains and you still don’t get it, ask again until you do, you won’t regret it.

Tips and Hints O Don’t copy everything your teacher shows you. Providing easy and coherent notes to students can get pretty difficult so there will be moments of repetition/unclarity or simply clutter. Don’t mindlessly copy down everything you see in class, pay attention and jot down the things you know are important. This will make life easier when you’re rewriting your notes so you don’t have to go through so much filler. O Rewritten notes should be short. The whole point of your second folder is to have bite-sized study notes that you can easily read anywhere without spending a lot of time. Don’t skip detail for the sake of keeping it short though, just avoid fancy language and keep it simple. It helps to draw diagrams too. O Do your homework. ‘But but but…’. I don’t like homework either, but it’s gotta be done. If you REALLY hate it then try to finish it in school (tutor time works best).

Subject related tips Biology + Any language subject These subjects involve a lot new words and vocab. Buy a small notebook that can fit in your pocket and write down vocab with definitions attached to the side. Try to read this book at least three times a day. English + Social Science Essay writing: Write at least 2 essays per month, after finishing each one, go back and look at what you can improve. Send your improved essay to your teacher for marking and feedback, once you get it back, improve it again. Creative writing: Write at least one short story per two months. Make each story as original as you can possibly make it (evil bananas from outer- space? So be it). Before writing try to think of a theme or message that you want to convey (if it’s meaningful for you, all the better).

Subject related tips Physics + Mathematics + Chemistry Practice like you’ve never practiced before. These subjects require you to remember a lot of formulas which are going to be forgotten unless you put them to use often. Write a small list of examples that you can revise every time you come from school, finishing homework here is essential. Technology subjects (Hard materials + Fabric + Design) These subjects need a lot of skill and technique. Asking your teacher to demonstrate is usually tonnes of help. If something doesn’t look/feel right once again ask your teacher, they’re your best bet. If you have the tools try to practice more difficult techniques at home. Check out guides on YouTube as well.

Resources /04/23/how-to-stop-procrastinating-7- timeless-tips/