Your Study Method

Just wondering how everyone studies here. Higher prelims are coming up in February so I'm starting to think a bit more about starting to study; hoping I can get a few study ideas from this thread :smile:

If you have specific methods of study for certain subjects, feel free to mention them also :wink:

For Standard Grade I re-wrote out ALL my notes and extra answers to some past paper questions for almost every subject as well as doing past papers obviously. Appears to have worked effectively for that ha. However I'm not sure about the same method for Highers due to the vast workload and my parents not understanding my need for decent quality paper to write these notes on... :mad:

BUT ANYWAY...

Your turn :smile:

Reply 1

Delaney

Get an Oxford notebook with the different sections :p:

I just wrote a page of notes for each section of each subject, then memorised.

Reply 2

Inlineadam

I actually had posted a study method not too long ago but it's change somewhat lol;

I use a study timetable; ( It actually helps SOOO much ) so write yourself up a study timetable.

Past Papers for most subjects are generally the way to go;

Maths- Try past paper questions, and go back to topics in your textbook and re-try the end of section questions, if your doing higher, you may use the "heineman higher mathematics" book, if you do, then try the mixed questions at the end of each section.

English- Draw mind maps for your poems/novels and explore the setting,themes etc
----------For close reading, try past paper questions and work through the " how to pass higher english" and " higher english grade booster" books, ( try get them if you can, their brilliant ) alternatively, read newspaper articles like from the sunday times and analyse them.

French- Re-write essays so many times you know them inside out!
---------Read a french newspaper like http://www.leparisien.fr/actualites-informations-direct-videos-parisien , translating and questioning as you go along. Watch videos on the BBC website of french disccussions and record yourself saying a list of words etc and play them back.

Physics- Again, past papers are the way to go. Also work through questions in the textbook to gain 100% understanding of formulae, circuits etc.

It really depends on your style of learning, those are a few things i do for the subjects you may be doing...

Reply 3

LonelySoul193

Original post by Delaney

Get an Oxford notebook with the different sections :p:

I just wrote a page of notes for each section of each subject, then memorised.

Parents don't let me get 'expensive' notebooks... The ones I have are crap - the lines aren't even straight :confused:

Reply 4

sandys1000

I've never really had a formal study method. I tend to work in a more ad hoc manner.

Reply 5

HeatherHatter

English - write out quotes for novels and poems as many times as possible, and pace up and down a room, reciting the entire poem... even if it makes you appear a little insane :tongue:

... and even although you can remember the things months afterwords, word for word =|

French - I didn't actually study for my French exam :colondollar:

I just drove my family mad by refusing to speak entire conversations in English, there had to be at least one French word in them... Fun times :rolleyes:

Maths - Past papers. A lot of past papers.... a lot of scoring out, ripping up notebooks and throwing screwed up pages at younger siblings... (I fail with maths)

History - Look over old essays, make up essay plans, I did extra research for the topics online, since I usually learn random facts more easily than useful information if I actively seek them out :tongue:

Childcare - Didn't revise much for that either... Just looking over notes, making up new notes etc.

Reply 6

Delaney

Original post by LonelySoul193

Parents don't let me get 'expensive' notebooks... The ones I have are crap - the lines aren't even straight :confused:

If it's their money then fair do's - can't you just spend your own money on them? I got a really big one from Tesco for £5, only used 40 pages max for all of my highers.

Reply 7

Xhotas

"Okay, tomorrow I'm going to get down to that English revi-"
"OMG CAOLAN I JUST GOT PAID." - Random Friend.
"Well dearest XYZ I do need to revise-"
"Stfu and get drunk."
"Yes sir ):"

It's got me through A Levels thus far, I'm sure this will help you too.

Reply 8

soup

Write out notes on small bits of paper and stick them around the house at light switches, door handles and in the toilet. And everytime you switch on a light, go in a room or in the toilet read the notes that are stuck there.

Reply 9

ScottishShortiex

Original post by Inlineadam

I also use a study timetable and did the exact same for higher maths last year :smile:

Last year:

Maths - as above

English - Understand what close reading questions mean/what types of answers they are looking for, etc. Read over quotes a few times - reading out loud helped me memorise them (only did this a few days before exam) but didn't bother learning poems :p:

Past papers to practice close readings.

