S T U D Y SKILLS G U I D E - lanternaeducation.com€¦ · Chronic procrastinators, listen up!...
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From the Elite IB Graduates at S T U D Y S K IL L S G U I D E
Transcript of S T U D Y SKILLS G U I D E - lanternaeducation.com€¦ · Chronic procrastinators, listen up!...
From the Elite IB Graduates at
STUDY SKILLS
GUIDE
LANTERNA EDUCATION
Contents
3 App Your Way to IB Success!
7 Staying Awake While Studying
11 Using Mastery Learning to Master IB
13 The Art of Making Awesome Notes
19 Study Group Guide
21 Worstthingsfirst–doingthehardesttaskfirstcanboostproductivity
23 Revisionhacks:The15-minuterule
24 DeadTime:thequick-fixsolutiontoproductivity
26 ImproveYourMemory+RememberYourStudies=HigherIBScore
29 The80:20Rule:Howtospendlesstimestudyingbutbemoreproductive
30 The Power of Focus in the IB
33 RememberFactsQuicker:StorytellingTechniques
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App Your Way to IB Success!Calling all serial procrastinators! Are you searching for a way to cure your phone addiction? Whataboutturningthesourceofalldistractionsintoyournewsourceofmotivation?Here’salistofthebeststudyAppsout there to helpyoustayfocusedandproductivewithouthavingtopeelyourbelovedphone from your fingertips.
ForestPlantavirtualseedasyousitdowntostudy,and watchtheseedflourishintoabeautifultree!However,giveintotemptationandleavetheappforevenasecondandyourtree will die. Every tree you successfully grow to completionisplantedinyourforest,each representing one periodofproductivityandfocus.What’smore,Forestis partnered withareal-lifetreeplantingorganisation,meaningthateachvirtualtreeyougrowresults in the planting of a real seed! This
way, you can study happy intheknowledgethatyou’remakingapositiveimpactonbothyourgradesandtheenvironment!
Be FocusedIfyou’relookingforanother study App to help you stay on track,thenBe Focusedisbrilliant.ThisAppfollowsthePomodoroTechnique,wherebyworkisbrokendownintointervals(typically25minutesinlength),separatedbyshortbreaks.BeFocusedhelpsyougetthingsdonebybreakingupindividualtasksintomoremanageablechunks separatedbyregularbreaks.Youareableto specify how much time you want to splitbetweenfocusandrest,and this isproventobeeffective inretainingmotivationandproductivity.BeFocusedalsoallowsyoutorecordhowmuchtimeyou’respending oncertainactivities,so you can keep a close eye on your study pattern!
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Strict WorkflowChronicprocrastinators,listenup!StrictWorkflow alsoenablesyoutostructureyourstudyusingastrategycalledthePomodoroTechnique.TheApp promotes short,butintense,25minuteburstsofproductivity,eachfollowedby a5-minutebreak.Here’sthedeal.Yougiveyourworkyourfullattention for the entire25minuteperiod,meaningnophone,noYouTube,nostaringaimlesslyatyourceiling fan. A countdown timer appears in the tool bartohelpyoukeeptrackofhowlongyou’vebeenworking,andletsyouknowwhenit’stimetobreak.
QuizletIfBeFocusedorForesthavehelpedyoustayconcentratedandmotivated,thenextchallengeislearningallthe content for your IBexams. This is where the freeappQuizletcomesin,allowing you tostudyonthego!WithQuizlet,youcan create your own sets of online flashcards or you can choose from loads of flashcards createdbyotherstudents.Quizletgeneratesanumberof games andactivitiesfor you and your flashcards to help you learn the facts! I loved usingthisappforrevisingmyESS(EnvironmentalSystemsandSocieties)definitions.Itcanalsobevaluableforlearningvocabfora foreign language.
EvernoteAftersearchingtirelesslyforagoodnote-takingapp,Ifinally stumbleduponEvernoteandhaveneverlookedback.Aswebecomemore proficient withourlaptopsandtablets,manystudentsarepreferring to type their notes rather than handwrite them.Evernoteisaplatformforeffectivenote-taking,allowingyoutohaveallofyournotesclearly organised in one place. What’smore,everythingyou write automaticallybacksitselfonline. This
preventsallthose last-minutepanicswhenyourcomputerdecidestocrashthenightbeforean essay deadline.
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AnkiApp FlashcardsAnkiApp is a flashcard app similartoQuizlet and is designed to make memorisingfactseasier.Thisappmonitorsyourprogress,andsubsequentlytests you on the flashcards you are struggling with most. So AnkiApp helps you tackle the topicsyoufindthemostchallenging.Again,youcaneithermakeyourownvirtualflashcards,orchoose from a large selection and download easily.
MemriseThis fantastic flashcard app lets you learn anywhere and anytime.Putyourlearningtothetestbymakingyourownflashcards or using one of the manysetsalreadyavailable.Memrise especially focusesonlanguageacquisition;perfectforspicingupyourLanguageBrevision!However,itisnotlimitedtothisandcanbeusedforanything! Track your progress and compete against friends.
XMindIfyou’researchingforastudyApp to help you collectandorganiseideas,thenlooknofurther!XMindisamindmappingtool,meaning that you can effectivelybrainstormideaswhenyou’reonthego.This is perfect for you to get all your ideas written downinoneplace,and helps you create a clear and colourful mind map. This AppisgreatforthoseofyoutryingtobrainstormideasforforthcomingInternalAssessments,orthatTOKessay!
SelfControlEverfoundyourselfsatatyourdeskperusingthroughyourcousin’sfriend’sgirlfriend’sholidaysnapsfrom2008 when you’resupposedtobeworking? Behonest,weallhave!SelfControlallowsyoutoblockdistractingwebsiteswhilstyouwork,preventingyourinnerprocrastinatorfromtakingaBuzzFeedquiztofindoutwhatpieceofobscurefurnitureyouare*.Turnyourcomputeronandoffagain,uninstallthe App,butwhateveryoudo,SelfControlensuresyoucan’taccessthosesites.
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The Screen Time FeatureThe Screen Time feature on all phones helps us to monitor our addiction to our devices.Andthetruthis,we’veallbeenabitshockedbytheresults…
Overthreeandahalfhourseachdayspent staring at my phone screen? And of thattime,almosttwohoursspentusingSocialNetworking?That’ssurelynotright,I told myself. But the figures spoke for themselves.Themostsurprisingthingwasthat it really didn’tfeellikeIwasspendingthat much time on my phone!
