STUDY & EXAM TECHNIQUES

Presentation by M UHAMMAD BASHEER J UMA MUSTAFA KAMAL

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An Effective student

• Has a regular study schedule  Usually works at the same time each day  Works mostly in a regular study place  Works for short periods with frequent rest breaks 3

An effective student

 Reviews notes soon after a lecture  Does not leave work until the last minute  Does not get easily distracted  Does not need exams for motivation 4

P

ERSONAL

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EAKNESSES

• LACK OF UNDERSTANDING – LIFE OBJECTIVES – GOAL SETTING • LACK OF SELF DISCIPLINE • LACK OF PLANNING • OVER SOCIALIZATION 5

P

ERSONAL

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EAKNESSES

• LACK OF PROPER PRIORITIES • SPREADING TOO THIN • FAILURE TO LISTEN • PROCRASTINATION • POOR COMMUNICATION 6

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Students to do

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Students to do

 Imagine what you want to be after ------years.

 Assess your assets and liabilities. (Good and bad things.)  Set your goals.

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Students to do

 Determine your priorities.

 Plan yourself.

 Schedule your activities.

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Students to do

 Change your habits accordingly.

 Develop your skills.

 Work hard.

 Review your progress.

 Document yourself.

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PLANNING

•EXAM TREND •BOOKS SELECTION •HOURS ALLOCATION 13

PLANNING

•Weekly review •Notes Making •Study cards 14

IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN YOU ARE PLANNING TO FAIL

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•This not the debt. This is load of books and syllabus.

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S T U D Y

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WHEN TO STUDY

• PLAN THE WEEKS STUDY AHEAD • PLAN A STUDY SESSION FOR EACH OF FIVE OR SIX DAYS A WEEK • SESSIONS SHOULD BE FROM ONE TO THREE HOURS 18

WHEN TO STUDY

• HAVE A DEFINITE BREAK EVERY HOUR • AVOID LATE HOURS • PLAN RECREATION AND RELAXATION INTO YOUR TIME TABLE 19

WHERE TO STUDY

• ALWAYS IN THE SAME PLACE • CHOOSE A WARM, LIGHT, WELL VENTILATED ROOM • AWAY FROM OTHER DISTRACTIONS • PROPERLY FURNISHED 20

ATTENTION and INTEREST

• REMOVE IRRELEVANT AND UNWANTED STIMULI, e.g. NOISE, HUNGER, COLD • PUT ASIDE OTHER PRESSING MATTERS BY LISTING OR TIMETABLE THEM • SUPPRESS UNWANTED THOUGHTS BY QUICKLY SWITCHING TO TOPICS UNDER STUDY 21

ATTENTION & INTEREST

• UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE STUDYING • TAKE A LIVELY INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT OUTSIDE YOUR STUDY HOURS 22

PRINCIPLES OF MEMORIZING

• NEVER MEMORISE SOMETHING THAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND • ALWAYS TRY TO LINK NEW MATERIAL WITH WHAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY LEARNT • SELECT THE IMPORTANT ITEMS TO REMEMBER • ORGANISE THE MATERIAL INTO A MEANINGFUL SYSTEM 23

PRINCIPLES OF MEMORIZING

• ACTIVE REPETITION OR RECALL SUCH AS RECITATION OR WRITING OUT AIDS MEMORISING • THE SEQUENCE OF MEMORISING SHOULD BE THE SAME AS THE LOGICAL SEQUENCE OF THE MATERIAL • LONG PIECES SHOULD BE MEMORISED IN SHORTER CHUNKS 24

MEMORY & LEARNING

• NEVER TRY TO MEMORISE WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND • GO OVER NOTES, READING etc. WITHIN 12 HOURS OR WRITING, READING etc.

