17 Proven Strategies to Acing Your Studies
No Student is dull…
Many students struggle with getting good grades for their studies because they are yet to know what works for them.
I personally believe that people are not dull. They just have not found the right strategy to approach their studies.
Many students don’t know their study patterns and reading methods. They have no idea if they’re morning or night persons. No idea what works best for them: Till-Day-Break (TDB) reading pattern or few hours a day approach or 1 week to exam preparation.
Years after school, I sat for the IELTS exam and aced it with just 1 full week of preparation. I know I would have perhaps, had a 9 overall band if I had taken enough time to prepare.
The thing is, many people prefer the fire brigade approach. For many, adopting a slow and steady approach will bring in the desired results, compared to a fire brigade approach.
My concern with the FBA (Fire-Brigade Approach) is the uncertainty it gives you. What if you wait till one week to exams to study and something happens that period, leaving you with no time to study. What would you do? Now imagine you’ve been gradually preparing before now. You’d be ready come what may.
That’s the point.
Anyways, the idea is to find out what works better for you and stick to it.
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I’ve shared some strategies over and over with students and the results have always remained amazing. Even last semester. We went over some points and It has been raining As and Bs for them as each paper gets released.
I want to share a few of these personal strategies with you.
Now, let’s dig in.
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1.
Get your level timetable and understand the number of courses you’d be studying per semester. For this semester, know how many courses, their workload (credit unit) and how many times it appears per week on the timetable. The catch is, the more the credit unit, the more allocation it will have per week.
2.
Draw up a personal study timetable. The trick is to study what was taught in school each day. If you had, say, 3 courses in a day, you could put in two courses in your personal timetable and allocate the time frame for it.
3.
Ensure to revise each topic you were taught in school every day. Even if it means reading through abruptly. One advantage of this is that you wouldn’t have to stress over ‘’exam reading’’ if you adopt this method. Also, you get to basically remember almost everything about your studies, even years after you’re done with school. This means you’re not reading for the exam's sake. You’re reading for knowledge sake and this helps as it sticks more in your brain than others.
4.
Understand if you’re a night or day reader. During my undergrad days, I was not much of a night reader. I could read till 10/11 Pm but would NEVER wake up at night or early morning to read. It didn’t work for me. So, check what works for you and allocate your study time to reflect this. It is important your study time reflects your best mood; when your attention span is ripe.
5.
Have a jotter/book where you write as you read. Generally, you could just read straight and have a general idea of what you’re reading. But when you want to read for knowledge sake (serious reading), get a writing pad. Write down the key points as you read. The catch is, as you write, it sticks to your memory the more.
6.
Allocate more times in your timetable for courses with higher credit units. If you have a 4 credit load course, and a 2 credit load course, common sense posits that you should have more time for the four credit load course than the two. One way could be to have it twice a week or have longer hours for it at a sitting.
7.
Show up for classes. It sure helps to show up daily for classes. You’d remember what was said, how the lecturer dramatised it, events that played on in class, as you answer your exam questions.
8.
Form study groups. I wasn’t really much of a study group person. I more like, facilitated some class tutorials whilst the exams were approaching. One thing that helped me therein, was that as I talked and rubbed minds with dear classmates, it was easier for the ideas to stick through.
9.
Also, ensure you do assignments and participate in group assignments. This is one stressful but easy way to have ideas up your sleeves. As you take part in assignments, it makes topics easier to retain.
10.
Write your timetable and paste it on your wall, where you’d always be reminded of the task ahead of you. If you leave it on your phone, or inside a notebook, the zeal to be committed may not be there. The best approach is to have it facing you always. Paste it where your study table is, or where your mirror is so you’re always reminded of it.
11.
Be disciplined enough to follow through with your schedule. Be as strict as possible but also give room for uncertainties.
12.
Try as much as possible to have an updated note. Study what you were taught, then go do more research if need be.
13.
It is the age of the internet and social media. Too many distractions abound. You could download apps like Digital Wellbeing that can calculate your screen time, shut down your phones when it is your study time, amongst others. Try as much as possible not to fiddle with your phone while studying. This is because the urge to peep through Facebook or Tiktok might be higher, once a notification pops up. By the time you’ve checked, you’re three hours into aimless scrolling.
14.
Past Examination Questions are ideal.
After studying for some time, set questions for yourself and answer. Look up past questions and try attempting them. The more you do this, the better you are at your game. The more confidence you have to approach exams and stuff. Go look for past questions. Set more for yourself.
15.
Be free to try out various approaches or study times until you get what works perfectly. You could try the TDB approach, the early morning approach, late-night, or waking up mid-night to read. Check the patterns and how responsive you are to them until you find out the best pattern that works for you.
16.
Forget what people say as regards education, good grades and who e help. Until you have those certificates in your hands, do not join the crowd to make such silly noise.
17.
Go and study. Study to graduate with a good grade. The possibilities it opens for you, are endless. (not just about earning good pay. We know if you’re skilled, you’d trump a good pay). We’re talking about other opportunities it offers you both locally and globally. Unless you truly believe you don’t need it. Even at that, go get the certificate, then dump it. At least justify the fees your parents are paying. And if you’re the one sponsoring yourself, justify the fees you’re paying for your education.
Make the stress worth it!
P:S If you need help in crafting the timetable and an accountability partner to help monitor your progress, come inbox. I could help do this for FREE for a few people. But you MUST be willing to work. Else, don’t even bother.
Don’t forget, I’m always rooting for you.
Oya, bai bai.
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