Set RestrictionsAre you someone who manages to spend hours on Snapchat or Instagram beforestartinganyofyourhomework?Orperhapsyou’reslightlyaddictedtothegamesonyourphone?Ifso,whynotlimityourselfto1hour(orevenless!)oftheseactivitiesaday.Dothisinthe‘AppLimits’optionthroughScreenTime.Youcanevencustomise it fordifferentdays,sotreatyourselftoa few more hours of Social Media over the weekend! Your phone will notify youwhenyouonlyhave5minutesleftfortheday,and will then log you out of all Social Media/gaming apps.
Schedule DowntimeThroughApple’sScreenTime,thereisanoptiontoschedule‘Downtime’awayfromyourphone.Duringthistime,onlylimitedApps(onesthatyouchoosetoallow)andphonecallswithbeavailable.MyphoneautomaticallysuggestedthatIscheduleDowntimebetween22:00and07:00,butwhynottryscheduling this after school so that you can complete your homework? Howabout15:00to20:00?Thiswillbeaneffectivewaytostop you procrastinating on those distracting Apps,andhopefullyyou’llbeabletofocusmuchmoreon your studying!
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Staying Awake While StudyingIdon’tknowaboutyou,butIoftenfindmyselfgettingsleepywhenIstudy.No matter how hard I try,after30minutesofworkIoftenfeellikeIamabouttodozeoff.
Oneobviousanswertothisiscaffeine.AcupofcoffeeisprettyeffectiveatwakingyouupwhenyouhaveanIAtogetthrough.Coffeeisnot,however,alwaystheanswer.SometimesI’vealreadyhadacuportwo in the day and don’twantanymore.SometimesI’mworkinglateatnightanddon’twanttostayupanylaterthanIhaveto.I’vethereforedevelopedafewcaffeine-free strategies for staying awake to share with you today!
1) Study at your deskIknowthissoundssimplebutwhenyouarefeelingvery sleepy the temptationistotryandstudyinyourbed.Whilethereisnosubstituteforsnugglingupunderyourduvet,thiswillALWAYSmakeyoufallasleep.Itissomuch easier to focus if you are sat up straight at your desk with your work laid outinfrontofyou.WhenIstillwanttofeelcozyItendwrapmyselfupinablanketandgrabahotchocolatetogetmethrough!
(Whereyoustudyiscrucialtoyoursuccess)
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2) Drink water!Whencoffeeisano-no,Ifindthesecondbestthingtodrinkiswater-preferablyice-cold.Notonlyisitalwaysgreattokeephydrated,Ifindthatcold water particularly givesyoualittlekicktokeepyouawake.Itendtohaveawaterbottleonmydeskand regularly sip it.ThisalsogivesmeanicelittlestudybreakwhenIcangoandrefillit,andthisactuallyinvolvesmegettingupfrommydesk(soundssad,Iknow,butveryuseful).
3) Have some snacksThereisnothingmoremotivatingthanhavingsomethingnicetosnackonwhile you study,andguesswhat?Yourbrainactuallyneeds fuel to function. I’mafanofhavingsomemixednutswhichIcan easilynibbleonthroughouttheday,butI also enjoy dried fruit. When I fancy a treat I often go for chocolatebuttons!. Check out this articleforsomecreativestudysnackideas.
4) Take a napThismightsoundcounter-intuitive,butanapbeforeyoustudycanwork wonders. However,youneedtobeverystrictwithyourself-seta timer for 20 minutesmaximum(anylongerandyoursleepwillbecometoodeep)andmakesureyouhavesomewatertosipwhenyouwakeup.Itcandefinitelygiveyoutheenergyforafewextrahoursofstudy!
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5) Take a breakPerhaps themostimportantpieceofadvice:youneedtotakeregularbreaksfrom studying. Iliketotakeabreakfor5-10minutesevery30minutestorefreshmybrain,butifyou’redoingsomethingthatneedsmorefocus,thentakeabreakeveryhourinstead.
Acoupleofsuggestionsofwhattodowhenyouaretakingabreak:• Stretch• Takealittlewalk,evenjust around your house• Reply to sometexts(ifyouaren’tgoingtogetcarriedaway!)• Watcha3-5minutesYoutubevideo• Eat your study snacks
6) Perfect your study playlistSometimeswhenyouarerevisingsomethingincrediblydull, you need a cracking soundtrack to keep yougoing.Mypersonalfavourites include the Independent Ladies playlist on spotify and the Lord of theRingsdefinitivesoundtrack (nojudgment please). You can also sit down with your friends and create your own personalised playlist that you can all listen to when studying. Thatway,whenyoulisten,itwillremindyouof(slightly)bettertimes!
7) Other people are the ultimate distraction. If you get distracted at homebyyourfamily,thenconsiderstudyinginthelibraryoracoffeeshop.Ifyou’reinschoolthenaskyourIBcoordinatortofindyou a free classroom and go to study there. Computer rooms and school or publiclibrariesareagoodalternative.
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8) Find yourself a study buddyOneoftheworstpartsofrevisionishavingtogothroughitall on your own.WhenIamonstudyleaveIgenuinelycravehumaninteraction.Agreatsolutiontothiscanbetojoinforces with one of your friends and start studying together. I would recommend going somewhere whereyoucan’tactuallytalklikeyourschoollibrary.Thatwayyoucanfocusonyourworkbutalsohaveafriendtochattowhenyou’rebored!
9) Get a study lampYourabilitytoconcentrateisgreatlyaffectedbyyourenvironment. Inoneexperiment,researchersgavestudentsa‘studylamp’ and told them to switch on the lamp whenevertheystudied.This created anenvironmentthatwasassociatedwithrememberingcontent.StudylampstudentsshowedanotableboostintheGPAs.YoucanusethesameeffecttoboostyourIBgrade!
10) Think about your positionIusedtotrytostudyinbed,proppedupagainstthewallbutthisoften made me really sleepy. Also,wheneverIgotamessagefromafriendIwouldgeteasilydistractedbecauseIwassocomfortable.Try sitting upright at a real desk to make sure you stay focused.