• MASTER EACH TOPIC BEFORE LEAVING IT • START EACH SESSION WITH A REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS SESSION 25

MEMORY & LEARNING

• OVER LEARN. DON’T STOP WHEN YOU HAVE ONLY JUST LEARNT SOMETHING • SELECT IMPORTANT POINTS TO LEARN • ORGANISE SELECTED ITEMS • USE ACTIVE RECALL (RECITATION OR WRITING) TO AID MEMORY 26

MEMORY & LEARNING

• KEEP YOUR MATERIAL IN A LOGICAL SEQUENCE • BREAK UP LONG PIECES INTO MANAGEABLE CHUNKS • USE RHYTHM WHEN LEARNING BY HEART 27

MOTIVATION

• KEEP YOUR VOCATIONAL AIM IN MIND • HAVE CLEAR AND REALISTIC GOALS FOR EVERY STUDY SESSION • CHECK YOUR PROGRESS AT EVERY SESSION • READ AROUND YOUR SUBJECT 28

UNDERSTANDING

• TRY TO REORGANISE THE MATERIAL IN THE WAY WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU • LINK THE NEW MATERIAL WITH YOUR PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE • LOOK FOR EXAMPLES TO ILLUSTRATE THE TOPIC AND OTHER THINGS • ASK: DOES THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE CHANGE MY OLD IDEAS 29

UNDERSTANDING

• ASK: WHERE COULD THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE LEAD? WHAT CONSEQUENCES DOES IT HAVE?

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UNDERSTANDING SUMMARISED

• ALWAYS AIM FOR UNDERSTANDING • PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING BY REARRANGING MATERIAL, QUESTIONING THE IDEAS AND LOOKING FOR LINKS WITH OLD IDEAS 31

WAYS TO BETTER THINKING

• UNDERSTAND ALL THE EVIDENCE AND THEORIES • LOOK FOR STATEMENT WITHOUT EVIDENCE • CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE EVIDENCE • LOOK AT YOUR EXAMPLES - ARE THEY TYPICAL?

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WAYS TO BETTER THINKING

• TAKE YOUR ARGUMENT TO ITS EXTREMES • AVOID EMOTIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES • CONSIDER YOUR TOPIC FROM ALL POSSIBLE ANGLES 33

REVIEW

THE REVIEW STAGE IS THE CHECKING WHICH FOLLOWS RECALL. LOOK BACK OVER THE CHAPTER AND CHECK THAT YOUR RECALL WAS CORRECT. MAKE A SPECIAL NOTE OF ANY IMPORTANT POINTS WHICH YOU FAILED TO RECALL, OR WHICH YOU WRONGLY RECALLED.

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PREPARATION

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BEFORE THE EXAM

• PREPARATION PRESUPPOSES GOOD STUDY TECHNIQUES AND HAVING PLANS WITH: – OBJECTIVES – TIMETABLES – REVISION SCHEDULES • IN THE EXAM HAVE PROPER EQUIPMENT WITH YOU 39

PLAN YOUR ANSWER

• STUDENTS WHO TAKE THE TIME TO STOP AND THINK DO CONSIDERABLY BETTER • FOUR TO FIVE MINUTES THINKING THROUGH THE KEY POINTS (ABOUT EIGHT) WILL SUFFICE 40

PLAN YOUR ANSWER

• MINI MINDMAP IS GOOD METHOD OF BRAIN STORMING AND PLANNING YOUR ANSWER • A PLAN GIVES RISE TO A LOGICALLY, WELL STRUCTURED AND CONCISE ANSWER 41

READ THE QUESTION

• READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY A FEW TIMES UNTIL YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS REQUIRED • NOTE ANY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS e.g. LIST, DETAIL, ADVISE, EXPLAIN, REPORT etc.

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PRESENTATION

• PRESENT THE EXAMINER WITH PARAGRAPHED MATERIAL WITH HEADINGS UNDERLINED FOR EMPHASIS • FOR QUESTIONS REQUIRING DISCUSSION HAVE AN INTRODUCTION, A MIDDLE AND PROPER CONCLUSION 43

PRESENTATION

• WATCH YOUR GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, HANDWRITING AND SPELLING • IN THE NUMERATE SUBJECTS YOU WILL GET MARKS FOR THE CORRECT METHODOLOGY EVEN IF THE ANSWER IS WRONG 44

PRESENTATION

• USE A LISTING TECHNIQUE WITH NUMBERED POINTS • USE LABELED DIAGRAMS AS APPROPRIATE 45

ANSWER THE QUESTION

• ANSWER THE QUESTION & NOTHING BUT THE QUESTION • READ THE QUESTION SLOWLY, DELIBERATELY AND CAREFULLY REALISING THAT EVERY WORD IS IMPORTANT 46

