Secrets of top students revealed.pdf

A short guide on how to score more

SECRETS OF TOP STUDENTS

REVEALED

Table of Contents

5. Becoming Students of the Future- The New-Age Learner

4. Tackling Exams

3. Benefits of Online Learning

1. Learning Decoded

What learning is not!

Learning Information Is Not Gaining Knowledge

Learning Is Not PerformanceLearning Is Not Doing Homework

Learning Is Not Memory

Use of Learning Strategies

Checklist of Learning Strategies

Understanding Your Learning Style

Effective Revision

2. Learning ‘How’ to Learn

Importance of Practice

Dealing with Exam Anxiety

Active Revision

Key Revision Strategies

Exam Taking Skills

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Learning Decoded1Learning is at

its best when

it happens on

its own.

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This ebook is about learning to learn. Strange as it may sound, herein lies

the key to becoming a brilliant student. Let’s begin with the concept of

‘learning’.

As a student it is important that you create an environment in which ‘real’

learning emerges on its own. You cannot insist on learning. Yes you heard

it right and you might want to tell this to your parents too :)

In the following section we will debunk some popular notions about

learning.






Learning is not any of these!

Learning Information Is Not Gaining Knowledge

So you know the atomic weights of all the elements, can describe the

water cycle and its stages or you can (if in a senior class) reproduce the

structure of Benzene on paper.

Now, these facts will stay with you for a period of time (say, till the test),

and then when you no longer need them, they will get pushed out of

your memory. Let’s face it, information is not knowledge. In order to

qualify as knowledge, information has to be accumulated into a pattern

that is useful somehow in your life. Knowing how to eat healthy to stay

fit and using effective strategies to cope with exam anxiety are some

examples of knowledge gained from information.






It is important to understand this distinction. Learning and performance

are two different phenomena. They are related but not the same.

Do you remember that during exams, you could not

recall the answers in spite of having prepared well?

That was not a failure of learning but a failure of

coping with exam stress.

So, an overemphasis on marks, when we set out to

learn is, actually detrimental to real learning. Marks

will follow. Let’s focus on learning first.

Learning Is Not Performance

Learning &

performance

are two

different

phenomena






Simply finishing off homework does not ensure that you’ve learnt. Bet you

can recall those occasions when in spite of finishing homework on a topic,

you drew a blank in a surprise class test the next day!

A lot also depends on the quality of homework - is the HW simply a

practice of skills, or does it also involve learning new skills.

Agreed there is very little that you can do

to influence the quality of HW you get, but

the least you can do is stop fooling

yourself (and others) into believing that

you have studied, when all you did was

finish your homework!

Learning Is Not Doing Homework

Simply finishing

homework does not

ensure that you’ve

learnt






Memory plays an important role in learning, but surely learning is not

equal to memorising.

Let’s understand this further. Suppose, you have ‘crammed’ the fact that the

earth takes 365 days to complete one revolution around the sun. However,

if this information is not ‘connected’ to any other

information and sits by itself completely unrelated

in your brain, then this fact cannot help create

meaningful patterns of knowledge.

If, on the other hand you are able to understand

how earth’s revolution causes changes in seasons and why different

countries located on different sides of the globe experience the seasons at

different times, then your knowledge is complete.

Learning Is Not Memory

Learning is

not equal to

memory






Can We Actually

Learn

HOW to Learn?2






In order to be an effective learner, it is important that you take

responsibility for your own learning. It is not only important to know ‘What’

to learn, but also ‘How’ to learn.

Learning Strategies are tools that help in the understanding and

remembering new knowledge. Which are some of the learning strategies

that you use most frequently?

The following list will help you identify some of the learning strategies

that are frequently used by you:

Use of Learning Strategies






I draw pictures or diagrams to help me understand a subject.

I make up questions on a subject and try to answer them.

When I am learning something new in a subject, I think back to what I

already know about it.

I discuss what I am doing on a subject with others.

I practise things over and over until I know them well in a subject.

When I don’t understand something in a subject I go back over it again.

I make a note of things that I don’t understand very well in a subject, so

that I can follow them up.

When I have finished an activity in a subject I look back to see how well

I did.

