Ecology of life. Life hack: It’s the end of November, which means that the exam session will begin very soon at universities. University teachers always encourage you to prepare for exams from the first of September, and, in general, they are right: if you read all the dregs that they wrote in an extremely chaotic manner, and sometimes in clumsy language, then it will really take no less to memorize all this several months.
It’s the end of November, which means that the exam session at universities will begin very soon. University teachers always encourage you to prepare for exams from the first of September, and, in general, they are right: if you read all the dregs that they wrote in an extremely chaotic manner, and sometimes in clumsy language, then it will really take no less to memorize all this several months.
But which of the adequate students learns all this nonsense all the time - and six months before testing it? It even happens that you don’t want to study until the last moment, that is, until the very last moment, when there are a day left before the exam, or even the last sleepless night, and you don’t want to use “spurs” or don’tcan do it. It is these heroes, not gnawing, but storming the granite of science, that I want to help.
At the same time, it would probably be useful to make a reservation: I have experience in successfully training schoolchildren and students using these methods - specifically in humanitarian subjects (social studies, law, history, literature). What is going on there in biology, mathematics, astronomy and physics and chemistry - I have no idea.
But here in relation to the disciplines of the humanitarian cycle, the recommendations presented work perfectly, always according to the stamp - and for any acceptable grade, up to “five”. True, only if you do not suffer from memory problems, and if you have at least slightly developed associative thinking.
Let's take a school textbook on social studies as an example. Let's look at what sections this very social studies includes. We write down the names of these sections on a piece of paper and learn them by heart (just the names of the sections). I would like to emphasize that you must write it out!
Next, we look through the sections themselves and make sure that they include chapters and paragraphs, based on this we understand what they generally want from us (well, let’s say, the “economics” section studies production, distribution, exchange and consumption, everything else is derivative).
Next - work on each individual section: we learn by heart and try to understand the key terms and other information highlighted in bold in the textbook, we completely ignore everything else.
By the way, the main problem of students is that they are trying to learn unnecessary stuff, of which there is usually 95 percent in the textbook. So this mistake should not be repeated, especially many times. “Water” is not worthy of attention.
As a result, you will be surprised that any thick book, squeezed to the last drop, like a lemon, fits in a notebook four times smaller than even your lecture notebook. And the content required for an “A” on the exam is much greater than in your lecture notebook.
Since we turned to social studies and the “economics” section, let’s see what we got in this section. What happened is this: you need to remember what economics is, what types of economic systems there are, what factors of production are, and three or four more laws, highlighted in bold.
With proper concentration, this is an hour, maximum, an hour and a half - and you will know it all from the teeth. No one will ask more from you, believe me. Exactly the same for all other sections. It is highly advisable to leave forty minutes to an hour at the end to speak and sort out the written phrases, diagrams and, possibly, some sketches. That's it, you're ready for the exam, go ahead!
There may be pitfalls in subjects of historical and literary nature. There is a lot of information in them, it would seem difficult to cram into some kind of schematic sketches. Names, plots, dates... It all makes my head swell! There is always a risk of confusing Mamai with Batu, and Bolkonsky with Lensky. Therefore, when memorizing history and literature, a slightly different method works.
If you absolutely do not understand and do not see the cause-and-effect relationships between dates, events, names and facts, and even if you constantly confuse one with the other, then you need to draw a table with a couple of vertical stripes and a lot horizontal.
Vertical Columns- "Name actor", "what did you do?" (we write it down literally in a few words), in relation to history - also “date”, you can allocate a separate tablet for some difficult-to-remember peace treaties.
Then horizontally you should have a plot that is understandable to you. As a result, an extremely compact table emerges for any work that has not been read, but which needs to be forced to know and remember, and for each block historical events(well, there is serfdom, revolutions, world wars, collectivization, the “thaw”, Gorbachev-Yeltsin democracy and so on in the same spirit).
If confusion still arises, highlight each horizontal stripe with a specific color– and associatively tie this color to the person and the event – within the framework of the table. For example, you associate Kolchak with the color blue, Wrangel with white, and Lenin with red, or somehow vice versa - whichever is more convenient for you to perceive. The main thing is the principle itself, and it works flawlessly.
