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STUDY & EXAM TECHNIQUES Presentation by

MUHAMMAD

BASHEER

JUMA

MUSTAFA KAMAL

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An Effective student

• Has a regular study scheduleUsually works at the same time

each dayWorks mostly in a regular study

placeWorks for short periods with

frequent rest breaks

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An effective student

Reviews notes soon after a lectureDoes not leave work until the last minute

Does not get easily distracted

Does not need exams for motivation

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PERSONAL WEAKNESSES

• LACK OF UNDERSTANDING– LIFE OBJECTIVES– GOAL SETTING

• LACK OF SELF DISCIPLINE• LACK OF PLANNING• OVER SOCIALIZATION

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PERSONAL WEAKNESSES

• LACK OF PROPER PRIORITIES

• SPREADING TOO THIN

• FAILURE TO LISTEN

• PROCRASTINATION

• POOR COMMUNICATION

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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

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PLANNING

•Weekly review•Notes Making•Study cards

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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 YD

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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

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WHEN TO STUDY

• HAVE A DEFINITE BREAK EVERY HOUR

• AVOID LATE HOURS

• PLAN RECREATION AND RELAXATION INTO YOUR TIME TABLE

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WHERE TO STUDY

• ALWAYS IN THE SAME PLACE

• CHOOSE A WARM, LIGHT, WELL VENTILATED ROOM

• AWAY FROM OTHER DISTRACTIONS

• PROPERLY FURNISHED

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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

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ATTENTION & INTEREST

• UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE STUDYING

• TAKE A LIVELY INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT OUTSIDE YOUR STUDY HOURS

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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

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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

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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

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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

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MEMORY & LEARNING

• KEEP YOUR MATERIAL IN A LOGICAL SEQUENCE

• BREAK UP LONG PIECES INTO MANAGEABLE CHUNKS

• USE RHYTHM WHEN LEARNING BY HEART

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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PRESENTATION

• USE A LISTING TECHNIQUE WITH NUMBERED POINTS

• USE LABELED DIAGRAMS AS APPROPRIATE

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ANSWER THE QUESTION

• ANSWER THE QUESTION & NOTHING BUT THE QUESTION

• READ THE QUESTION SLOWLY, DELIBERATELY AND CAREFULLY REALISING THAT EVERY WORD IS IMPORTANT

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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

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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

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ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS/PARTS

• LEAVE SPACE AT THE END OF THE ANSWERS TO CATER FOR IDEAS

• START EACH ANSWER ON FRESH SHEET

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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

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OVER-LEARN KEY DEFINITIONS

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

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PLEASING THE EXAMINER

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EXAMINATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME

PLANNING TO ATTEMPT THE PAPER

1. READ “REQUIRED 2. FIND CLUE 3. UNDERLINE THE CLUE 4. PRIORITIZE 5. OUTLINE AS FOLLOWS TIME FOR 1-4 10 MINUTES FOR 5 15 MINUTES THEN FOR EACH 1 MARK ALLOCATE 1.5 MINUTES LAST 5 MINUTES FOR REVISION

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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