I organize my time to manage my learning in a subject.

I make plans for how to do the activities in a subject.

I review my concepts to check if I understand the ideas in a subject.

Checklist of Learning Strategies






Studies reveal that students who used only a few of these strategies

reported more difficulty coping with schoolwork.

So, start using learning strategies that work for you. Let’s make a plan,

beginning today!

Ask Yourself These Questions & Learn Better

What is the topic of today’s lesson ?

What will be the important ideas in today’s lesson ?

What do you already know about this topic ?

What can you relate this to ?

What will you do to remember the key ideas ?

Is there anything about this topic you don’t understand, or are not

clear about ?

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People learn in different ways. While we do use all our senses to collect

information, some of us tend to use one sense more than others while

learning. Knowing one’s preference for the mode of learning can help one

learn faster and more effectively.

Learning style refers to the characteristic way in which an individual

acquires, perceives and processes information.

Students are often seen to have more than one preference with regard to

their learning styles and more often than not, students are known to use a

combination of two learning styles. Once you know how you learn best,

you can adjust the way you study to make the most of the study hours.

There are several ways of classifying Learning Styles. One popular method

classifies learners thus - Active Vs Reflective Learners, Visual Vs Verbal

Learners and Sequential Vs Global Learners, Sensing and Intuitive

Learners, each with their respective learning styles.

Understanding Your Learning Style






Active

Reflective

Visual

Verbal

Sequential

Global

Sensing

Intuitive

There are several ways of classifying

Learning Styles. Some of them are :






They tend to retain and understand

information best by doing

something active with it

Active Learners






Study in groups where you can take turns to explain topics to one

another.

Recall the experiments or field trips related to the topic.

Go back to the laboratory for hands-on work .

Solve previous exam papers.

Practise your answers.

Use plenty of examples, case studies and real-life applications in your

notes.

Study Tips for Active Learners






These learners prefer to think

about the problem quietly first and

prefer working alone

Reflective Learners






Think about what you read and ask possible questions.

Avoid simply reading or memorising the material, you will soon

lose interest.

Try to think of the real-life applications of what you read.

Try writing short summaries of the topic or lesson in your own

words to help you remember what you learn more effectively.

Study Tips for Reflective Learners






These learners remember best

what they see

Visual Learners






Use plenty of diagrams, sketches, flow-charts or other visual

representation of the study material.

Prepare a concept map by listing key points, enclosing them in boxes or

circles and drawing lines with arrows between concepts to show

connections.

Colour-code your notes with a highlighter so that everything relating to

one topic is in the same color.

Make sure that you have a clear view of your teacher when they are

speaking, so that you can view their body language & expression.

Study with the help of videos and slides wherever possible.

Study Tips for Visual Learners






Such learners get more out of

written words

Verbal Learners






Write summaries or outlines of topics in your own words.

Organize any diagrams, graphs etc into statements.

Take detailed notes during important classes.

Turn reactions, actions, diagrams, charts etc. into words.

Participate in class discussions and debates

Practice with multiple-choice questions (MCQs).

Working in groups can be very effective – you can ‘hear’ classmates

explain concepts and learn even more as you ‘explain’ things to them.

Study Tips for Verbal Learners






Such learners understand better

when each step logically follows

from the previous one

Sequential Learners






When your teacher ‘jumps’ from one topic to another or skips some steps

in between, you will need to ‘fill in the gaps’ to follow and understand.

Chapter-wise revision notes and summaries (synopses) can be very

handy for learners such as you.

Strengthen your global thinking skills by relating each new topic to

things you already know.

Get ample practice on application-based questions for effective

learning.

Study Tips for Sequential Learners






These learners learn better when

they have the ‘big picture’ first

Global Learners






When your teacher plunges straight into a topic without giving you the

much needed overview or ‘big picture’, you can skim through the entire

chapter quickly to get an overview or read the topic heads and sub-

heads to form connections.

Spend time on one subject rather than trying to study too many

subjects on a single day.

Try to relate the subject/topic to things you already know to see how it

connects to other topics and disciplines.

