How to study smarter , not harder?

In the era of lots of distraction and cutthroat competition, an urge of being a leader and smart one seems like a huge burden to deal with. However, some people face issues with concentration and retention, then there are many students who like to prefer studying a day before the exam. Now, let us not go with the old-school way of spending day and night mugging up the whole textbook like a parrot. After all, a wise man once said that “Modern problems need modern solutions”.

So in this article, I will bring out five super ways or tips which will not help you increase your retention power but also will help you in being productive. Let’s go!

1. Set a target

Setting up your target is of high importance if you want to achieve your desired goal. You can imagine a scenario for yourself where a person keeps on walking on a long road but he doesn’t know where he wants to go, or what is his destination. Similarly, if we aren’t clear about action then in the near future we’ll end up in a huge mess. To begin with, first, we need to visualize what is the main area where we need to work on. So for that, we can make a schedule, a to-do list, and a blueprint of our targeted syllabus which we need to cover.

This will help us in keeping track that where we are leading and what are the results we are expecting.

2. Time Management

In my opinion, it is always better to study for a short duration of like 25- 30 minutes, and after this duration ends one can take 5 minutes of break to refresh and then repeat the same. This method is known as the Pomodoro technique, If you are really having a hard time getting together with your studies then you can start practicing this method. Now, some people don’t like to be time bounded and once they start concentrating they can study for a longer duration without getting interrupted. This is another technique known as the flowtime method. Here you can pick a topic that you want to finish by the end of the day and keep working on it until you get tired, then you can take a few minutes break and repeat the whole process.

These two methods are the most productive ways to increase your retention power and focus. Keep practicing it the same way and then you can see yourself doing wonders.

3. Teaching others

People who prefer to study in groups can make a strong note of it. When we teach others we can gauge our own knowledge on the topic which we are explaining to another person. It will not only help you to revise your learning but also help your friend to absorb the information easily. Similarly, it also helps in exchanging each other’s ideas which will help you in broaden your ways of thinking on any topic.

Anyways, let’s admit the fact that if you are going to make plans for group study with your best friends, you will end up having a funny conversation and a lovely time.

4. Solving past papers

This is the most essential step if you are preparing for some hardcore dedicated examinations. Solving previous years’ papers helps you in keeping an insight into the patterns or topics which are of more importance. You can take up at least 5 -6 years old question papers and try solving them in the same time limit which will be provided in the real examination. The same conditioning of the exam hall situation and attempting the paper with the same pace and environment will automatically help you in overcoming last-moment anxiety.

Practicing this eventually will do wonders with your answer writing and also with your time management.

5. Revision and Reward

Now don’t ever feel at ease once you finish your daily learning target. Although it is true that “all work and no play makes Jake a dull boy”, So to reward yourself for achieving your little daily accomplishments you can have a walk with your friends, can treat yourself to the midnight Maggi or can go for a short outing. But revision is something that is still important to keep our learnings fresh in our minds. So, in order to maintain that you can make mind maps by making strong short points for any topics, you can use color pens to make it more attractive and engaging. You can also make Flashcards that can be placed on your cupboards or on the facing wall of your study table.

Passing by flashcards and constant exposure to the notes will help you to recall the topics you have read and they will remain in your mind for a longer time.

Now that’s the point where I would like to stop by and I hope this article will help you with your studies. Do share this ahead with your friends so that they can also excel well in their exams.

All the best!