Chemistry - Read over all notes/booklets and then I got my mum to ask me questions on each booklet. I did all the calculations in the "How to pass Higher Chemistry" book and read over the PPA section also. Finally, did past papers.

Human Biology - I hated the booklets/notes we got in class so I bought "Higher Human Biology - Course Notes) and read that, which although boring, I was able to take it in easily. I then did the little questions in this book, before moving on to past papers.

French Read over/memorise all my essays in preparation for Personal Response. For Directed Writing, I read over and memorised one of my best D.W essays. For speaking: wrote out, read, and memorised my essay and repeatedly read it out loud to my mum every few days. Listening: listen to previous listening exams and then do past papers questions. For Reading: Past papers. Also, i made sure i looked over my tenses.

Reply 10

LonelySoul193

Original post by Delaney

If it's their money then fair do's - can't you just spend your own money on them? I got a really big one from Tesco for £5, only used 40 pages max for all of my highers.

Yeah indeed but I have no way of income. And yes, I have tried to get a part-time job, numerous times... SIGH

Reply 11

Delaney

Original post by LonelySoul193

Yeah indeed but I have no way of income. And yes, I have tried to get a part-time job, numerous times... SIGH

Fair do's, if I'm needing money I'll usually save up my dinner money lol.

Reply 12

LonelySoul193

Original post by Delaney

Fair do's, if I'm needing money I'll usually save up my dinner money lol.

Haha I take a packed lunch :P

Reply 13

burial

For the psychology NAB I just sat, I did this:

Wrote out a fully-fledged passage on both memory types (short term and long term) and models
Re-drafted it, simplifying the vocabulary
Re-drafted it again, now shortening the studies and adding diagrams
The "final draft" was just two sides of A4.

I kept reading it over the 2 days before the NAB and I have never felt more confident about a test since, well, ever. It depends, different methods work but I think for me I just taught myself to not overcomplicate things but at the same time do NOT simplify your coursework to the point that you lose the ability to expand on your points.

Reply 14

KCosmo

Original post by LonelySoul193

If you have specific methods of study for certain subjects, feel free to mention them also :wink:

BUT ANYWAY...

Your turn :smile:

I remember being in this position last year! Luckily enough my school didn't notice several stacks of A4 sized jotters going missing :P For past papers and general practice etc just use any paper that you can find, totally blank seemed fine for me, but for writing up notes and for english essays it's worth getting some decent lined paper. It doesn't really matter about the quality (although straight lines are helpful!) as with English especially you'll be burning through loads of it for the essay practise.

Nice one for the clean set for your standard grades! I studied the same way as you and it worked well for my highers (5A's booyah!) so I'd suggest sticking to it if you're used to it from your standard grades. Just a heads up 5th year is going to SUCK once you're close to the exams! :P Easter break=cram time :P You're summer will be kick-ass after it though, especially when you get your results :biggrin:

Reply 15

burial

A method I have been using is perhaps sadistic, but make yourself feel guilty and horrible about not revising and force yourself away from facebook, youtube or even your laptop/PC entirely. Get stuck into the things you aren't to sure about. You will feel heaps better afterwards, I promise :P

Reply 16

i.student

a good life work balance.
if you are at uni with a month or two revision,
do iterate.
dont water-fall.
repetition works for me.

Reply 17

laughylolly

Just downloaded this free software off the Mac app store yesterday called MindNode. You can make mind maps on it, it's really helped so far. Only for macs though :frown:

although... I think you might be able to get it for Ipods/Ipads etc.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 18

catmandoo

i have adopted a new method of studying which is bizarre its called memory palace it works really well my teacher told me about it basically all it is is choosing ur palace eg house then pick a room u know well u recognize what u see first and realte it to the topic ur doin it sounds wierd me explainin it but jst look it up on internet also i get my sis to read my notes out to me that helps use a whiteboard dont know why but doin mindmaps on that makes me remember it beter also i record my notes on ipod and listen .

good luck

Reply 19