Someone might argue that this is a very long time, and there’s no way you’ll have time the night before the exam. Nothing like that! As soon as you start doing this, you will see that in literature you need to remember only a dozen and a half basic literary works (with a very simple plot, as it turns out), and in history - only a few large blocks of events and facts, easily depicted and linked schematically.
All these frightening and seemingly unordered dates, plots and names are again compactly, comprehensively and, what is important, quickly fit into a small notebook.
Well, again - if you choose the most essential and do not bother with the unnecessary: say, in relation to literature, with Pushkin, Gogol, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Sholokhov, you will have to strain, but Shalamov, Rubtsov or Vampilov can be completely ignored.
You need to memorize according to the tables-sections - and again you need to leave forty minutes to an hour to talk through all this in general outline and don't get confused during the exam. And if you strain yourself for just a few hours, then combat readiness is again guaranteed!
I will repeat and emphasize: such schemes are guaranteed to be suitable for all humanities subjects without exception. And the indicated methods will allow you to memorize and for some time remember in detail a textbook of any complexity - a maximum of 6-7 hours before hour X.
That is, a few hours before the exam I was “zero” and “wooden,” and having prepared according to these recommendations, I came and received “excellent” (or some other maximum score), answering all the tricky questions of a grumpy and picky examiner. I bet you, this is more than possible! If, I repeat, you do not have pathological problems with memory, and if you do not completely lack associative-figurative thinking.
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At the same time, do not expect that the information learned in this way will stay in your head for more than a month. Your goal is only an “A” on the exam, honestly, without headphones or spurs. If you want long-term memory, follow exactly the same scenarios, just devote not 6-7 hours to the process, but, say, a couple of days - for each relevant subject.
And one more point, and an important point... I still wouldn’t recommend resorting to forced technologies too often: once, two or three times in a session is nothing, but from systematic such feats the psyche is really overloaded. This kind of intellectual marathon, for all its temporary effectiveness, is permissible only when there is a very great need. And immediately before the exam, it is highly advisable to get enough sleep.
Good luck and health at the session! published
The session, as always, crept up unnoticed. Nobody knew that it would come at all, right? And therefore there was somehow no time to prepare. And there was no time for her at all. There are so many interesting things around!
As a result, circumstances somehow worked out in such a way that there were only three days left before the exam. Although, it depends on how you look at it. For some it’s “only”, but for others it’s “whole!” In any case, there is no choice, and therefore the only way out is to use these three days as efficiently as possible.
There are three universal methods, which will allow you to complete such a seemingly impossible task. And the first thing you should do is choose the one that is most suitable for you personally. You are an individual, aren't you? Therefore, there is no need to talk about any universality here. Only a personal approach!
1. Shouldn’t we divide everything by three?
The first method that we will talk about is ideal for those students who have almost phenomenal memory. In the sense that one reading is enough for them to understand the material well for the next few days. What else is needed to successfully pass an exam or test?
The point here is simple. We take the entire list of questions, look at it with a serious look, and then divide it into three equal parts. For example, if there are only 60 questions, then there are 20 for each day. Is that a lot? Well, did you go to lectures? At least occasionally? So, you have a general idea of what we are talking about. All that remains is to go through the material you have covered one more time (especially the one you passed by for some reason) - and, lo and behold, the desired entry in your record book has been received. Which? It all depends on your diligence in the previous three days.
Here, as you yourself understand, you can’t do without repetition. That's why we do it this way. We study all the material in one day. And you don't have to do things like that big eyes, simultaneously talking about the impossibility of completing such an impossible task. It’s important for us not only to study everything, but also to have time to repeat it at least a couple of times, right? Therefore, we will run all the material three times, using a special approach each time.
Here, as you yourself understand, you can’t do without repetition. That's why we do it this way. We study all the material in one day. And there is no need to make such big eyes, simultaneously broadcasting about the impossibility of completing such an impossible task. It’s important for us not only to study everything, but also to have time to repeat it at least a couple of times, right? Therefore, we will run all the material three times, using a special approach each time.
So, on the first day we read exclusively class notes, and also study the training manual (if we have one at all). Here you only need complete concentration on the process, as a result of which the material you have covered will be refreshed in your memory, and some structured knowledge will also be acquired. That is, you must understand exactly what issues are interconnected and what follows from where. This will allow you not only to use the same knowledge when answering different questions, but also to take a more conscious approach to mastering the material as a whole. It is possible that these efforts alone will be enough to get a “C”. But if your ambitions require more, then move on to the next stage.
