I believe every student wants to find out how to spend less time studying yet get better grades. Since secondary school, we have to struggle with numerous subjects, take part in school activities, enter tournaments and carnivals, and still be expected to do well in our examinations.
These struggles went on all the way to tertiary level. I am never a straight A student, unlike my smarter relatives. My cousins are those who studied in top schools, watch television, play the piano, take part in school matches, exercise, read a lot, and yet still able to top the school. How they did that I can never fathom, up to now.
During school days, my mum forbade me from watching television. I could not read as well, nor play musical instruments, nor take part in many competitions. I could not even go out with my friends nor hang around after school. Immediately after school, I had to go home and start on my homework, and she would come home and quizzed me on the things I studied in school. If I so much as answered one wrongly, she would flare up and accused me of not paying attention in class or not revising my work after school.
It was not as if I did not pay attention. The trouble was that I could not follow what the teacher was saying. Furthermore I was in the science class, and doing subjects which I do not have aptitude for. If I was in the Arts class, and my mum quizzed me on History or Literature or Physical Geography, I would have answered all the questions rightly.
But she quizzed me on Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Elementary Mathematics and Additional Mathematics, subjects which I was totally confused over. I did not even know what I did not know! Just for that, I often ended up in shouting matches with her - she accusing me of not paying attention and caring about my studies, me telling her to get off my back and let me lead my own life.
Things changed when I reached tertiary level. This time, I was doing Arts and Humanities, and Law, subjects which I like and have more aptitude for. Even then, I did not do that well. Better as compared to when I did science, but still no straight As or A-averages. It would already be very good if I pulled a B-average, which I had to struggle like mad just to achieve it.
For a while, I did contemplate, am I cut out to study? Am I an academic person? Why is it that others can breeze through their academics so well, and it takes me forever and lots of sleepless nights just to even pass?
I tried many methods. I attended lessons faithfully. I made notes of every topic and lesson. I did mind maps. I made summaries. I made colourful notes. I am a visual person, so the colours do help a bit. Things got a bit better, but still not as good.
My ex could skip classes, played computer games the whole day (even during examination revision), sleep all the time, and yet still achieve straight As. I attended all lessons, dutifully took notes, spent sleepless nights, consulted seniors, studied everything thoroughly, and still struggled to even pass the paper(s).
I was starting to despair of ever graduating. Then in my final year (or before that), I discovered this book by an American called "How To Get Better Grades And Have More Fun!". The book gave tips on how studying need not be time-consuming, the trick is to study the right content and not just everything.
The book gave tips on how to focus on the important points that would come out during the examinations, like knowing the objectives of the course, listening to intonation of the lecturer on whether the topic is important, how to take short candid notes and not long essays as the more candid the notes, the better they are for memory. After all, it is proven that notes of one page are more effective than notes of eight pages!
Since then I tried to adapt the techniques. By going to class regularly, focusing on the right content, do coloured notes and mind maps, and ensuring understanding and analysis, not just plain rote learning. Somehow my grades in my final semester improved a lot! I still did not get A, but at least there were more Bs than Cs or Ds!
This is a really useful book, not just on study methods and exam tips, but how to manage one's time, how to be organised, and how to make good decisions that will enhance our lives. How I wish I had come across this book earlier!
Hopefully I can remember enough tips to help me in my studies, so perhaps for once, I can do really well in academics!
These struggles went on all the way to tertiary level. I am never a straight A student, unlike my smarter relatives. My cousins are those who studied in top schools, watch television, play the piano, take part in school matches, exercise, read a lot, and yet still able to top the school. How they did that I can never fathom, up to now.
During school days, my mum forbade me from watching television. I could not read as well, nor play musical instruments, nor take part in many competitions. I could not even go out with my friends nor hang around after school. Immediately after school, I had to go home and start on my homework, and she would come home and quizzed me on the things I studied in school. If I so much as answered one wrongly, she would flare up and accused me of not paying attention in class or not revising my work after school.
It was not as if I did not pay attention. The trouble was that I could not follow what the teacher was saying. Furthermore I was in the science class, and doing subjects which I do not have aptitude for. If I was in the Arts class, and my mum quizzed me on History or Literature or Physical Geography, I would have answered all the questions rightly.
But she quizzed me on Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Elementary Mathematics and Additional Mathematics, subjects which I was totally confused over. I did not even know what I did not know! Just for that, I often ended up in shouting matches with her - she accusing me of not paying attention and caring about my studies, me telling her to get off my back and let me lead my own life.
Things changed when I reached tertiary level. This time, I was doing Arts and Humanities, and Law, subjects which I like and have more aptitude for. Even then, I did not do that well. Better as compared to when I did science, but still no straight As or A-averages. It would already be very good if I pulled a B-average, which I had to struggle like mad just to achieve it.
For a while, I did contemplate, am I cut out to study? Am I an academic person? Why is it that others can breeze through their academics so well, and it takes me forever and lots of sleepless nights just to even pass?
I tried many methods. I attended lessons faithfully. I made notes of every topic and lesson. I did mind maps. I made summaries. I made colourful notes. I am a visual person, so the colours do help a bit. Things got a bit better, but still not as good.
My ex could skip classes, played computer games the whole day (even during examination revision), sleep all the time, and yet still achieve straight As. I attended all lessons, dutifully took notes, spent sleepless nights, consulted seniors, studied everything thoroughly, and still struggled to even pass the paper(s).
I was starting to despair of ever graduating. Then in my final year (or before that), I discovered this book by an American called "How To Get Better Grades And Have More Fun!". The book gave tips on how studying need not be time-consuming, the trick is to study the right content and not just everything.
The book gave tips on how to focus on the important points that would come out during the examinations, like knowing the objectives of the course, listening to intonation of the lecturer on whether the topic is important, how to take short candid notes and not long essays as the more candid the notes, the better they are for memory. After all, it is proven that notes of one page are more effective than notes of eight pages!
Since then I tried to adapt the techniques. By going to class regularly, focusing on the right content, do coloured notes and mind maps, and ensuring understanding and analysis, not just plain rote learning. Somehow my grades in my final semester improved a lot! I still did not get A, but at least there were more Bs than Cs or Ds!
This is a really useful book, not just on study methods and exam tips, but how to manage one's time, how to be organised, and how to make good decisions that will enhance our lives. How I wish I had come across this book earlier!
Hopefully I can remember enough tips to help me in my studies, so perhaps for once, I can do really well in academics!
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