how to study ? (1 Viewer)

[weekend]

hey guys
i'm year 11 going into year 12 very soon and I know this may sound really dumb and you may question what on earth have you been doing this whole time instead of figuring this out? but i have a few questions regarding note taking and study in general

i received some really good notes from my seniors who are doing the hsc soon, but the thing is that i have no idea how i should be using them to study and also how to take my own notes? this sounds like a really dumb question but i genuinely don't know what the right way to study is for content-heavy subjects like biology and pdhpe, whether i should be doing practice questions, hand-writing my own notes into loose leaf paper and storing them in a binder or if that is not efficient at all and if they should be more exam-focused notes that are more concise and brief? bc for subjects like maths and chem i know that i should be doing practice questions, but I have no clue how to efficiently study for the more content-based subjects and be able to remember all that stuff for the exam.

also for studying the content ahead of class, it would mean that I will have to go over that same content again during class when I have already covered it in my own time, so should i just be ignoring the stuff i learn in class? like i know there are important parts that the teacher will highlight but should i just be carrying on with my own study (ahead of class) and just go back to my notes and highlight the parts that the teacher emphasises in class? so basically what i want to ask about is how to study ahead but also make it relevant to the content that i am learning at school and make use of the class time?

 

[jimmysmith560]

Preparation for exams in content-heavy subjects is of course important. However, successfully doing so entails the need for a high-quality set of notes as this forms the basis for your preparations. This means that knowledge of the content in the respective subjects is essential, and complementing your knowledge and ability to manipulate the content is possible through the use of good quality material. I don't think handwritten notes for content-heavy subjects are efficient as it usually takes more time to develop good quality handwritten notes, which you can instead use for additional study using electronic notes, allowing for effective and more time-efficient preparations overall. Once you feel you have gained a thorough understanding of the content, you should move on to attempting relevant practice questions (which may be sourced from textbooks, past exam papers or others). Completing relevant questions (particularly from past exam papers) allows you to apply your knowledge of the content to a range of different questions, including those from past papers (which prepare you for exams more directly). An important aspect of practice questions is the need to constantly identify and address any areas of improvement as you go (if applicable), resulting in effective learning and preparation.

In terms of studying content ahead of class, this may be a good idea, especially if you are a highly capable student, and can result in a boost to your study strategy and performance. You should definitely not ignore the content covered in class even if you have covered it beforehand yourself. The most basic reason for this is that content covered in class that you have already covered on your own constitutes an effective way of revising, particularly specific concepts that are deemed highly important in addition to rather difficult concepts. In addition, you may possibly find that you don't understand a particular concept to the extent that you thought you do, thanks to an in-class lesson, which indicates that focusing on content taught in class despite having covered it in advance is beneficial because you will then be able to ask your teacher for explanation/clarification to ensure you fully understand said concept. Of course, the fact that you aim to study ahead means you may not be aware of specific requirements relevant to a particular topic/concept within a particular subject, which is something that would normally be guided by your teacher. Based on this, you should not ignore your classes as they will allow you to become aware of important areas highlighted by your teacher as you mentioned, and this can subsequently enable you to adjust your study strategy accordingly and eventually be on your way to achieving favourable results.

I hope this helps!

 

[weekend]

Preparation for exams in content-heavy subjects is of course important. However, successfully doing so entails the need for a high-quality set of notes as this forms the basis for your preparations. This means that knowledge of the content in the respective subjects is essential, and complementing your knowledge and ability to manipulate the content is possible through the use of good quality material. I don't think handwritten notes for content-heavy subjects are efficient as it usually takes more time to develop good quality handwritten notes, which you can instead use for additional study using electronic notes, allowing for effective and more time-efficient preparations overall. Once you feel you have gained a thorough understanding of the content, you should move on to attempting relevant practice questions (which may be sourced from textbooks, past exam papers or others). Completing relevant questions (particularly from past exam papers) allows you to apply your knowledge of the content to a range of different questions, including those from past papers (which prepare you for exams more directly). An important aspect of practice questions is the need to constantly identify and address any areas of improvement as you go (if applicable), resulting in effective learning and preparation.