We devote the second day to “running through” the same material, but according to the textbook. Here we additionally refresh our memory of yesterday’s “reading”, discover new details for ourselves, and therefore have the right to count on, at a minimum, a “fourfold” answer. At least, if the teacher does not have a grudge against you or other “special views”. This, as you understand, is an individual case, which is extremely difficult to fit into the framework of general laws.
If you expect to get an “excellent” (which no one can forbid you either!), then you shouldn’t play the careless fool on the third day either. We are faced with a serious question of “polishing” the acquired knowledge. That is, the main work has already been done, but additional intellectual polish and an aura of academic meticulousness may not be enough to receive an “excellent” grade. We are talking about small details, the importance of which has not yet been canceled. Agree, it would obviously not hurt to find some additional facts and interesting features. In the eyes of the examiner, they will look particularly advantageous and professional. And if you are at least partially aware of the favorite questions of the person taking the exam, then you cannot avoid getting an “A”.
3. "Two plus one"
The third way to learn the material in three days is somewhat of a hybrid. That is, it absorbed elements of method No. 1 and method No. 2 in approximately equal shares. Briefly, the essence of this approach looks like this: two days to study and one to repeat. If we explain it in more detail, the picture emerges as follows.
We study the required amount of information by dividing it into two approximately equal parts. We study one half on the first day, the second, as you might guess, on the next day. And we spend the third day briefly repeating everything, filling in possible gaps and finally digesting everything that needs to be known. And, what is important, this option for preparing for exams does not at all seek to “squeeze all the juice out of you.” On the contrary, everything flows somehow harmoniously, smoothly and confidently.
Well, which of the three methods described above for preparing for a meeting with an examiner appeals to you the most? So take it into service. And don't waste your time. There are only three days left. Oh yes, sorry, three whole days!
Almost everyone has come across the question of how to quickly learn tickets. This is natural; seeing the huge list of questions and the thickness of textbooks on the exam subject, a person gets lost. Fear of large volumes of information that need to be known can often drive not only children, but also adults into a stupor. Although many have heard that they are not limited, not everyone is able to use these opportunities for their own benefit. Because of this, most people are not even aware of their abilities. Here are a few interesting facts and associated generally accepted beliefs.
- A large passage is much easier to learn than a small one.
- Exam fever is most common among those who are well versed in the subject.
- More time should be devoted not to repeated reading, but to repetition from memory. This is how the understanding of the material on which his knowledge depends grows.
- Of the two questions on the ticket, the one with more information will be remembered faster.
- For most people, the main question is how to systematize the knowledge acquired, and not how to quickly learn a topic.
- During sleep, a person cannot remember anything, but also cannot forget anything.
- Memorizing a ticket is much more difficult than understanding the topic and understanding it.
There are several ways to quickly learn tickets that everyone can use.
Three color rule
These rules are suitable for those who constantly study the material, perform practical tasks and solves examples, but is not confident in the level of his knowledge.
- So, take pencils or pens of three colors: red, green and black.
- Those questions whose answers are known are marked in red.
- We put a green tick where the topics are familiar, but not entirely clear.
- Black color is for completely unfamiliar terms and topics.
- After this we begin our study. First, we deal with the materials marked with a black pen. Then we move on to questions with a green check mark. And at the end we repeat the topics with a red mark.
- This way, there are no tickets left with unanswered questions. At the same time, knowledge appears in the entire subject, which is important for answering additional questions during an exam or test.
The three-color rule is indispensable when preparing for driving tests.
« SOS! Only one day left before the exam!
What to do if there is no time left? How to quickly learn tickets when there is a minimum amount of time left before the exam? To do this, you can use the “brickwork” method. But even following this method, you need to understand that it is impossible to thoroughly study the topic in 1 day. Therefore, it is better to concentrate on the main principles of the subject being studied, without paying attention to the details. From the material, first of all, basic terms, theorems, axioms and definitions are selected. These foundations will become the bricks in the masonry, and everything secondary will be cement. To “build brickwork” you should proceed in the following sequence.
- First you need to review all the material for general orientation.