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Using Mastery Learning to Master IBWe all know how it feels. We’resittinginalesson.We’refollowingwhattheteacherissaying.Butthere’ssomethingthatwejustcan’tgetourheadaround. Maybethebinomialdistribution,orPlato’sTheoryofForms.Wetrytorereadwhatwe’vewritteninournotes.Wethinkitthroughand…blank.It’sjustnotmakingsense.Bythetimewefocusbackonthelesson,theclasshasmovedon.We’veallhadthisproblem.Wenowfeelalittlelikethis:
Thisisaverycommonproblem,andit’shardtoavoidinatypicalclassroomsetting.
All of us learn at different speeds and think in different ways. Something that might seem asclearasabottleofEviantoonepersonmightlookasmuddyasa puddle of rainwater to someone else. In the IB Diploma, where each student studies 6verydifferentsubjects,it’sinevitablethatwe’llbefasteratpicking upsomesubjectsthanothers.
Sowhatcanwedoaboutthisproblem?Howcanwefindthemissingpieces?
Keep Track of the GapsThefirststeptofillinginknowledgegapsinasubjectistokeeptrackofeachgap. Each time you realise that you’renotquiteunderstandingsomethingormaking it stick,makesureyouatleastrememberthatitexists.Trustme,Iknowit’stemptingtojustblockthedifficult things from yourmemory,butthe truthis,youhaveto reallyunderstandeverythingtogetthehighestmarksinthe IB.
Tokeeptrackofthegapsyoucan:• Colour-codeyournotesandhighlightanythingyoudon’tunderstand.• Keepachecklistofallthesethings,andmake sure this isaccessibleand
visible!• Evenbetter,addthemstraighttoaTo-Dolistof‘thingsI’mgoingtolearn’.
Stopthinkingofthegapsasthingsyoudon’tunderstand.Instead,thinkofthemasthingsyou’regoingtounderstand!
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Take Time to Fill in the KnowledgeOftenevenwhen an entiretopicfeelsimpossible,thereareactuallyjustafewspecificthingsthatyoudon’tunderstand.ThisisespeciallytrueinsubjectslikeMaths,whereeachstepoftheprocessbuildsonpreviousunderstanding.Theonlywaytomakesureeverythingis fully understood is to take time to go throughthesubjectoutsideofthe lessons.
• Workontheproblembyyourselfwiththetextbook(andsomechocolate)nexttoyou.
• Askafriendorateachertoexplainittoyou.• Ifyou’restillstruggling you could look into getting a tutor who can help
support your studies.
Makesureyousetasideextratimeaspartofyourregularschedulesoyouknow that you are always staying on top of the work. Treat each gap in your knowledge asanindividualproblemandfixthemonebyone,startingwiththesimplestthingfirst.Ifyouhavethatchecklist,gothroughitandtickitoffasyou go.
Mastery LearningMasterylearningisastrategywherestudentsmusthavemasteredeachtopicorconceptbeforetheymoveontolearnsomethingelse.Inotherwords,studying followsthestudent’space,andnotopicisleft until that student understands it.
Eventhoughthisishardtoachieveinaclassroom setting,itispossible,andmosthelpful,ifyouarestudyingbyyourselforwithone-on-onetuition.Infact,a1984studybyBenjaminBloomlookedintothismethodofteachingandfoundthatstudentswhohadreceivedindividualmentoringperformedbetterinteststhanthosewhohadonlybeentaughtinbiggerclasses.Notjustalittlebetter,but98%better!
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The Art of Making Awesome NotesTheartofnote-taking,oratleastoftakingeffectivenotes,isoftenunderestimated.Yes,almostallofusmaketheminlessons,butit’seasytoforgethowvaluabletheycanbelateron.Makingawesomenotesfor the IB isespeciallyimportant,asthereissomuchinformationacrossthe6subjects,whichallneedstoberememberedfortheexams.Goodnotesaren’tjustabouttakingininformationasyougoalong,butare awaytosavetime,effortandfrustration(“whatwasthatthingmyteachersaidI’dhavetorememberforoneoftheexamsagain?”)inthelong-term.
WiththeWinterbreakapproachingitcanbereallyhelpfultothinkabouthow you can make your notes moreuseful.Howwillthenotesyoumakeinclass during the last couple weeks of term look in January when you return to school? This is the perfect time to sit in front of a seasonal film and make someattractive,colourfulnotes,whetherformocksorforlaterintheIBDiploma!
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I’mgoingtobreakthisdownintotwo sections:contentandform.AndtoquotethemastercomposerandlyricistStephenSondheim,“contentdictatesform”.Soonthat‘note’,I’lltalkaboutcontentfirst.
ContentUse your own WordsDon’tjustcopywhattheteacherortextbooksays.Iknowit’stempting,both becauseit’seasier and becauseyoumightfeellikeyou’llneverbeabletophraseapointquiteasperfectly.However,it’safactthat you will understand andremembertheinformationfar more easily if you write it in your own words.Thinkofyournotesasmessagestoyourselfinthefuture,sothinkabouthowyouwouldexplainittomakesureyouactuallyunderstand.
Stick with the EssentialsThewholepointofnotesistopreservetheinformationthatyouwillfindusefullater.Don’twritedowneverything,just write the key points that you canimagineyourselfactuallyusinglater.ForMathematicsandSciences,thesewillincludefacts,formulae,andmethods.ForLiteratureandSocialSciences, write downfacts,ideas,quotes.ForLanguages,thinkaboutvocabularyandgrammar.
For Literature,Social Sciences and Languages,it’salsookaytoorder your notes according towhatyouconsidertobethe most essential information. You’llsaveyourselftimelaterifyoudothisasyougoalong.Ranktheinformation from 1 to 3 according to how important or useful you consider it to be.Then,whenyoucometorevision,learnitinthatorder.
Keep them BriefWhenitcomestonotes,lessismore.Makesureyouhaveenoughso that you actually understand it later,butdon’twritesomuchthatitjustlookslikeablockofscrawl.Keywords,factsandformulasarethemostimportant.Sticktoshort,simplesentencesandphrasesthatyoucaneasilyremember.Thisisn’tan essay.
