Get Organised and Maximise your Learning

Organise

  • Sort out your topics for revision — base selection of topics on syllabus and examination requirements, on predictions derived from past papers and on guidelines suggested by tutors.
  • Devise a routine of study periods that is realistic and productive and includes rest intervals!
  • Pay attention to diet, sleep and recreation – all are important factors in maintaining balance and keeping stress levels under control.
  • Breakdown targets into manageable units. Ticking off completed units creates a sense of forward movement. A checklist for the day’s targets (making sure the targets are realistic and achievable) can also boost morale.
  • Use your time wisely – deal with less demanding tasks in periods of the day when you are less alert or focused. If you find yourself struggling unproductively with a problem, take a break or switch to some other work.

Maximize Your Learning

  • The more you actively interact with the subject matter, making it your own, and linking it to previous knowledge, the more meaningful and memorable it becomes.
  • Follow the PQRST model:
    • Preview – skim the material to get an overall preview
    • Questions – formulate questions that highlight what you aim to derive from your reading
    • Read Actively – make appropriate notes of key ideas
    • Summarise – identify the main points using lists, key words, flow diagrams, etc.
      and connect them with knowledge from other sources
    • Test – test yourself by reciting and reviewing the summaries immediately after learning the material and again at later intervals

Tips

  • Use flow diagrams, keywords or patterns linking ideas to make master summaries for revision purposes.
  • Use cue cards! Index-sized “flash” cards are easy to carry around and are useful for learning information you find particularly hard to remember.
    You can put facts, figures, formulae on the cards and use colours, keywords, mnemonics and other memory aids to help you learn.
  • Space your studying – give yourself time for the information to sink in. Study related topics together and take regular, short breaks at suitable “achievement points”.
  • Compare notes with other students and get feedback and/or clarification from tutors.