Study Tips for Global Learners






These learners enjoy learning facts

Sensing Learners






When the subject you are studying is abstract, ask for specific examples

and procedures and find out how the concepts apply in practice. This

will help you learn better.

Try to focus more on ‘understanding’ the material rather than

memorising the facts.

Develop innovative thinking. Begin by approaching every

situation/question in a new way to come up with different solutions.

Study Tips for Sensing Learners






Such learners prefer discovering

possibilities and relationships

Intuitive Learners






When the subject you are studying requires memorisation and rote

substitution in formulae, try looking for theories that link the facts or

try to find the connections yourself.

During exams, take time to read the entire question before you start

answering to avoid careless mistakes. If you have time, go through your

answers carefully.

Study Tips for Intuitive Learners






Benefits of

Online Learning3






Learning via

Textbooks aloneTutor-driven learning

You can pick up the book

anytime and resume where

you left off. Except when the

lights are off ;)

Ever seen a book with a game

in it?

You really won’t be carrying

your 5 kg backpack full of

books everywhere

Tuitions are usually time bound

and fixed. Don’t want to study

now? Sorry! No choice.

Nope

You will have to wait for your

next scheduled tuition class

to clear your doubt!

No scope for personalisation One tutor for many many

students. No personalization.Personalised learning

Study anytime

Gamified (fun) learning

You can read a textbook as

slowly as you want

Pace of learning is defined by

the teacher. Remember how

you felt when the teacher

was too fast?

Learn at your own speed

Study anywhere

Passive reading of textbook

makes it difficult for the learner

to engage with the material

Unless a tutor is extremely

innovative, active learning

remains a distant dream

Active / Engaged learning

Everyone gets the same quality

book

Are there better tutors for

Maths in locality ‘A’ as compared

to ‘B’? What about days when

your tutor is in a bad mood?

Uniformity & consistency

Get Personal attention.

Always!

Be your own Boss

Make learning Fun

Online Learning

- Meritnation.com

With online learning you are

always connected. Study whenever

you want, even the midnight

before exams!

Online learning is just like a game.

Points, avatars, badges & more

help you stay motivated & jump

on to the next topic.

Just whip out your phone or laptop

& you are ready to start studying

One-on-one learning. Completely

personalised

You control how fast you learn.

Didn’t understand that concept?

Watch the video as many times

as you want!

Self-directed, interactive learning

keeps the student actively engaged

& motivated

Content made by the best minds in

education, passed after several

rounds of testing & backed with

regular updation to keep up with

changes in syllabus/trends

Benefits of Online Learning

Learning is limited to the

visual modeMulti-sensory learning Rich animations and multimedia

content in an interactive gamified

format combine the best of

audio-visual learning

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Largely limited to lecture mode,

though a small number of

enterprising tutors are trying

to incorporate multimedia

elements into their teaching

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A textbook does not lend itself

easily to collaborative learning

or learning with peers

Affordable but limited

No scope to know how you fare

vis-a-vis others your age

No scope for collaborative

learning

The cost of tuitions is going

through the roof!

You can compare your

performance at best with

only other batchmates in

the tuition centre

Assessments limited to textbook

questions. No Reports

Assessments in the form of

weekly tests, are not

accompanied with detailed

performance reports

Sophisticated assessments

& feedback reports

Collaborative learning

Affordability

Comparative

benchmarking

with peers

Only time involved is that

spent studying

A lot of precious time is spent

traveling to and from tuitionsTime saving

Identify Your Weak Spots

Learn with Friends

Save time & money

Online Q&A forums like Ask &

Answer help you learn by linking

up with the smartest students

all over the world

An extremely cost-effective option

at 1/10 th the cost of tuitions

Features like Live Test Series in

Maths & Science help you compare

your performance with the best

minds all over the world

One-on-one learning. Completely

personalised

Time-saving: everything that you

need, is available at the click of a

mouse without having to step out!

Blended Learning Boosts Achievement

A recent study conducted by the U.S.

Department of Education found that

students involved in blended learning

programmes generally performed

better than students who participated

in face-to-face instruction.

Face-to-Face

Learning

Self-Paced

Learning

Online

Collaborative

Learning






In addition to the obvious benefits of flexibility, convenience and cost

effectiveness, online learning offers certain unique advantages that can

give students the much needed competitive edge.