In terms of studying content ahead of class, this may be a good idea, especially if you are a highly capable student, and can result in a boost to your study strategy and performance. You should definitely not ignore the content covered in class even if you have covered it beforehand yourself. The most basic reason for this is that content covered in class that you have already covered on your own constitutes an effective way of revising, particularly specific concepts that are deemed highly important in addition to rather difficult concepts. In addition, you may possibly find that you don't understand a particular concept to the extent that you thought you do, thanks to an in-class lesson, which indicates that focusing on content taught in class despite having covered it in advance is beneficial because you will then be able to ask your teacher for explanation/clarification to ensure you fully understand said concept. Of course, the fact that you aim to study ahead means you may not be aware of specific requirements relevant to a particular topic/concept within a particular subject, which is something that would normally be guided by your teacher. Based on this, you should not ignore your classes as they will allow you to become aware of important areas highlighted by your teacher as you mentioned, and this can subsequently enable you to adjust your study strategy accordingly and eventually be on your way to achieving favourable results.

I hope this helps!

thank you so much jimmy!! really appreciate it

 

[Valvesound]

Preparation for exams in content-heavy subjects is of course important. However, successfully doing so entails the need for a high-quality set of notes as this forms the basis for your preparations. This means that knowledge of the content in the respective subjects is essential, and complementing your knowledge and ability to manipulate the content is possible through the use of good quality material. I don't think handwritten notes for content-heavy subjects are efficient as it usually takes more time to develop good quality handwritten notes, which you can instead use for additional study using electronic notes, allowing for effective and more time-efficient preparations overall. Once you feel you have gained a thorough understanding of the content, you should move on to attempting relevant practice questions (which may be sourced from textbooks, past exam papers or others). Completing relevant questions (particularly from past exam papers) allows you to apply your knowledge of the content to a range of different questions, including those from past papers (which prepare you for exams more directly). An important aspect of practice questions is the need to constantly identify and address any areas of improvement as you go (if applicable), resulting in effective learning and preparation.

In terms of studying content ahead of class, this may be a good idea, especially if you are a highly capable student, and can result in a boost to your study strategy and performance. You should definitely not ignore the content covered in class even if you have covered it beforehand yourself. The most basic reason for this is that content covered in class that you have already covered on your own constitutes an effective way of revising, particularly specific concepts that are deemed highly important in addition to rather difficult concepts. In addition, you may possibly find that you don't understand a particular concept to the extent that you thought you do, thanks to an in-class lesson, which indicates that focusing on content taught in class despite having covered it in advance is beneficial because you will then be able to ask your teacher for explanation/clarification to ensure you fully understand said concept. Of course, the fact that you aim to study ahead means you may not be aware of specific requirements relevant to a particular topic/concept within a particular subject, which is something that would normally be guided by your teacher. Based on this, you should not ignore your classes as they will allow you to become aware of important areas highlighted by your teacher as you mentioned, and this can subsequently enable you to adjust your study strategy accordingly and eventually be on your way to achieving favourable results.

I hope this helps!

How would you study for the essay sections of humanities subjects like Modern His or Economics in the HSC?

 

[jimmysmith560]

thank you so much jimmy!! really appreciate it

No worries! All the best!

How would you study for the essay sections of humanities subjects like Modern His or Economics in the HSC?

Studying for essay sections of subjects such as Modern History and Economics would follow a very similar sequence. This means that thorough knowledge of the content remains a priority, and should be ensured before attempting relevant practice questions. Whilst I'm not entirely sure about Modern History, memorising essays for Economics is not recommended (although I would believe this to also be the case of Modern History). Instead, gaining a thorough understanding of the content, then attempting multiple practice questions that will allow you to highlight and work on potential areas of improvement (seeking feedback from your teacher may help with this), in addition to the inclusion of additional material (such as relevant statistics in the case of Economics) where appropriate, will all allow for effective preparation, leading to more favourable results than you would achieve by memorising essays.