Iāll just be compiling a list of tips and things I wish I did/did later in my junior college life. Regardless of which academic level youāre at, I hope some tips may be helpful for you!Ā
1. Reflect on your study strategies and habits, study SMART
Evaluate your current study strategies and relevant habits. What is working for you/helping you? What isnāt working but youāre still continuing to do it? (For example, I tried making notes for Biology & Chemistry, but I found that making notes for Biology was more helpful since it was a lot of detail memorisation, while Chemistry was more conceptual and doing practice would be more beneficial.)Ā Note: what works for you may not work for someone else!
Try different study methods and strategies for a period of time, then see what aspect of it works for you and what doesnāt. Be it flashcards, making notes or using apps like Quizlet, continue or tweak what works and discard what doesnāt. (For example, I tried making flashcards, but I didnāt like them as much as my self-made study guides for my subjects. However, I did find them useful for quick cramming before an exam, so I only took them out before a paper to study)Ā
If you have an exam coming up and you need to rush your studying, you need to be strategic about the order of topics youāre revising. Study those that youāre unsure of, and the topics that havenāt been tested before first, before moving on to other chapters.Ā
Look at the syllabus for each subject when studying for exams to make sure youāve covered all grounds, and the syllabus often mentions the key concepts and it can be used as a checklist to figure out what you already know and what you need to read up on again.
2. Clarify any doubts ASAP
If youāre unsure of a concept or something mentioned in class, donāt leave it there and forget about it. Particularly when learning topics in J1/the earlier chapters of a subject, these form the foundation of later and more difficult chapters. Ask your teachers after the lesson, arrange a consult, or ask your peers if they understand the concept well enough.
Personally, asking the teacher right after class has worked the best for me and I highly recommend you to do that as well. Leaving doubts and unclarified basic concepts to snowball will only cause regret in the future.Ā
On that note, donāt feel pressured to frequently ask for consults with teachers just because your classmates are doing that. Why ask for consults when you can ask your teacher after class immediately? Arrange a consult if you have several practice questions youāre unsure of, or you know that the explanation for things youāre unsure of will take a while, or if you and a group of friends require explanations on the same thing.Ā
3. Mark out important information, questions to review and sections youāre unsure of
This sounds rather obvious, yet is crucial when it comes to exam revision. I tend to circle question numbers for questions that I canāt solve in tutorials, and highlight the question number in pink for questions that are important and want to revise. Also write down or keep a mental note of topics youāre not so good at, and these will be the topics you focus on first when it comes to revision.Ā
Itās difficult to keep a fixed study schedule in JC from my experience, but treasure whatever spare pockets of time you have to put in a bit of revision. Itās good to read through the lecture notes on the day after the lecture, and review any tutorials done by the end of the week.Ā
5. Skim through your lecture notes before going for lecture
You donāt need to read in detail (if you can itās even better), often a quick skim of headings, subheadings, diagrams and concept maps (if available) is sufficient. Even a brief idea of the topic can help tremendously.
If you have time to read in detail, mark out in pencil portions of the notes you donāt understand so you know when to pay even more attention during the lecture when the lecturer reaches that part of the topic!
6. During lectures and tutorials: LISTEN, annotate, highlight and follow point 3
Again, self-explanatory but important. Donāt sleep during lectures! Listen out for things that are emphasised, or extra but useful information that isnāt in the notes.Ā
Donāt end up highlighting everything, annotating is often more beneficial than highlighting.Ā
Personally, I tend to follow my highlighting with whatever the lecturer highlights, but that is personal preference. My line of logic is that what the lecturer highlights is important, rather than if you highlight after the lecture on your own, it may seem important to you but it may not actually be that important.Ā
I understand naps donāt work for everyone, but I do think theyāre beneficial. Napping helped me so much when it came to revision. After lessons Iād often be too tired to study, and my brain tends to shut down in the late afternoon, so I use that time to nap. By napping, I have energy to continue studying at night, rather than trying to study when Iām tired and not focussing, and it ends up being highly unproductive.Ā
A note of caution: do not take excessively long naps - a mistake I made for an entire year. BE DISCIPLINED! I tend to just continue sleeping because I donāt want to wake upā¦Ā By taking a nap thatās too long, you end up in deep sleep mode and you wake up more tired than before.Ā
A power nap of 30 mins to 1 hour works sufficiently. If youāre really tired and you can afford a longer nap, the maximum should be 1.5 hours. I suggest reading up on sleep cycles so you have a better understanding of why these timings!
8. Your study location(s)
Donāt feel like you have to go to a cafe, Starbucks or the like to study just because a lot of other studyblrs do it.Ā
Know where you are most productive: somewhere quiet, free from distractions, with sufficient table space. For me itās the school library.Ā
At home: have an area dedicated for studying. Keep it neat whenever you can, I find that a neat table gives me slightly more motivation to study. For me I try to clear my table every night after my studying and before I sleep, and itās a good practice that will become a habit over time. Canāt say the same about exam period though, my table becomes a mess during that time haha.
9. Keeping away from distractions
Ah, my mortal enemy. My phone and (especially) my laptop are my biggest distractions. I try not to turn on my laptop at all unless I absolutely have to, and there are apps available that block certain websites for you when youāre studying. As for my phone, I try to keep it out of sight (e.g. left charging outside my room), as I have an urge to check it whenever I see it. Out of sight, out of mind.
Most people use the Forest app which you have to pay for but I can recommend a free alternative, itās called FocusNow! Use this if you absolutely need music when studying and therefore need your phone around.Ā
If studying at home is not conducive, refer to point 8 and find another place to study at.Ā
This is really really important. Your mental health comes before your grades. Several times I felt a bit depressed and wanted to give up studying. Donāt give up and I believe in you! I think just doing your best is good enough!Ā
Find someone to confide in about your worries. For me it was my best friend who tided me through my JC life, her being a constant listening ear to my rants and anxieties.Ā If your grades are suffering because of it, it may be good to speak up to a trusted teacher about it.Ā
Practice some self care! Taking good care of yourself is important for academics too!
All the best! If thereās anything else youād like to ask me feel free to! Iāll try to reply whenever I can :-)