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Make them PersonalThis is different from using your ownwords.WhatImeanbythisisrememberthattheyareforyou.Ifyoudon’tunderstandawordyou’ve writtendown,makeanoteor mark in the margin to point out thatyou’llprobablyhavetogobacktothetopiclater.Thinkabouthowyoucanwritenotesaboutyourownnotes(Ooh,meta…).Forexample“personallyIthinkthatDavidCopperfieldisaflawedandone-dimensionalcharacter”.Youmightwanttothinkaboutdividingupthepagebeforeyoustartsoyoucanbreakupyourthoughts,likeintheCornell System.
Visual DiagramsIdealfor:Literature,SocialSciences,NaturalSciences
Spiderdiagrams,mindmaps,orwhateveryoucallthem,aretheperfectoptionifyouknowyou’llneverrememberlines of notes on a page. Theyworkbylettingusassociateideasandinformationvisually.Startwiththekeytopicinthecentre,andworkoutwardsbyconnectingthefactsandtopicareasmostclosely associated with the topic.Thekeytomakingtheseworkisto:
• Actuallycompresseachideaintominimalwords.Thisisn’taboutwritingmini essays on different parts of the page.
• Make them look nice. These try toaidvisuallearning,sotheywon’tworkifthey’reuglytolookat.
• Thinkaboutnewconnectionsandassociationsasyougo.Youshouldfeelcreativeasyoumakethem,sothatyouaremakingnewconnectionsasyou go.
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You can read this article hereonhowtocreateamindmap,andalsoyou can download a programme that will let you create one online.
Classic notes on paperIdealfor:Mathematics,NaturalSciences
Here,I’mtalkingaboutwhatmostofyouprobablyimaginewhenyouheartheword‘notes’: basic lined paper with the points written down in order of how you learned them. There are a few thingstokeepinmind:
• Beasneatasyoucan.Please.Evenifittakesyoutwiceaslongthan using yourtypicalmessywriting,theywillbetwiceaseasytoreadwhenyouaregoingoverthemlater.
• Embracethespace.Double-spacethenotesifyoucan,orifyouareconsciousofwastingpaperthenleaveatleastalinebetweeneachsection.Makethemaspleasantaspossibletoreadlater.
• Use highlighters to colour code the information.• Usecodestoindicatehowyouwanttotreatthenoteslater,e.g.an
asterisknexttoanypointsyouthinkareparticularlyimportant*,oraquestionmarktoindicatethatyouwanttolookatitagainlater?
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The WallIdealfor:Literature,Languages
WhatdoImeanbythewall?Imeanpost-itnoteseverywhere.Usedifferentcolouredpaperorpens,writeinbig,clearletters.Thisisperfectifyouwanttosurroundyourselfwiththeinformation,andidealformemorisingindividualwordsorquotes.N.B.thismethodisnotfortheweak!It’sreallyonly for those ofyouwhofeeluptoimmersingyourselfinyoursubject,andI’dprobablyrecommended it onlyifyou’rerevisingforexams.
Digital NotesIdealfor:Literature,SocialSciencesAs much as I like to recommend physical notes that you can hold,touch and annotate,ratherthanwhateverprogrammeisonyourlaptop,Iknowthatdigitalnotesarethesimplestoptionformostofus.I’mnotgoingtotellyouhowtomakethese(youdon’tneedmetodothat!),butthesamerulesapplyasforclassicnotes:thinkabouthowtheylook.Formatyournotesasifyouhad to print them out to hand in to your teacher. And when it gets to the stage ofactuallyrevising,makesureyouprintthemout!Theywillbesomuchmoreeffectivethanreadingthemoffascreen.
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UsefulprogrammesfortheseasidefromWordincludeEvernoteandSimplenote,bothfree!
FlashcardsIdealfor:Languages,NaturalSciences,SocialSciences
IfanyofyoueverhandwriteChristmascards(nowthere’sadyingartform),orifyourparentswritethem,you can make sets of flashcardsthesameway;withsnacksatthereadyandmusicplaying.They’reagreatwaytocompresstopicsintojustafewbulletpointsorsummaries.They’realsoperfectfortravellingifyouwantsimplenotestogothroughduringyourjourneystoandfromschoollaterintheyear.YoucouldevenwritethemonChristmascards–theywillbepretty,colourful,andmoreusefulinthelong-term!
The NotebookIdealfor:Everything
Ifyoulikehavingallyournotes and topicsinoneplace,thisisperfectforkeepingtrackofallyoursubjectsandalsofor making your notes consistent. Likeflashcards,thesearegreatforwhenyouaretravelling.However,domake sure you that remain concise whenusinganotebook!Justbecauseyouhaveallthatpaperavailabledoesnotmeanyouneedtofillit.Keepyournotestothebareminimumsoyoudon’tendupwritingTheOdyssey.Anddousedividersorcolouredindicatorsbetweenthepagessoyoucaneasilyflickbetweensubjects.Betteryet,leavethefirstfewpagesatthefrontfreesoyoucancreateanindex!
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Study Group GuideWhen I started high school,I quicklyrealised that things were not the same as theyusedtobe.Nobodywasfeedingusknowledgeanymore.So much of our studyingrequiredustobe more independent and we needed each other to help get through the course.
TheIBisatwoyearcourse.That’salongtime.Itisalsoquitedifficult.Tomakethesetwoyearseasierandmorefunyoucanuse‘studygroups’.Inthis guide I am going to help you to figure out 1) Why a study group is useful 2)Howyoucanrunastudygroup3)Howtoavoidanyproblemsandmakeyour group really useful.Study groups are great because they give you an advantage over all the other students, around the world, who have failed to form a group.
Why learn in a group?• You can help each other understand difficult material.• Learningismoreexcitingtogether–textbooksdon’tmakegoodfriends.• If wetalkthroughasubject,werememberthatinformationmuchmore
easily than if we study alone.• TheIBishardbutyoudon’thavetofaceitalone.Ifyouworktogetheryou
canhelpeachotherthroughexams,courseworketc.withoutfeelinglikeyou’realone.You can support and encourage each other.
• Teaching and working with other people will increase your confidence.• Youcanlearnsomestudyhabitsfromyourbrainyclassmates.
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So,obviouslystudygroupscanbereallyhelpful,buthowcanyoumake yours work?
