“Don’t study hard, study smart!” they say. You must have heard of this from time to time ever since you were young. Though it does sound great, it is challenging to implement this idea. The concept of studying smart comes from following effective study techniques and methods to prevent wasting a great amount of time.
Tuition teachers and tutors at the school are well-versed in these study methods that students can employ during their study sessions. Qualified online tutors these days are also coming up with new interactive online tuition sessions to help students sustain their attention and make the best out of that tuition session despite the exhaustion from school curriculum.
Simply asking your tutor as to what kind of techniques can be followed will go a long way. However, one thing to keep in mind is, not every study method will suit the needs of everyone. Each student is different; unique in their own way. As such, each person would prefer one study method over another.
WE ARE UNIQUE
“Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same thing, Fairness means that everyone gets what he or she needs to be successful.” -Rick Lavoie
Every brain is unique and functions in its own ways. Each person has his own set of weaknesses and strengths, and this is dependent on the natural wiring of one’s own brain. This is not clearly understood by scientists and remains an enigma.
Each and all individual’s talents and strengths should be observed by parents or parental figures since young. Tuition teachers observe this keenly in their students in order to tailor their teaching techniques to suit the needs of each student.
The Different Type Of Learners We May see All Around Us Are:
- Visual or spatial learners.
- Auditory learners.
- Kinesthetic learners.
- Linguistic Learners
- Analytical Learners
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And so on. There are many versions of this and many types of understanding with regards to learning processes. This is not a matter of one size fits all; there are many models of learning out there and one does not necessarily have to work out for everyone.
STUDY TECHNIQUES
There are numerous study techniques that tutors tend to use with their students and teach their students to follow when studying by themselves. These study techniques ensure smart studying and effective encoding of information without undue wastage of time.
Spaced Repetition
Parkinson’s law states that work expands itself over the time available for its completion. It is due to a lack of discipline and poor time management, which results in students being unable to allocate enough time for spaced repetition.
According to the forgetting curve, one will unfortunately forget the information that was internalised, if revision and active recall is not done. Students need to find different ways to get into the habit of spaced repetition. Some methods include,
- Reviewing hand-made flashcards/ Anki cards
- Reviewing mind maps
- Following a carefully planned out revision schedule
Interactive Tuition Session
Private tuition teachers have a knack in interacting with students in an engaging manner for an hour or two continuously. This is a huge deal for tutors who are new to the job, but it is not as challenging as it may seem to be. In an interactive tuition session, students will be able to learn so much in such a short period of time.
The key to smart learning is to enjoy the process of learning! This is only possible with a one-to-one approach with a tutor.
A Healthy Mind
A good student is also one who can keep his or her mind calm and refreshed enough to absorb and retain information. A clustered mind would not be able to encode new information and recall it when needed. One of the biggest mistakes that students make is to sacrifice their health and burn the midnight oil.
A truly smart studying student would know the importance of a healthy mind body. This begins with consuming fibre-rich food, packed with micronutrients and antioxidants. These nutrients are essential to maintain the health of neurons and they strengthen memory as well!
Smart studying cannot be mastered overnight, in fact, it takes a whole lot of time and effort to get hold of this. With a little guidance from tutors and lots of determination, it is absolutely possible to be a student who excels in smart-studying!