Studying 101 Part 1
SaveThis article dives into detail about studying more efficiently and enjoying it.
Studying: what 90% of college and 90% of high school students spend their time doing. Here's a secret — there's a way to cut this studying time in half. If you haven't read my article, "High School Guide for Beginners," it includes a few tips about studying. In this article, I will dive into detail about studying more efficiently and enjoying it.
Different Subjects
When beginning your studying journey, one must realize that various subjects have specific study techniques that work best. Over the past three years, I have perfected several methods for each subject.
Math
Let's start with math. Typically, you take notes and then do homework. Trust me, homework is amazing! You might think I'm crazy for saying that. I was one of the kids who would copy off the homework key and call it a day. Once I started doing my homework, I cut my studying time in half. What I have learned and have advised others to do (it worked for them) is to take good notes in class, write down how the teacher solved various problems, and label the steps.
As a calculus student, I can tell you that steps help! When you sit down to do the dreaded homework, think of it as splitting up your studying time over a couple of days. Instead of sitting for an hour studying for a test or quiz, you spend 20 minutes a day doing homework. The secret key to math? Practice. Practicing how to solve problems will allow you to break down even the hardest problems on a test/quiz that you haven't seen before. Doing my homework changed the way I studied math. Daily practice allowed me to review my notes and steps in class for around 20 minutes the night before instead of staring at the paper for hours. So, Math = Practice + Homework. Simple equation, right? So, what about the other classes?
English
English is something that was never my strong suit. And there is an inherent variable each year — your teacher. When I first started high school, a family friend of mine told me one thing: follow your teacher. Freshman English was easy because we were online and had one daily assignment.
However, my life turned upside down when I got to sophomore year and met my English teacher. I had always done the bare minimum for English. Now she expected us to write many essays. Then, I met my best friend: Quizlet, which I will delve into more in Part 2 of this article.
Quizlet carried my grade in English. If we had a test or quiz over a book, I would practice with questions on Quizlet. Vocab quiz? Make flashcards on Quizlet. As for the essay portion, I noticed how my teacher wrote. If I paid close attention to the way she talked and the examples she gave, I realized that she liked simplicity. She gave me much higher grades by following this format when writing my essays. Finding out the secret to good grades in English is similar to solving a Sherlock Holmes solving case: pay careful attention.
Time to Study!
There we have it. The 'big two' subjects that school drills into our brains nonstop. We will use subjects for the rest of our lives. If you want to learn how to study for the other subject, be sure to check out Part 2. I hope you will apply these techniques and save some valuable time along the way. Remember, adapt to these and try them with an open mind. The biggest tip is to always seek joy in what you learn! It sounds silly, but it does help. So, let's get to it. Happy studying!
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