Handling your first meeting• MakeaFacebookgrouptosharedocumentsandresources• Findoutwhichtopicseachpersonfindseasyorhard.Makesureyoucover
the most tricky topics together!• Figure out a good place to study–andaskateacherforaroomifyouwant
to use the school.• Planmeetingsforaregulartime,like‘Wednesdaystraightafterschool’–
thiswayeveryoneknowswhenthesessionsare.AlsosendoutinvitesforeachsessiononFacebooktoremindpeople.
• Giveyourgroupafunnyname–don’tbetooserious!• Create a Whatsapp group to stay in touch.
What to Do at Meetings• Gothroughclassnotestogether,discussanythinganyonedidnot
understand.Remember,teachinghelpsstrongerstudentsaswell!• Discuss key ideas from class. What’shardest?What’seasiest?Why?• Do your homework tasks and help each other if anyone’sstuck.• Students who feel more confident shoulddoextrahomeworkquestions
and help others• Studyfortestsorexams.Useexam past papers and help each other
mark them!• Discusswhatquestionsyouexpecttobeonthe testsandexams• Takebreaksandchillouttogether every30minutes
Help Each Other Out!• Listencarefullytoeachotherandencourageeachothertoaskquestions• Ifyoudonotunderstandsomething,askyourfriendswhatthey/the
textbookmean.• Askpeopletoexplainwhattheymean.Thishelpsbothof you.• Everyoneshouldworkonthesametopicatthesametime.Thismakes
everythingclear and consistent.• Discuss how well the groupworksandhowitcouldbebetter.
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Worst things first – doing the hardest task first can boost productivityI am always tempted to start byrevising the easy topics and end up putting off the difficult stuff. I might start the weekend with doing the reading the English teacher had set. I might work on a project I found interesting for my Philosophy IA and then do some French practicebylisteningtoapodcast.
Unfortunately doing the easy thing first often means that the hard work gets put off for so long that you end up not doing it at all! But why does this happen?
There’saninterestingpsychologicalphenomenon that means that people prefer the difficult or stressful part of a task to come first and for things to get easier from then.Thismeansthatifyoustartwiththeeasyworkit’sactually even harder to motivateyourselftodothedifficultbitslater! Don’tworrythough,youcanactuallybenefitfromthispsychologicalquirk.
Ifyouhaveaprojectorevenatasklist,onereallygreatwaytomakethings easier is to start with the hardest task. If you start with the difficult stuff thenyouknowthatthingsareonlygoingtogeteasierandyou’regoingtogetaboostfrom doingeverysingletask!Plusthere’sadoublebenefit:ifyou
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use the hardest-first techniqueforstudyingyouwillhaveamoreenjoyableexperience.Thisisbecauseweenjoythemosttheexperienceswherethingsgeteasierovertime.Haveyoueverhad to stay up all night trying to finish an essay?Horribleisn’tit?! Part of that suffering comes from the fact that you left your hardest piece of work until theendoftheday.Beatthisproblembyusing the hardest-first technique!
This applies in the long run too,notjustoveraweekend.Solet’ssayyou’retakingPhysicsHL(luckyyou!).Maybeyoufind understanding the theoryOKanddon’thavetoomuchtroublewithdefinitions,butgettrippedup trying torememberhowtoplugthenumbersinto the equations. Well,inthat case you should put
halfanhoureverydayintomakingsureyoucanmanipulatetheequationsyou’vebeenstudyinginclassproperly.Thenwhenitcomestotheendofthetermyoucanjustbrushupon your theory and definitions. This use of the hardest-first techniquewillmeanthatyouarenotasstressedorbusyrightattheendoftheterm(andthatyouhaveabettertermtoo!).
Wecanallusethehardest-firsttechniquetoimproveourwork.Formanypeople the hardest step is getting started. If this sounds like something you struggle with,headoverhereandgetawallplanner.Makeaplanofyourwork(startingwiththehardest-first)anddiverightin.Ipromiseyouwon’tregretit.Whenyou’vereachedyourgoalsyou’lllookbackonthedayyoulearnedtodothe hardest-first technique andbegladthatyoustartedputtingtheefforttoget what you want!
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Revision hacks: The 15-minute ruleWithexamsapproachingfast,Iknowmanyofyoumaybestartingtogetthinkingaboutrevision.However,giventhevastamountofin-classtestsandassignmentsyouhaveleft,itmayfeelimpossibletogetstarted.Ifthisisthecase,Ihavetheperfectsolutionforyou;the 15-minute rule!
15-Minute RuleTomakesureIfeltasthoughIwasgettingsomewherewithrevisionearlyon,I decided to make small weekly targets for myself. These targets were always realistic,specificandconsistent.Forexample,ratherthanpromisingmyselfto do two past papers in Mathseachweek,IpromisedmyselfIwoulddo2questionsaweek.Targetsaremeanttohelpyoumaintainfocusonthegoalahead,ratherthanimmediateprogress.ThinkofyourIBasamarathon,notasprint.Havingrealistic,specificandconsistenttargetswillensurethatyouarenotoverworkingyourselfandcreatingunrealisticexpectations.As you set targetsforyourrevision,youshouldrecognisethatsomesubjectsortopicswillrequireanincredibleamountoftimeandpatience.
Realistic Specific Consistent
Oneofmyfavouriterevisionhacksis setting myself the target of doing 15-minutesofrevision.The15-minuteruleadvocatesthatonceaweek,yousitdownanddo15minutesofyourhardestsubject.
MyhardestsubjectthroughouttheIBwasMaths.Therefore,at8pmeveryThursday,Iwouldsitdownanddo15minutesofMaths. Whether that was lookingovermynotesfromclassordoingapastexamquestion,IpromisedmyselfIwoulddoafocused15minutes.
Thisreallyhelpedmeachievetwothings:• Getstartedwithrevisionearlyon!• EnsuringIwasmakingprogressonmymostdifficultsubject!
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Dead Time: the quick-fix solution to productivityTimemanagementisatrueart.Onewhichfewevertotallymaster.IBstudentsareforevercomplainingthattheydon’thaveenoughhoursinthedaytogeteverythingdone.But24hoursisalotoftime,right?Sowheredoesitallgo?Andhowcanyoubetteruseyourtimetobecomemoreproductive?Thesecrettoproductivityishiddeninyourdeadtime.
Deadtimewillenableyoutomakemoretimeavailableinyourday-to-daylife.Orrather,tomakeuse of the time you were otherwise wasting.
