Study Skills
The Junior College education is a short and intensive course in preparation for the university. As such, you have a lot of materials to cover in a short duration and once you fall behind, you will find it difficult to catch up. It is therefore important that you establish good learning habitsfrom the beginning and be quick to notice if you are falling behind so that something can be done to improve the situation.
What are some signs that you are not coping in your studies?
-
Feeling tired and sleepy all the time
-
Sleeping during lectures and tutorials
-
Frequently late for school and lessons
-
Producing poor quality work
-
Copying homework
-
Skipping lessons to study for tests
-
Underperforming in tests and exams
What can be done in lectures and tutorials to avoid getting into the above situations?
As there are many tasks to be completed in the course of 2 years, it is thus critical that you manage your time and plan your tasks properly
What are the benefits for having a good plan?
-
Eliminate confusion in content
-
Feel in control of studies and thus less prone to being clueless or flustered leading to being demoralized
-
Work does not get accumulated, leading to proper rest and thus mental and physical health
-
Allows time for leisure to de-stress and refresh the mind while achieving the target set
What are the demerits for not having a good plan?
-
Staying up late to complete work, feeling tired and unable to focus the next day
-
Believes in cramming up till just before the paper begins, adding unnecessary pressure
-
Very demotivated because of seemingly endless pile of work or revision that needs to be done
-
Seems unable to catch up or lags behind others because of a “mental block” due to the above
What constitutes a good study plan?
It will be helpful to have a good weekly schedule to establish a routine that reflects time to study, play and rest.
A typical weekly schedule should reflect:
Therefore total time (exclude Project Work) per week spent on studying should range from 17 to 20 hours.
On top of the above, ensure that you have a healthy diet and sufficient sleep.
It is also important to be familiar with the exam syllabus and the exam format.