- Then the main ideas of each text and the relationships between them are identified.
- The remaining time is spent on repeating the identified significant data on the subject.
Moreover, attention is focused on understanding, and not on how to quickly learn tickets. After all, knowing the basic terms, answering the question is much easier. For such memorization, working with tables, diagrams and diagrams is also useful. Often, analysis of a graphic drawing allows you to more fully understand a topic than a complex text with theoretical reasoning - “cement”.
All of these methods are more suitable for mastering natural science material. To become an expert foreign language, much less getting a high grade on the exam, will take much more time. And no matter how attractive advice on how to quickly learn a language may be, such assurances should be treated with caution.
We are all different, so our exam preparation strategies will be different. Start from your own individual characteristics. If you are an auditory learner, read textbooks and notes out loud, if you are a kinesthetic learner, write from your notes and make an answer plan.
Another effective method- map of thoughts. This is a great way to structure information, refresh your knowledge and quickly understand the essence of the subject, even after a long time. We talked in more detail about how to make mental maps and how to work with them.
What questions should you teach first? If during the semester you have a good understanding of the subject, proceed to questions about which you have at least some idea.
If each new block cannot be understood without the previous one, then there is only one option: learn everything strictly in order.
It also makes sense to start with difficult questions and allocate enough time to study them. It's better to deal with them before you get tired and lose concentration. Leave easy questions for later.
And be consistent. Stick to your chosen strategy, even if you start to panic as the exam approaches.
Strive for understanding, not memorization
Delve into the ticket, and don’t try to memorize it. Memorization is a deliberately losing strategy, which also takes more time. Find logical connections in questions, come up with associations.
Of course, in every subject there is information that you need to know by heart: dates, formulas, definitions. But even them are easier to remember if you understand the logic.
Don’t tell the material in your own words, think about it so that the answer is more detailed.
“3–4–5” technique
A good method when you need to prepare for an exam in a short period of time. It will only take three days, but there is a lot of work to be done. Every day you need to work through all the material, but at a different level, constantly going deeper.
On the first day, you read your entire notes or training manual so that your knowledge on the subject, roughly speaking, gets involved. Conventionally, we believe that you can already pass the exam with a C grade.
On the second day, you deal with the same questions, but using the textbook to learn more details and subtleties. If you prepare diligently, you can already count on a four.
On the last day, you perfect your answers: repeat, fill in the blanks, memorize. After the third day, you are ready to pass the exam with flying colors.
Two days to study, one to review
The system is very simple: all the material needs to be divided into two equal parts and learned in two days. The third day is devoted entirely to repetition.
Set a time limit
You can delve into each topic for an infinitely long time, so don’t try to remember all the details. From a large chapter in a textbook, highlight the main ideas: structured material in a small volume is easier to perceive.
We divided all the tickets between classmates and everyone cooked short summary in its own way. If mutual assistance is not developed in your group, you can ask senior students for materials and cheat sheets.
Don't get stuck
If you feel like you're sitting on one question for too long, skip it. The best motivator when preparing is a timer. Decide how much time you can devote to one ticket, for example 30 minutes, and when the time is up, move on to the next one. Take a few hours before the exam to catch up on any questions you may have missed.
Make a plan to respond to a ticket.
Any, even the most extensive question can be described in a few words. Moreover, each thesis should evoke associations.
This plan can be quickly reviewed before the exam to get you in the right frame of mind. Famous method of three suggestions: write down a problem for each question, main idea and conclusion.
Study varies by subject
Not only you, but also the subject you are studying has individual characteristics. For example, exact sciences - physics - require practice. For humanities The ability to process large amounts of information, remember dates, names, and definitions is important.
But, I repeat, you need to approach the study of any subject actively: delve into the question and strive for understanding.
The exam format is also important. If you are preparing for an oral exam, speak your future answers out loud. My favorite tactic is to narrate the material to someone at home or, when they are not enthusiastic, to myself in front of the mirror. It’s even better if someone not only listens to you, but also asks questions when something is not clear.
If you are preparing for testing, you should take a dozen standard tests, write down your mistakes, repeat problematic topics and solve everything again.
If the exam is written, you need to think about the structure of the answer in advance.