What is it?Dead time is time in which someone or something isnotactingproductively.Perhapsthetimespentwhen youarewaitingforsomething,orwhenyoudo something without a real purpose.
Deadtimeiseverywhere…
Yourjourneytoschool.Thefiveminutesyouspendbetweenlessons.Thetwominutesittakesforyourlaptoptoloadupinthemorning–deadtimeiseverywhere.Althoughseeminglyinsignificantinisolation,itreallyaddsup.Ifyoucangetintothehabitofusingthisdeadtimetodolittlebitsandpiecesoflargertasks,you’llbeabletousethoserandom,uselessmomentsinyourdaytoyouradvantage.
Herearesomeexamplesofsituationswheredeadtimetendstohide,andhowyoumightmakeuseofit:On your journey to school…• Download Duolingo and practice your language B• Make yourself a set of flashcards on Memrisetohelpyoureviseforan
upcoming test• Listentopodcasts.Whetherrelatedtoyourstudiesornot,listeningto
podcastscanmakeyoufeelworldly-wise!TherearesomegreatIBspecificpodcastsoutthere–findsomesuggestionsinthisguidetothebestIB internet resources.
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Whilst you’re brushing your teeth…Takeapackofpost-itnotes.Oneach,writeadefinitionthatyouneedtolearn,abuzz-wordoraquote.Stickthesearoundyourbathroommirror.Then,everymorningandeveningwhenyoustandtheremindlesslybrushingyourteeth,glanceoverthenotes.Remember–deadtimeaddsup.Youmayonlybrushyourteethfor2minutes,twiceaday.Butthat’shalfanhouraweek.Twohoursamonth.Nowthat’stimewellspent.
Waiting for an appointment…Carryasmallrevisionguidearoundwithyouinyourbackpack.Whenyoufindyourselfstuckinawaitingroom,oroutsideateacher’soffice,takeitoutandflickthrough.Perhapsevenbringahighlightertoo.
Makemind-maps.Attheendofeachtopicyoustudy,makesmallA4orA5mind-mapscontainingbuzz-wordsandkeypointsyouneedtoremember.Keepthemallinalittlenotebook–somethingthatislightandeasytocarryaround.Whenyou’resatwaitinginaquietplaceforawhile,takeitoutandflick through the topic summaries to ensure you are constantly reminded of thebiggerpictureofthetopicsyou’restudying.
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Improve Your Memory + Remember Your Studies = Higher IB Score“IfIhadabettermemory,allthisworkwouldbenoproblem”.Doesthisthoughtsoundfamiliar?Doesitcreepuponyoubeforeatest?Dayto day in school?
While there is of course more to the IB than just remembering facts and figures,beingabletorecallallthese facts,formulas,wordsandideasisamassivepartofgetting the top grade.It’snotenoughtobeableto understand something in class. Whereverstageyou’reatintheIB,you’regoingtohavetorememberallthethingsyou’relearningwhenitcomestothefinalexams.
Youmightthinkthatthisiswhatrevisionisfor,andthatrevisionstillfeelsalongtimeaway.Butactually,there’salotthatyoucouldbedoingtoimproveyourmemoryrightnow.Andgiventhatsomeresearchsuggeststhe adult attention span has got worse by roughly 12 minutes in the last decade,youmightwanttothinktwicebeforerelyingonthetechnologyaroundyoutogetby!Fromtechniquesdevelopedoverthecourseofcenturiestopracticalthingsyoucandoeveryday,herearemytoptipsforimprovingyourmemory.
Mnemonic DevicesMnemonicsaretechniquescreatedtohelpusrememberlargechunksofinformation,andtheyusemethodssuchasassociation,sensememoryandreorganisation to giveyourbrainshortcutstowhatitneedstoknow.Astudyofmnemonicdevicesbackinthe60sshowedthatstudentswhoregularlyusedthesedevicesincreasedtheirtestscoresbyupto77%!
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Examplesinclude:AcronymsandAcrostics:playing with the words and letters in the information youneedtoremembercanbereallyeffectiveinturningthingsthatarehardtorememberintosomething,well,memorable.Theseareespeciallyusefulforsubjectswithhardfacts,likesciences.Youcancreateyourownorfindonesalready in use. e.g. “HowIwishIcouldrecollectpi”–countthenumberoflettersineachwordtogetthesequenceofdigits:3.141592
Chunking:breakingdownbigpiecesofinformationintosmaller‘chunks’ofinformation.Wealreadydothistorememberthingsliketelephonenumbers,whenwe’llbreakdownalistof10digitsormoreintoafewsmallerchunksof3or4numbers.
Musicmnemonics:howmanysonglyricsdoyouthinkyou’reholdinginyourheadrightnow?Didyousitdownandlearnthem?Idoubtit.Music,especiallycatchymelodies,doeswondersforhelpingwordsstickinourbrains.That’swhyhalftheadvertsonTVcontainsomesortofjingle,orsetthebrandnametomusicinsomeway.Youdon’thavetobeacomposertomakethistechniqueworkforyouthough,andyoudon’tevenneedtowriteawholesong(althoughifyouwantto,goforit!),butreciting information or words to a melody is a great way to make it stay in your head.
Don’t Repeat – ReorganiseRepetitionisprobablythemostcommonmethodofrevisionandmemorisinginformation,butit’sactuallyoneofthemostinefficientmethods.Mostofusfinditboring,andthatisexactlybecauserepetitionaloneinvolvesonly themostbasic,surfacelevelofthebrain.Instead,findawaytoreorganisetheinformation,andconnectitwithwhatyoualreadyknow–activate your brain.Infancytermsthisiscalled‘elaborativerehearsal’.So,nexttimeyoulearnsomethingnewinclass,don’tjustcopydownwhattheteacherissaying,rewriteitinyourownwords.Nexttimeyouarereadingabigchunkoftext,makenotesinyourownwordsinthemargins.Thinkabouthowthisinformationconnectswithwhatyou’velearntbefore,andhowitchangestheinformation.
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Stop MultitaskingIknow,Iknow,thissounds like a weird one. Isn’tmultitaskingwhatwedo,everyday,asanIBstudent?Notexactly.Yes,thereare6differentsubjectstomanage,plusTheoryofKnowledgeandall thesocialactivitiesyoumightdo.Butthatdoesn’tmean you need to do
them all at the same time. Studies show that it takes eight seconds to commit a piece of information to memory. What that means is,ifwedon’tgivetheimportantinformationthetimetofindaplaceforitself,itwillroll straight out of ourbrains,nevertobeseenagain(atleastuntilwetrytolearnitagain).