1. Weak area identification using sophisticated technology:

As a result you focus only on those topics/concepts that you

are weak in for maximum advantage. A very effective study

strategy that is difficult to implement without the aid of

technology.

2. Social Learning:

Peer review and collaboration through social media features,

that help you connect with and learn from the smartest

students in India.

And hey! There is an interesting advantage to the component

of social learning.

The Unique Advantages of Online Learning






Studies reveal that when interacting online,

students learn that it is important to

emphasize positives, celebrate success, be

constructive and also learn how to take

criticism. Thus, online learning is a good

forum to learn conscientiousness, teamwork

and resilience.

Online Learning & Social Skills?






Research has proved that games are effective learning tools. People learn

more from a game than from other modes of learning.

Gamified Learning:

Why Should You Try Game-based Learning?






There are 3 very essential conditions required for learning. The elements

in a game meet these conditions easily. Here’s how:

1. Motivation to Start and Remain Engaged

Game goals, challenges, conflict cooperation, reward

structures (feedback, points, achievements such as badges)

easily fulfil this requirement.

2. Relevant Practice That Prods for recall

Reward structures that unfold in the context of game levels

(or avatars as in Meritnation.com) seamlessly ensure that a

student continues to play and learn.

3. Specific and Timely Feedback

Timely feedback on performance that guides and corrects. Reward

structures and game feedback loops take care of this aspect.

There are 3 very essential conditions required for learning. The elements

in a game meet these conditions easily. Here’s how:






EXAMS!

How to Give Your

Best Shot?4






In order to make your revisions more than simply cramming all of what

you have studied into an already overcrowded brain, here’s what you need

to do:

Key Revision Strategies

Ask Questions: Try asking questions - Why is this so? How do these

areas relate to each other for quicker revision?

Revise Everyday: Don’t leave your revision until 2-3 weeks before the

exam. Revision should be a continuous process. Log on to websites like

Meritnation.com everyday to revise all that you studied in school. Doing

so

will leave you less stressed.

Make a Revision Time Table: Look at your syllabus and prepare a list

of topics you need to revise before exams. Start off with a smaller

number of hours and increase these week by week.

Active Revision






Break up the Day: Intersperse ‘interesting’ subjects with those that you

find relatively boring to help maintain your concentration levels.

Organise Your Notes: Condense your notes into brief summaries of the main points of the topic. Meritnation’s Revision Notes and Synopsis come in real handy here.

Practice: Answering questions from past exam papers. Sample papers and previous years’ board papers on Meritnation are very popular with students.

Simulate Exam Conditions: Attempt answers under timed conditions. Full length test papers like the ones readily available on Meritnation make this easy. And that’s not all! You can even ‘check’ your answers against the ‘model’ answers provided.






Take Short Breaks: For every hour you study, take 5-10 minutes off. Don’t work longer than 3 hours at a time. Do something completely different.

Group Study: Work with other students in group revision sessions. Discuss topics and share information within the group. Peer collaboration and various other social learning opportunities provided by Meritnation.com have served as fertile learning grounds.

Follow a Healthy Routine: During revision time, try to maintain a normal routine. Eat well and get adequate rest.






Practicing skills over time causes 'neural pathways' in the brain to work

better.

To improve your performance:

You need to practice frequently.

Get lots of feedback so you practice correctly.

Keep a track of your errors – learning from your mistakes can help you

immensely.

Importance of Practice

You Can Learn From Your Errors Too!

Understand the Error- Look for something about the error that you

can remember to help you avoid making it again.

Commonly referred to as ‘careless mistakes’.Rushed Errors-

Continually making errors of a particular type probably Repeated Errors-

indicates that you may not have a good grasp over the concept at hand.

If you can find the error and/or don't understandCan’t find the Error? -

why it was an error, it’s time to get help with the concept.






It is quite normal to feel some anxiety before exams and feel those

butterflies in your stomach as exams approach. In fact, findings suggest

that for some students a little bit of pressure spurs them on and

enables them to get down and do some serious work! It is when the

stress levels go beyond a point that the alarm bells should start

ringing! Here’s a simple 3-step process to help you effectively manage

exam-triggered anxiety:

Step 1: Recognize The uncomfortable physical and emotional

experiences in the body as symptoms of anxiety. Here’s a quick check

list.

