Slouched over textbooks, some have pens in hand to scribble notes, while others are busy underlining paragraphs. Millions of students go through the routine of studying for tests and exams every day. What divides those who do well from those who don’t? Assuming all else is equal, what is it that separates those who do well from those who don’t? Assuming that all other variables are equal, what is it that separates those who perform well from those who perform relatively poorly?

We’ll go through some of the most common learning tactics and how changing them can make a difference.

 

Step 1 : Passive Reading

This is the most popular and time-honored method of learning. Reading is how we receive knowledge, and when there is a lot of material to process, it makes sense to read and reread in the hopes of absorbing all. Reading, in actuality, does not equate to true knowledge acquisition.

 

Step 2 : Over Underlining and Highlighting

Underlining and highlighting are two tried-and-true ways for encouraging kids to read actively. Most students, on the other hand, wind up underlining and highlighting so much text that they are back to square one.

 

Step 3: Taking notes and making a list of everything you want to remember.

Note-taking is more difficult and time-consuming than reading, underlining, and highlighting, but when done correctly, it is more useful. The next step is to summarize what you’ve done after you’ve read the text and emphasized or highlighted the essential bits. It’s best to simply summarize what you actually believe is essential. This entails having faith in what you’ve learned thus far. At the very least, you should be able to scribble down in point form what you believe is vital.

 

Step 4: Getting a Bigger Picture

Essentially, this entails:

1. Making a list of the important themes or titles, such as for blood components (blood, blood cells and plasma)
2. Subheadings such as “The Function of Each Type of Blood Cell” should be written down (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma)
3. Filling in more particular information under the appropriate subheadings, such as: What proportion of the blood volume does each blood cell contribute?

 

Step 5: Create a mind map

This is the last phase in the process. After all of the preceding steps have been completed, it is vital that all of the material for a large topic (for example, the human circulatory system) be organized into a single large picture. The student should be able to connect all of the primary headings/topics in order to see how they are related. Students gain a better depth of learning by comprehending how all of the material is related to one another.

 

Step 6: Self-Assessment

You should test to check if you know your material well once you are quite confident that you are comfortable enough with the topic. Doing assessment books and last year exam papers is a frequent technique to do this. It is critical to practice with the following:

1. Questions that force you to think rather than just repeat what you recall, although a good memory is essential.
2. Questions that are similar to the types of questions you’ll see on your actual tests.

 

Step 7: Teach Others

The final and maybe most difficult test is to determine if you can explain any points to a classmate without using any notes. This may entail asking questions and then clarifying and explaining in a concise and straightforward manner. If your counsel is properly taken and comprehended by your friend, it’s likely that you’re well prepared as well.

 

Step 8: Planning and preparing ahead

This is the ultimate test, and it is more appropriate for older kids. If you’ve mastered the first seven phases, the final challenge is to consider and imagine what the examiner will be assessing you on. You should be able to grasp why you are obliged to study various topics if you understand why it is necessary. It also suggests there’s a good probability you’ll be tested on this subject. Put yourself in the position of the person who writes the exam paper using this knowledge. Then, try to foresee what new types of questions might arise.

 

In summary, mastering and executing Steps 1–8 should and can significantly improve your final results. All the best!