Inotherwords,focusonjust one thing at a time. This lets yougiveyoursubjectsthe realtimethattheyneed.ItmightfeelmoreproductivetodoyourhomeworkwhileyoucatchuponthelatestseasonofGameofThrones,orwhileyougetthegossipfromFacebook,butIbettheworkwon’t stick as well as if you had separated those two things. When was the last time you had a conversationwithsomeonewhowastextingsomeoneelseatthesametime?Doyouhonestlythinktheyheardeverywordofwhatyouweresaying?Thesame is true for your studies.
Think (and Act) Healthily!Gettingenoughsleepisstilloneofthebestwaystoimprovefocus,attentionspan,andmemory.By‘enough’,therecommendedamountis7or8hours.SotakenoteallyouIBstudentswhoareproudofyour4-6hoursofsleepanight!Finally,exerciseisanothertriedandtestedwayofimprovingourfaculties.Arecentstudyhasshowedthatexerciseincreasesthesizeofthehippocampus,thepartofthebraininvolvedinmemory.
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The 80:20 Rule: How to spend less time studying but be more productive
Weallknowhowitfeelstobeinefficient:spendingmanyhours“studying”withoutgettingmuchproductiveworkdonecanbeincrediblyfrustrating,andisadrainontimeandenergyforIBstudentseverywhere.
WhatifyoucouldspendLESStimestudying,butstillgetMOREdoneinyourday?Ifthissoundstoogoodtobetrue,thenpreparetobepleasantlysurprised.ThesecrettomaximisingproductivityisThe Pareto Principle,otherwise known as The 80:20 Rule. Pareto was an Italian economist in the early1900s,andhedeclaredthatinmanyaspectsoflife,80%ofeffectscomefrom20%ofcauses.Inotherwords,80% of your IB exam success will come from 20% of the work you put in:
YoumayhaveseeninthenewsrecentlythatSweden has decided to shorten itsemployees’workingdayfrom8hoursto6,afterresearchshowedthatthisleadstolesssickness,lowerstresslevels,andgreateroverallproductivity.
ThesameprinciplecanbeappliedtoyourIBworkinglife.Ratherthandragging out you homework for hours andhoursandhalfworking/halfprocrastinating,you should focus on how you can maximiseproductivity when you sit down to work.Thisway,everytaskonyourto-dolistwilltakelesstime,buttheresultwillbeofahigherquality.
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The Power of Focus in the IBIfIaskyouabouthowyouwanttodointheIB,you’reprobablythinking that youwanttodoreallywell!Okay,maybeyou’rejusthopingtopassatthispoint–buteitherwayyouhaveascoreinmind thatyouwanttoachieve.Thestruggle is attaining that score. But why is it so difficult?
Welloneofthereasonsisthatyourbrainisn’tverysmart…Okaythat’salie.Yourbrainisactuallyincrediblycapable–infactittookasupercomputer with 1.4millionGBofRAM40minutestoprocess1percentof1secondofbrainactivity. So,thehumanbrainisamazing.Theproblemis…itisn’tveryfocused.
TheproblemiswiththeIByouneedtofocusincrediblywell in order to get those high grades. The chances are that you want to do well in the IB,andthismeansyou’reprobably alwaysthinkingaboutallthethingsyou’regoingtodotoachievesuccess.Doextramathstests,stayinschoolafterhours,getaheadinalltheprojects,catchupalltheprojects,score100%inallthetestsandbetheBESTSTUDENTEVER!
Well those are allgreatintentions–youcanbethebeststudentever.Butnotlikethat.Youneedtobefocussed,toidentifycleartargetsforwhatyouwant–andneed–toachieveandthenworksteadilytowardthem.ThinklessFlubbermore Terminator.
So how is this God Mode focus evenpossible.Itactuallyisn’tall that hard. You start saying no to pointless things.‘Butwiseblogpost,howdoIknowwhatispointlesswheneverythingintheIBissoimportant?’.Okgoodquestion,butthat it mostly your panictalking.There’sbasically3ruleswecanuse:
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The rule of the big pictureAlwaysalwaysalwayshavethebigpictureinmind.Thismeansyou must think aboutyourgoalsandwhatyouneedtogetthere,and then work on only the things that help you get where you want.
MaybeyouwanttostudyEngineeringatuniversityandneeda6inmaths,a6inphysicsand35pointsoverall.
Ifthisisthecasethenrememberthatgettinga7inbiologyisn’tthegoal.andgetting40+pointsisn’tyourprimary goal. Your first and most important goal istogetthose6sinmathsandphysics(andtogetyourselfoverthe35ptboundary).Thismeansunderstandingelectromagnetismwellenoughthatitdoesn’tdragyourphysicsscorebelowa6.Thatismuchmoreimportantthanyour history homework unless yourhistoryispullingyoubelowthemagic35.
Usingthebigpicturewillmeanthat you will get muchlessdistractedbyallthedemandsthateveryteacherandsubjectputsonyourtime.Andthat’sit!Followthe3rulestodecidewhatisimportantandcuteverythingelseout.Ifyoudothisyouwillfindyourscoresshootingupinnotime! Good luck!
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The rule of purposeIdentify the purpose of the task. This is the first rule in deciding what to spend timeon.It’seasytopanicifyouhaveatestinmaths and to think that if you fail itwillbe the end of the world. Actually,99%ofthetimeitwill make no difference at all. So,youhavetoidentifyhowimportantsomethingis.ActualIBExams=Veryimportant,extracredithomework=notimportant.
Now you can see how that piece of work affects yourGoalofacertainnumberof IB Points and you can say no to things that aren’t important.
The rule of diminishing returnsOksonowyou’rejustworkingontheimportantstuffandthat’sgreat.Nowlet’stalkaboutdiminishingreturns.Thisistheideathatassomethinggetsbetterittakesmoreefforttoimproveitfurther. Which makes sense when wethinkintermsofapieceofhistorycoursework.Doesn’ttakethatmuchefforttogeta3,buttopushthatuptoa5isquitetricky.Gettingthatupto a 6 is hard and up to a 7 is really tough. The trick here is to know when enoughisenough.Ifyourteachersaysyou’realmostuptothenextgradethenyoubetterstartputtingintheefforttogetovertheboundary.However,ifyourteachersaysyourcourseworkisfine,thenputtinginanextra20hoursmightnotbethatuseful–especiallyifyoucouldhaveusedthattimebettersomewhere else.
