Know How To Study
What's The Right Place For You
Get the basics right:
- Comfortable chair and desk
- Good light, comfortable temperature
- Complete revision kit (see opposite)
- Revision diary
- Stick to your revision timetable
- Use storage, keep your space tidy
Revision Kit
- Pens, coloured pencils, highlighter pens
- Paper, dividers, folders
- Dictionary, thesaurus, text books, Letts Success Guides
Make it easy on yourself
You should know your brain much better now, so give it the right environment.
Are you a Visual learner?
- Don’t sit near a window – too distracting
- No TV – you’ll watch
Are you an Auditory learner?
- Find somewhere you can talk to yourself
- Use a dictation machine to record what you’re learning
- Listen to yourself on the dictation machine
- Use background music
Are you a Kinaesthetic learner?
- Make sure your environment is comfortable
- Have space to walk around
- Keep a complete revision kit, for when inspiration strikes
Don’t let disturbances derail your train of thought, give your parents a copy of your revision timetable.
Have you got a Study Buddy?
The ideal Study Buddy
Working with a Study Buddy means questions and answers. This helps you (and your Study Buddy) interact with information and work out what you know and what you don’t.
Your Buddy also motivates you to study. It’s easier to stay in and study if someone else is doing it with you.
- Pick someone reliable, someone you like and trust
- Plan in advance what you’re going to discuss
- Share your summary sheets, mnemonics and other methods of remembering subjects
Study Group
The more people involved in your study group, the better, provided everyone stays committed, focussed and positive. Go to the library after work with your group, work alone for two hours, then meet up for a fruit smoothie and discuss what you’ve covered.
Working with your Study Buddy
- Structure your meetings: study, discuss, study, discuss
- Teach your Study Buddy a subject, have them teach it back to you
- Stay in touch by phone and email, support each other
- Check your revision diary for questions about a subject
- Meet at different venues, cafés, parks
- Don’t get sidetracked, stay on task
A Buddy means interactive Study
- Creative note-taking
- Asking/answering questions
- Discussing
- Teaching
Agree with your Study Buddy (or Buddies) to get together on MSN at 9.30 say, to go over what you’ve both done today.