Tick (�) on the checkbox if you experience any of the emotional &

physical symptoms before or during exams:

Racing heartbeat

Sweaty palms

Stiffness at the back of the neck

Nausea or diarrhoea

Light-headedness or fainting

Feeling of “going blank”

Frustration

Experiencing distracting thoughts of failure and of poor performance

Feeling overwhelmed

Dealing with Exam Anxiety






If you have answered a ‘Yes’ or � in three or more fields, then it is

possible that the anxiety you experience before or during your exams,

prevents you from doing your best.

Step 2: Classify your worries as those that lie within your circle of

influence and those that are outside your circle of influence and over

which, therefore, you have no direct control.

Here is an example of a ‘Worry Diary entry’ to help you classify your

worries so that you can deal with them more effectively. Go ahead and

prepare your own worry diary. You will soon realise that while some

worries are ‘real’, some are at best hypothetical.






Step 3: Practice calm breathing and try to improve your problem-

solving ability. Rather than worrying about a problem, try to look out for

solutions to tackle it. In other words, try to actively think through what

you plan to do about the situation.

Prepare your own “Anxiety Buster Plan”. Following is an example of an

Anxiety Buster Plan.

Upcoming Chemistry

exam.

Any other

I still have 5 more chapters

to finish. I will not be able to

pass this exam.

I will focus only on Chemistry

today & tomorrow. Will also

attempt a test on Meritnation

and go through the Revision

Notes, so that I feel confident

before the exam.

SituationYour ‘Worry’

Thoughts/Script

What Are You Going

To Do about It?

Reasons for WorryUnder Direct

Control

Beyond

Control

Incomplete science project

for assessment

Probability of a difficult

Maths exam

Classify Your Worries in This Manner

�

�










A lot will depend on how you attempt the question paper on the day of

the exam. Here are some pointers that you can keep in mind:

Exam-Taking Skills

Listen to the instructions given.

Read the instructions on the paper.

Read the paper carefully.

Decide which questions you are going to answer and in what order. You

might feel better starting with the question you feel most confident

about.

Don’t write everything you know about a topic. Be selective from the

information you know.

Analyse the question. Underline or highlight key words and phrases. Ask

yourself what the question is asking.

Plan and structure your answer. Does it have an introduction and a

conclusion ? Does it answer the question ?

Look carefully at the allocation of marks for each section. This will help

you apportion your time correctly.

Answer the required number of questions. Keep a watch on time.

Remember, you don’t get marks for questions you have not attempted.

Allow five minutes at the end of each question to read through your

work.










Becoming Students

of the Future:

The New-Age Learner5






The depiction below highlights the skills current students need in order

to meet the ever changing needs of the global market.

Beyond the 3R’s - the new skills the world is looking for

In this digital age, where the use of smartphones and tablets is steadily

increasing among students, the way we approach learning too has to

undergo a 360 degree change. The new approach for this digital age

should well be Find, Filter & Apply. Soon, you as students will no longer

need to know everything. All you will need to know is just how to find it,

how to filter to get the most relevant information, and to apply it.

CBSE’s open text-based assessment (OTBA) can be seen as a positive

step in the direction of encouraging students to apply their knowledge

to the problem at hand.






We at Meritnation are committed to continue in our efforts to add value

to the lives of our students in order to help them become global

students of the future.

We hope you enjoyed reading this ebook. Do send in your suggestions/

feedback on possible topics for more such downloadable ebooks.

Drop in a mail at or call 011-40705070

We wish you the very best for all your endeavours.

Happy Studying!

Team Meritnation

.

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]






Meritnation is India's largest online education platform and is

trusted by over 70 lakh students. We have the world's most advanced

Study Material with 7000+ Animated Videos, an unlimited question

bank and comprehensive Sample Papers.

We offer a gamified learning experience and adaptive computer-

assisted analytics that help you learn at your own pace. This ensures

a strong foundation and a complete mastery of all topics.

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