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How do I understand topics that are very difficult

Does anyone have any advice on how to understand difficult topics. I am going to be doing A2 content in September, how do I fully grasp concepts in very difficult topics

Reply 1

Wired_1800

Original post by metricmetric

Does anyone have any advice on how to understand difficult topics. I am going to be doing A2 content in September, how do I fully grasp concepts in very difficult topics

Try to break them down to small parts or sections. Then attempt practice questions.

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by metricmetric

Does anyone have any advice on how to understand difficult topics. I am going to be doing A2 content in September, how do I fully grasp concepts in very difficult topics

Hi!

I'm a second year university student at Lancaster University. When I find topics difficult, I try to make sure I understand the fundamentals first, and then progress in layers of difficulty. To ensure I'm understanding, I test myself as I go along using practise questions. Most importantly, I make sure to ask questions when I'm not clear on something. You can try asking teachers/classmates. I'd also recommend utilising you-tube videos and other free resources such as online forums, journals or revision sites like physics and maths tutor, as sometimes having something explained in a slightly different way can really help. Another useful strategy is discussing topics with friends and trying to solve problems together. Finally, it often helps me to present information in different ways using techniques such as mind mapping or tree diagrams, which can help me to see connections between different topics. You can explore different methods of presenting/digesting information and find out what works for you and helps to further your understanding.

Best of luck with your studies,
Becky (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 3

sleepymatcha

hmm it depends on what you are studying, for me i like to break down the ways i understand for humanities and science subjects

for stem subjects like math, if im struggling to understand topic eg integration app
i would:
1. look through the school notes my school gives me
2. if there are any lecture videos, rewatch them
3. practice the eg questions from the notes/textbook
4. i find this really useful but if i really dont understand some concepts- i would seek my teacher out for an afternoon consult.
5. do specific questions on this topic from past papers

for humanities, esp english which can be subjective
1. reading the items several times really helps to get eased into the material
2. doing your own research and looking up papers eg on jstor to get more understanding through the perspective of others
3. writing my own essays and asking my teacher for feedback

but it really depends on your learning style tho, so i would suggest over this month get a headstart by experimenting with your possible methods haha