studyblr masterpost: HOW TO STUDY

This is my first studyblr masterpost.

To be honest, in primary school (7-12 years old) didn't understand what my friends meant when they said they couldn't go out and had to study. Study for what? For exams? Don't you just pay attention in class, clarify your doubts, do your homework and corrections? How do you even study?

Only till last year did 15 year old me finally get an idea of what studying was. It was basically reading through your textbook and flipping through your assignments, as well as making new notes. (Or is it?)

It's been a long time since I last blogged, the exam and O level stress finally caught up on me. Up till April, I was still relaxing, chilling, slacking, not much stressed about the O level exams (equivalent to IGCSE) that my peers and friends were extremely anxious and stressed about. But then I suddenly realised that my midyears were to be used to apply for any scholarship for school next year, or just to apply for any school that had special applications in July/Aug. (The O level exams take place over a span of 3 months, from August (listening comprehension, oral exams, lab practical) to November. Results are released in early Jan, and students send applications within a week to their desired future school).

Long story short, I decided to try to do well-ish for this mid-year exam and prepare for it. Usually, for my term tests, I'd just read through my notes I took in class and the textbook, and just wing it.

So, I've been studying. And now, while I'm in a slightly procrastinating mood, I'd write a blog post on tips to revise and study. (I know you're like 'finally, she's getting to the point now'.)

Studying does not have a one-size-fits-all method. For different subjects I have different methods.

English
Work through the past exam papers my teacher hands out, both for composition and comprehension, and in class she goes through the answers with me and I do corrections.

Chinese
Same with English.

Maths
Practice with past-year exam questions. Also, I do the formula flashcard method for formulas.

Geography

Sciences
First I write summary notes, of all the definitions, laws and whatever is in the textbook. Basically a summary of the chapter from the textbook. Sometimes the teacher has additional information and I combine all the info in the notes.

Then I have the one-page mindmap for each chapter. (This was the last resort before midyears, 4 days before the start of midyear exam, when I realised that there's no time for aesthetic, studyblr-worthy notes).

Then I'll attempt questions from past year O level papers.

Extras:
Physics
Physics consists of a lot of formulas, so I make flashcards to remember them.

Physics notes:

Chemistry
Same as physics.

Biology
I'd also draw any major diagrams on a flashcard (e.g. heart, lungs) and have numbers instead of labelling them. On the other side of the card, I'd have the number connected to the keyword/label. So basically I'd look at the diagram and name all the parts, then flip to check if it's correct.

Planning

To organise all of the above and decide when to study what, I use two things: my planner and my subject checklist.

My planner has a monthly view and a weekly view, so in the monthly view I put in the appointments and events; in the weekly view I write my to-do list and homework assignments.

The subject checklist is basically a table with a few columns:

This basically to keep track of what I have done and what is left to do when I study. And when I have an issue with a topic, say Turning Effects of Forces, I just pencil a huge star next to the topic for future reference to put in more time on the chapter.

And as always, my study methods are always evolving. I'm always looking for an easier, simpler, more effective and better ways to study. I'm also open to any tips or suggestions.

So, a summary:

WAYS TO STUDY