Sonexttimeyou’rememorisingdefinitionsforphysics,andyouget99%right,considerwhetheritisworthstudyingmoreofthesametotryandget100%orwhetheryouwouldbebetteroffspendingtimeonsomethingeasiertoaffect.
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Remember Facts Quicker: Storytelling TechniquesIfIsatyoudownandrecitedalistofhistoricaldates,kings,anddynasties,wouldyourememberthosefactstomorrow?I’mguessingthatformostofyoutheanswerisprobablynot.WhataboutifIplayedyouatelevisiondrama showing the epic tale of those dynasties? A drama full of thrilling battlescenes,sweepinglandscapesandhumanambition.Maybeyouwon’trememberallofthedetails.Butthechancesare thatyou’drememberalotmore of it tomorrow than that list I recited. The reason for this is that our brain absorbs information much easier and a lot faster if we’re faced with a story rather than a list of facts.Why?Becausethehumanbrainiswiredto chemically respond to stories. Therefore,inthisblogIwanttoencourageyou to use stories when it comes to memorising large chunks of information. I promise it will make your life easier when you study for the IB!
Facts vs. NarrativeTakealookatthefollowingexamples:
Example A:• The Battle of Waterloo was fought
on June 18th1815,nearWaterloo• TheFrencharmy,underNapoleon’s
command,lostthebattletotwoarmiesoftheSeventhCoalition
Example B:When Napoleon led his army onto the soddenbattlefield,littledidheknowthatthisdaywouldseehisdefeat.OverbreakfasthehadcriticisedtheEnglishtroopsandtheirpompouscommander,theDukeofWellington.Now,amongstthemud,rainandsweat,the18th of June1815wouldbethedaythatdecidedEurope’sfate.
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ExampleBiswaymoreinteresting,right?Thereasonforthisisrevealedbyneuroscience.Whenlisteningtofacts,thepartofourbrainthatprocesseslanguageandmeaningisactivated.But,whenwearetoldastory, more parts areactivated.Infact,allotherareasthatwouldbeusedifwewereactuallyexperiencingthestoryourselvesareactivated!
You can read more about the exact research into this here.Itcouldevenbean interesting topic for a TOK presentation!
Butwhatcanwe,asIBstudents,dowiththisknowledge?Well,whenwestudyfortheIBthere’sso much information to take in for lots of different subjects.Youwillnaturallyengagemorewithsomesubjectsthanothers.However,by incorporating tricks into our studying that make use of the brain’s natural response to stories, we can retain information and facts more readily and enhance our engagement with our subjects.Nice,huh?Read on for my three easy steps to turn your IB facts into stories. As youstudyfortheIB,itshouldmakeyourlifeso much easier!
1. Give information contextOriginally,storytellingwasamatterofsurvival.BackintheStoneAge, humans neededtohearhowtheircousinWiglafwasinjuredbyawildbearinordertoknowthattheyshouldavoidbearsthemselves. Therefore,whenthey caught sight of a dark,furryshadowinthewoods,theywouldrememberthestoryofgoodoldcousinWiglaf,andrun.Theinformation:bearsaredangerous.
Tomakethisusefulforus,let’sreversethisprocess.Information:Whencaesiumreactswithwatertoformcaesiumhydroxide(CsOH)andhydrogrengas(H2)thereactionisexothermic.
WhenFreddecidedtosneakintothechemistrylabanddropcaesiumintothetankofwater,thereactionwassoviolenthesingedoffhiseyebrows.
Alternatively,watchingvideosthatpresent this kind of information can do the same trick. This one hereshowswhathappenswhenyoumixespeciallyreactivealkalimetalswithwater…
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2. Turn information into a narrativeHumansthinkintermsofcauseandeffect.That’showwegothroughtheworldeveryday,frombrushingourteeth,tospillingthetoothpasteonourshirt,tomissingthebusbecausewehadtochangeourshirt.
All of this means that we remember things more easily when we can track the pattern of cause and effect. So,whenlearningalistoffacts,inventanarrativearoundthemsothatyouremembereverythingmoreeasily.ThistechniqueisgreatforsubjectslikeHistoryorEconomics,butyoucandefinitelyuseitforothersubjectsaswell.
Forexample,youneedtomemorisealistofSpanishvocab:
Laducha=shower Taconesaltos=highheels Elalce=moose
Insteadofrememberingtheindividualwords,putthemtogether:
Elalcellevabataconesaltosenladucha.The moose wore high heels in the shower.
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3. Visualise the SpecificsThehumanbrainthinksintermsofspecificimages, andnotabstractterms.Stories workbyhelpingusvisualiseandimagineaspecificsituation and so generate an image.That’swhytheexampleabove in which we can imagine Napoleonsteppingoutontothebattlefieldat the Battle of Waterloo is more effectivethanwhenwethinkaboutitas a list of facts only.
Thekeywordhereis‘specific’,becausethebrainhooksontoconcretedetailsmuch faster than it does with generalisations. Taking the time to visualise what specific facts would actually look like is a great way to help make that information stick.
ForHistory,thinkingabouthoweventsandpoliciesspecificallyimpactedindividualswillmakethefactsalotmorememorable.Forexample,whenMussoliniwasinpowerhispartyintroducedtheONPtoprovidetheItalianpeoplewithimprovedleisureactivities.Butadetailyoucouldusetobothenhancethisfactandhelpitstickisthefactthatby1939theONPsponsoredover3,000brassbands!
RecapThethingis,evenmathsandsciencefactscanbememorisedinthisway.Einsteinhimself,whencomingupwithE = mc2 in his theory of relativity,startedoffbyimaginingwhatitwouldbeliketorideonabeamoflight.Hesaid:
“Myparticularabilitydoesnotlieinmathematicalcalculation,butratherinvisualisingeffects”
I’mnotsayingthatwecanallbelikeEinstein.Butifheusedhisimaginationtovisualisethefactsandinformationhewasworkingwith,thisisapieceofadvicewecanallfollow!
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