02 Jul Study Guide for Students
There are numerous articles and pieces of advice that are handed over to the students on studying better. Most of this advice is what we have heard or tried to follow before and failed miserably added. However, in order to be better than the rest, you need to make sure that you are putting in efforts more than the rest of them. The beginning of the academic year for right after the semester break is the time when the students are generally motivated and full of good intentions towards studying and excelling in the class. It is always better to have a flying start to the academic year to ensure that you begin with a good impression on the teachers and the professors and make sure that you don’t panic only around the exam time like you did for the previous year. We are here to save you from that panic and present you with the easy 3 step guide to continuously study and adopt the best practices for the academic year and improve your game in the class. By putting this plan in to use, you will be able to improve your performance as compared to the previous year and will put the good intentions into use by turning them into actions.
How To Study Effectively
Set SMART Goals
Some of the most common challenges faced by the students can be alleviated by teaching them to design S.M.A.R.T. goals. This method is an effective way to set the goals that align with the course schedule and remarkably improve the chances of their accomplishment. The acronym SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
Specific goals are simplistic and clearly defined by answering the who, what, when, where, which and how questions. The goals set by you should be measurable and have a tangible evidence of the accomplishment. The larger goal can be broken down into several short-term and measurable goals to induce action. The decided goals should also be achievable by stretching you ever so slightly to provide you the required challenge but carefully defined to ensure that they are achievable. You should also make sure that you have the required knowledge, abilities and skills for achieving the goals decided by you. The goals should also be realistic and the outcomes receive from it should be measured instead of the activities that are carried out for their completion. All the goals that you set for yourself should be linked to a time frame. This way you create a sense of urgency and increase the likelihood of receiving a relevant outcome from it.
Example:
Non-SMART goal: I want to improve my vocabulary
SMART goal: In 2 months I want to learn 100 new words and use them in a day to day conversations.
Go Through the Course Schedule
A new year for a semester translates into new subjects, books, topics, and languages. There are chances that you have received the course outline for the year in advance and there are various unfamiliar subjects and topics that you will be addressing in some time. Setting yourself well in advance with the subjects and topics that you are going to study will not only make you better prepared but also improve your understanding. Set the context for the coming year by connecting the ideas and understanding the topics ahead of time. This way you will not only get an edge above the rest of the students but you will also be able to better understand the learning requirements and will be able to prepare ahead of time working on the week areas that need improvement. There are numerous tools available online that help you in managing and mapping your learning of a subject. Make use of those resources and open and free content available online to enhance your knowledge and gather information about the difficult subjects are the areas where you are expected to face challenges.
Create a Timetable
You can ask any successful student or professor what is the most important step for achieving success in Academics and a good majority of them would suggest you develop and follow a timetable. A personal timetable helps you in balancing academic with your interest and personal life by developing a plan that is realistic and that motivate you constantly for the achievement of the desired goals.
A study plan and a timetable should include all the activities that you need to carry out every day and assign time for each of them. This should be religiously followed and occasionally fine-tuned as per the requirement. An ideal timetable for the students should allow them to balance their academic and social activities providing them some leisure time throughout the day. It is an inexpensive tool which not only teachers time management but also makes you more disciplined and helps in staying organized. All good students are known to follow a timetable that is effectively prepared as per their requirements and abilities and follow it as much as possible.
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