Get ready for two or three
Write down the most difficult topics in your opinion - the collective wisdom will help you deal with them faster. It is better to cooperate with classmates who are committed to studying, otherwise preparing for the exam can turn into an ordinary pleasant meeting with friendly conversations.
No, this does not mean that joking and relaxing are forbidden. Just remember the main purpose of the meeting.
Viktor Kiryanov/Unsplash.com - Take breaks. This will help you relax and sort out new information.
- Turn off your phone, don't go into social media, stay away from the TV. If you can't handle the temptation, read about something with distractions.
- Get enough sleep.
- Don't forget about food: it will give your body additional strength. However, you shouldn't overeat. Usually, after an overly heavy lunch, you start to feel sleepy, and you don’t feel like studying at all.
- Avoid negativity from other people. The atmosphere during classes should be as favorable as possible.
- Don't rely too much on cheat sheets and the ability to cheat. And if you don’t know how to copy well (you must agree, you need to be able to do this too), you shouldn’t even start.
- Set up a place for studying: bright, comfortable, with all the necessary materials at hand. The bed is not the most suitable option: there is a high probability of falling asleep on a boring topic.
- Make bulleted lists: they are easier to remember.
- Playing sports will help you distract yourself and stretch the muscles that have become stiff during prolonged sitting. You can also take your time and think about difficult questions while running, biking, or similar physical activity.
- If you feel that you are not in the mood to study, start with the topic that seems most interesting to you. This will help you get into the groove.
- Go in the evening. During preparation, nerves are usually on edge, so you need to relax a little.
- Make a clear preparation plan.
Firstly, force yourself to do something. As you know, before an exam you want to do whatever you want, just not to prepare for it. Just don't overdo it. At this time, you can remember long-forgotten and postponed matters. Distract yourself under the pretext that it’s time to have a snack. Show yourself as an exemplary son (daughter) and carry out some parental assignment (go to the market, fix a shelf, sweep the floor). But no more. Done? Secondly, Now we need to make an effort on ourselves. Set a standard - say, one hour or, for example, one ticket. We've sorted out the topic of one ticket - take a break. Third, if you need to remember something historical date, try to remember what this date means to you personally? Maybe it's your mom's or aunt's birthday? Or maybe on this day you did something for the first time or went somewhere? What if this date resembles someone’s phone? Fourthly, What is the best way to remember the material? There are different opinions on this matter. For example, I am categorically against cramming. I consider mnemonics to be the most successful way of memorizing. What kind of “beast” is this? The thing is quite complex, including, in particular, memorization by associations. Need to remember the formula? Try looking at it from a different angle and reading it as a word. Match each letter in the formula with a word and make up a funny sentence that will “get stuck” in your head. I’ll tell you a secret: the more indecent the association, the better it is remembered. It is convenient to remember any definitions, phenomena, events, reducing them to what you already know. You memorize some long definition and compare it with some phenomenon. Moreover, it is important to understand the essence of the definition, and not to memorize it. Rarely do any teachers take hostility to your explanation of the definition in your own words instead of the memorized version. On the contrary, if you can restate the definition in your own words, then you understand the material. Fifthly, at different people developed different types memory: visual, auditory, motor. It will be more useful for people with developed visual memory to read the material. Then I remember the page on which it is stated the right topic. For those who have developed motor memory, it is better to write down the material (that is, start writing cheat sheets). If you feel that the process has finally begun, you understand the material, can explain it and are not yet tired, continue!
At sixth, In the evening, allow yourself to relax. Take a walk, chat on the phone, read a detective story, visit a friend. But be home before midnight. If you don't get enough sleep overnight, sleeping during the exam can lead to a retake!
Seventh, Before going to bed, I advise you, if not studying, then at least skimming through the material you have covered. Try, looking at the title, to remember the general content of the question (if you can’t, look at the section). Psychologists say that information received during falling asleep and waking up is best remembered. What not to do First of all, never go to extremes. If you surround yourself with textbooks, turn off your phone and barricade yourself in your room, I doubt that such preparation will be highly effective. Secondly, I do not recommend preparing for the exam with a friend (unless he (she) understands the material better than you ). Such preparation most often turns into a lot of chatter and a waste of time. Thirdly, even if you wrote cheat sheets, I don’t recommend using them. When you have such “burning” paper in your pocket, your head doesn’t work well. It's better to write and leave it at home.