RELATE THEORY TO PRACTICE

• USE PRACTICAL EXAMPLES TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINTS MADE • DO TAKE AN INTEREST IN WHAT IS GOING ON ABOUT YOU IN GENERAL 47

ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS/PARTS

• ANSWERING ALL QUESTIONS SHOW THE FULL COVERAGE OF THE SYLLABUS • MORE QUESTIONS/PARTS YOU ANSWER THE GREATER THE CHANCE OF PASSING 48

ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS/PARTS

• LEAVE SPACE AT THE END OF THE ANSWERS TO CATER FOR IDEAS • START EACH ANSWER ON FRESH SHEET 49

IRRELEVANCE

• AVOID IRRELEVANCE AT ALL COST • EXAMINERS WANT PERTINENT FACTS AND THEORY RELATED TO THE QUESTION • DON’T USE TAUTOLOGICAL STATEMENTS – e.g. ACCRUED EXPENSES ARE EXPENSES WHICH ARE ACCRUED 50

OVER-LEARN KEY DEFINITIONS

• IDENTIFY THE IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS FOR EACH SUBJECT AND LEARN THESE BY HEART 51

PLEASING THE EXAMINER

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1. READ “REQUIRED 5. OUTLINE AS FOLLOWS ALLOCATE 1.5 MINUTES

EXAMINATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME PLANNING TO ATTEMPT THE PAPER

2. FIND CLUE TIME FOR 1-4 10 MINUTES 3. UNDERLINE THE CLUE FOR 5 15 MINUTES LAST 5 MINUTES FOR REVISION 4. PRIORITIZE THEN FOR EACH 1 MARK 54

WHAT AND HOW

• MARKS YOU WILL OBTAIN FOR YOUR ANSWERS WILL DEPEND NOT SOLELY ON THE CONTENTS BUT ON TWO FACTORS – WHAT YOU ANSWERED – HOW YOU ANSWERED 55

LOOK CRITICALLY AND NOTE THE FOLLOWING POINTS

• THE ARRANGEMENT IS PLEASING TO THE EYE • THE INK IS BLACK AND SHARPLY PRINTED • THE TYPE IS LARGE ENOUGH TO READ • APT SUB-HEADINGS ATTRACT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE MAIN DIVISIONS OF THE CHAPTER 56

HELP THEM TO HELP YOU

• • • •  EXAMINERS HAVE TO WORK UNDER SEVERE HANDICAPS: NOISY SURROUNDINGS LONG HOURS OF CONTINUOUS CORRECTION EYE STRAIN CRAMPED OR UNCOMFORTABLE POSTURES 57

HELP THEM TO HELP YOU

• WORK THAT IS MONOTONOUS • IRRITABLE OR MOODY TEMPERAMENT DUE TO THE STRAIN OF EXAMINATION CORRECTION WORK IN ADDITION TO THEIR NORMAL DAY WORK 58

HEED THESE HINTS

• GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION WITH A NEAT AND BOLDLY WRITTEN COVER PAGE • FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY • WRITE ANSWER NUMBERS IN MARGIN, BOLDLY AND ACCURATELY • DON’T USE COLORED INK FOR THESE NUMBERS 59

HEED THESE HINTS

• BE LEGIBLE • USE A DARK INK AND MEDIUM POINTED NIB • DRAW NEAT AND LABELED SKETCHES WHERE REQUIRED • LEAVE SPACE BETWEEN SUBSECTIONS OF ANSWERS 60

HEED THESE HINTS

• START EACH NEW ANSWER ON A NEW PAGE • STICK TO THE POINT, DON’T ADD IRRELEVANT MATTER, POINTLESS JOKES AND LONG ANECDOTES etc.

• BEFORE ANSWERING SPEND SOME TIME PLANNING OUT THE POINTS 61

HEED THESE HINTS

• USE SHORT SENTENCES AND SMALL PARAGRAPHS • WATCH YOUR SPELLING • GOOD PUNCTUATION HELPS QUICK READING AND PREVENT MISUNDERSTANDING • NEVER APPEAL TO THE EXAMINER 62

PRAY

• Pray to Almighty Allah for the success in the examination • If you follow the study and exam techniques properly, you can be sure that you are fully prepared for the examination • GOOD LUCK !

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