With the national examinations approaching really soon, it is essential that you know how to study smart instead of study hard. Hence, Tutopiya has put together 7 effective IGCSE and A Level study tips for our students.
7 effective IGCSE and A Level Study Tips
1 – Don’t multitask
It is not surprising at this modern time and day, the majority of us can complete multiple tasks at the same time. However, this is not recommended when it comes to studying.
You may not be aware of it but multitasking can potentially slow down your brain. It may affect the way you work or study when you are attempting to complete one task. A study by Stanford researchers found the people who multitask work less efficiently than those who do not.
Multitasking will only make your study session unproductive, inefficient, and ineffective.
2 – Attempt the latest past year papers
Instead of attempting papers that are out of syllabus and old, it is important that you put extra emphasis on the latest papers.
If your examination is approaching soon, you should focus on working through the latest past years papers. This will help you with a rough idea of the examination structure and help you to familiarise yourself with the exam format quickly.
Should you have completed your revision early and completed the latest few past year papers, it is definitely good to look through and attempt some of the questions from the other past year papers. (this is helpful for students who still feel that the first few papers are not enough practice.)
Additionally, students should space out the days they attempt these practice papers and after every practice paper. You should also go over your mistakes and correct them before starting on another paper.
3 – Set a study goal for every day or study session
For every study session, you should set a study goal, whether it is to complete the chapter summary or to complete one past year paper, or even solving a really tedious question.
Setting a goal helps to make your study session productive and effective. You will be reminded to stay on track and complete the required tasks you have set for yourself.
In the long run, your study sessions will be so much more productive as you are aware of what to focus on and it could also help prevent you from procrastinating.
Read also: How to stick to your study schedule? 7 Tips To Help Students Stay Productive with Planners
4 – Don’t spend so much time writing notes
As much as note-taking is almost everyone’s go-to “revision” technique, it is recommended to not spend too much time on writing notes for all the topics of all your subjects. Instead, summarise each chapter with important key points.
You can summarise your materials by using a mindmap or limiting yourself to writing all the key points of the chapter in less than half a page.
5 – Using smart study techniques to study for your examinations
As your examination approaches, it is wise to think of revising for your examinations in a smart than the hard way.
The Active Recall study method is one that has been scientifically proven to be effective for students when studying for their examinations. The active recall study method is a learning process where the retrieval of information is highly emphasized.
Instead of our typical, feeding information and materials into our heads, we should learn to take it out. (Also known as the application process.)
Paired with the Spaced Repetition technique, absorbing information and studying for school has never been easier and lighter!
Read also: Active Recall and Spaced Repetition: How to Study Effectively
6 – Time management
Time management is important for all aspects of our lives, and an especially important aspect of studying. The right planning and allocation of time to necessary subjects at the right time could be a game-changer for your study sessions.
Allocate the appropriate amount of time to the subjects
How much is an appropriate amount of time? This question can only be answered by you, as you know yourself best. Time is allocated based on your knowledge of the subject, your study habits, and your ability.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself when it comes to allocating the amount of time to your study:
- How knowledgeable am I in this particular subject or topic? Rate your knowledge level on a scale of 1-5.
- How long does it take you to complete one past year paper for this subject?
- Can I stay focused for more than 1 hour?
These are some questions that you can consider when planning your study schedule or session.
Read also: 4 Useful and Effective Time Management Tips for Students
7 – Focus on what is difficult for you
This IGCSE and A Level study tip is for those who have topics that they are weak in. Focusing on your weaker topics helps you to close up knowledge gaps. It is also only by focusing on your weaker areas, you start to learn again.
It is natural for us to lean towards topics that are already familiar to us. However, to maximize the effectiveness of your study session and revision for your examinations, you will need to look beyond your strengths.
Only by closing up the necessary knowledge gaps, will you be able to succeed in your final examinations.
In a nutshell, these IGCSE and A Level tips will help you to adopt a good study habit that will give you a hand in achieving the grades you want.
Tutopiya is a Live Online Tutoring platform that offers students aged 6 to 19 online tuition. Tutopiya offers the IGCSE O Level and Cambridge A Level examinations. Our pool of experienced and qualified tutors is always ready to help.
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