Study tips

It's 2 weeks away from your prelims and the rate of increase in your list of things to do far exceeds the rate you are completing them. Instead of getting all stressed up, here are some suggestions from a mugger (ie me).

First, know your learning style.

You could take an online test (http://www.metamath.com/lsweb/dvclearn.htm) in less than 5 minutes, and accurately access the way you learn best. This is helpful because you probably won't have time to go through all your material two or three times over (unless you have been mugging since start of the year - which is really impossible, so fret not), and you want to retain as much information as possible the first time round.

So after you know your learning style, the next obvious thing to do is to study accordingly.
Simply, if you are a visual learner, draw mindmaps (no matter how outdated this might sound, it has been proven to work). If you are more of an auditory learner (like me), read aloud the notes you are studying (just don't read aloud your answers during exams).

Next, plan your study timetable and weekly timetable, and keep to it as much as possible.
You want to be as detailed as possible, listing subjects, topics, chapters, but do have some buffer space. You never know when you might need to bring your sick kitty to the vet. The study timetable should allow you to complete your homework, revision papers, etc as well as cover a few chapters for the day.

*Important point to note: don't overestimate your attention span and try to study 6 hours in a row. Plan breaks in-between and keep to those times as well! Be flexible as well, if you find yourself gaining study momentum at the time you're supposed to take a break, you could re-schedule that break to half an hour later.

Breaks and rest are essential to prevent burn-out and replenishing your physical body. Your body can't be in a fight-or-flight position all the time, and mum is always right when they say you should be turning in early for the night. Unless you are nocturnal animals (like me), burning the midnight oil is often unproductive and not worth the effort.

Eating well is also part and parcel of study tips. Brain food like Chicken Essence may supplement your diet but should never be taken in substitute to your regular meals. I want all you dancers to eat well, not snack well, so that you can all come back fit for christmas k!

Another studying "tool" I had was study groups. Most of you are probably in caregroups with people taking national exams also. Make use of them, muahahah! I mean, help each other! Share mindmaps, notes, study tips that your teachers said are meant only for your class. (This is probably the only time piracy is allowed.)

Study groups or partners are also helpful to test your own understanding of concepts, and to be more disciplined in your studying habits. Your caregroup, and school friends, who are weaker in math may approach you for help, and if you can solve the question, both parties benefit: your friend understands, and you know you understand!

*Words of advice: choose your meeting places wisely. Don't meet at people's homes unless you want to end up watching tv and taking an afternoon nap that you didn't plan for. Don't meet at places with background music that is as loud as the drilling from the neighbour upstairs. And most importantly, I find that it is polite to restrict questions-asking to an agreed time beforehand, so that your friend doesn't have to think of the solution to your math problem when she was trying to figure out how the central nervous system works.

Learn to de-stress. You may think that you are superman (good looks aside), but muggers know their limits, and pace themselves to peak at the main battle, that is your Os and As. Prelims serve as a hurdle to gauge your revision, but remember that success at this time should not encourage complacency, neither should poor grades encourage self-condemnation.

De-stress activities 101?

• Exercise: they are good for your body and socialising. You might meet someone cute at the park. :x
• Have a little booklet that contains the 1001 things you want to do after your exams. Surely you only want to have that mega celebration after your Os, but you can always indulge in rum and raisin ice cream from Scoopz after your last prelim paper.
• Whack a willing partner, if not get a stress ball.
• Talk to your friends about the prom dress you've been eyeing on, and maybe share some of your 1001 celebration plans.
• Write encouragement cards to others. He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
• Reward yourself with an additional 1/2 hour TV programme or MSN chatting session or your favourite food if you have managed to keep to your timetable for the last week.
• Draw. I know some of us are not naturally artistic people, but drawing is a good way to vent your inner frustrations.
• Write. Poems, blessings, anything at all.
• Dance. If you have not thought of this, shame on you! ahhaha. :P Turn on that music and dim the lights, you can have disco anytime at home.
• Cry. This may sound absolutely nonsense, but I believe that crying is perfectly normal for a stressed individual. Think like this, keeping in those tears just means that the water potential in the dam is increasing, and can result in a flood one day. I got a more gross imagery, but I think I will keep it to myself for the time-being.
• Take a good, long 1/2 hour bath. (If you take 1/2 hour baths everyday, I suggest you start cutting down on them - save time and water.) A bath refreshes your body and you can actually think through concepts that you don't quite understand in that bath.
• The list goes on infinitely, but the most important activity is...

Pray. Spend time in God's presence. Know that you are first a Christian, then a student. At the end of the day, God is not even concerned about your studies, He is concerned about how you've gone through this period of time with Him. If you're like me, questioning why you have to go through the Os AND the As, the reason is for us to grow closer to Him. I keep a journal and blog to record my blessings, and from there, I can see how real God is in my life, esp during my O and A level years.

I'm also studying for my Uni, so if any of you want to study together or need help with certain subjects, we can work out something.

Hope this helped, if not you've probably wasted 5 mins of your life and studying time reading this. Take care and don't slack. Use the tagboard for prayer requests if you want.

-jiali-