Exam preparation is the biggest challenge faced by students. As we all know many students are left behind by the educational system and some already believe its in crisis. So improving the educational outcomes will require efforts in many fronts but the central premise of this blog is that one part of a solution which involves helping students to better regulate their learning through the use of some effective ways. If the learning is done in an effective manner, it can be fun instead of pain and here at expert guidance we give you some effective ways to help you utilize your full potential and enjoy at the same time.
Lets start with the basic trick and tips to achieve that effectiveness in your learn
- There are two modes of thinking – focused and diffused
Focused– it is the mode when you work on a problem intently, like when giving a test or continuously trying to learn or memorize something. you should use most of your working memory in this way.
second one is diffused- it is the method of thinking behind the scene. Say you encountered a very difficult maths problem and you could not solve it even after a long time. so take a break. during break your brain is still working on that problem without you having any idea about it. suddenly the idea to solve the problem will pops out because your brain has got a brilliant breakthrough.
Neither of the two methods are superior to the other. you just need to utilize these two at right situations as mentioned above.
2. chunking
Chunking is something where you create sense out of something complex by breaking it down into smaller pieces ( chunks) . for example, in learning a new concept you should study the key words associated with it and some solved examples. this helps you to construct that complex concept in your mind easily. chunking makes difficult subject more manageable.
Another benefit to chunking is that it can help you in future chunking, even when you are learning something completely different. For instance, some songs are used as mnemonic device to memorize periodic table. The chunks you accumulate from the previous learnt languages help in the chunking process of the new language.
3. Spaced repetition
Instead of reading and memorizing the textbook in a day for the test tomorrow, it’s much better to spread out that content throughout the month before the test. Why? because by interweaving the learning over a longer period of time, you move the material from short term memory to long term memory. This consolidation period happens when you sleep. so sleep! Sacrificing sleep the night before tests/presentation is counterproductive.
Learning is painful (and also fun!) . Your brain wants to avoid feeling pain because it’s uncomfortable. That’s why instead of reading the textbook, you watch movies or some entertaining series. Sometimes it helps
The key is to realize two things:
- A. The pain is only in the beginning. Once you get started, the pain will dissipate.
- B. Focus on the process, not the product. Too often we focus on the product like “I want to be a genius of science or maths”, but nothing gets done in the end because often the path to the product is long and arduous. If we can enjoy the process, we’ll get much
So, now summing it all up !
How to remember and understand better?
Use your focused mode to understand and memorise the material initially, and then stop. Do something else. Allow your diffuse mode to kick in the concept even deeper.
Practice, practice, practice (remember the concept of spaced repetition). take proper sleep to consolidate learning and put them in your long term memory.
To memorise easily, use memory palace technique and vivid imaginations. Memory palace technique is a technique to memorise a huge number of random words/numbers in a very short amount of time. For example, “phosphorus” might be memorised as “frost forest.” They sound similar, but much more memorable!
Use checklist to reduce the working memory used. Without checklist of the things need to be done, you will be constantly thinking about what to do next and hope nothing gets missed. By creating a checklist you can release the working memory and use the capacity for other more productive things.
HOW TO AVOID PROCRASTINATION ?
Focus on the process instead of the product by using SESSIONS. It regiments your focus for 25 minutes at a time, with 5 minute break at the end. During the focus session, completely remove all distraction and just work on the material. During the 5 minute break, reward yourself with coffee, walk, short conversation, etc. Then take another session. Rinse and repeat.
Happy learning! 🙂