The Arts of the "A" Pt. 2: Studying
If you read my last article in this series, we learned that to be a strong student, you need to participate in class, ask questions, and take good notes. But, of course, these are not the only factors that influence one's grades. How (and what) you study is the biggest factor in determining your success in a class, because studying determines your mark in tests, which in turn determines the majority of your grade. Therefore, throughout this article I will discuss the best methods to study each core subject.
Math, Physics, and Chemistry
As I mentioned in Pt. 1 of this series, Math, Physics, and Chemistry are mainly equations and practice worksheets. They can be easy to understand in theory, but the importance is learning how to apply them in high-intensity situations, such as any assessment. The only way to actively understand how to do this is to consistently practice. Complete as many worksheets and practice questions as possible (see resources here and here). The more problems you encounter, the more situations you have already seen, and the less likely it is that you find an unfamiliar concept on an exam or diploma. Chemistry also has an aspect of memorization, where one just has to memorize certain factoids. Please see the below section, where I explicitly discuss memorization.
Biology & Chemistry
All of Biology and some of Chemistry is memorization. They are just a series of facts and processes that you need to know off of the top of your head. So, how does one effectively memorize concepts in a time efficient manner? The best way to do this is by using a technique called active recall, where, rather than re-reading or re-writing your notes (which are considered passive techniques - techniques where you try and cram information into your mind), you actively try to remember information (which is considered an active technique - where you try to retrieve information). For me, the best way to implement active recall is by teaching others the topic that I am learning. If you actually have someone in your life who needs tutoring, then teaching the topic to them is a great way to practice recalling concepts and explaining them in your own words. But, you can also pretend to be explaining concepts to people. Imagine that you are talking to a class of highschool students, or explaining the concept to a five year old. Talk out loud; imagine those people are there in front of you and explain as much as you can remember! Then, when you are done explaining you can look through your notes and see what you missed or what you explained incorrectly. Through this, you are practicing actively recalling information, much like the way one needs to do in an assessment.
Social Studies & English
Social Studies and English are very similar topics, as both require an analytical mindset. This kind of mindset is difficult to acquire through studying. Instead, I would recommend that you use the essays (critical and personal essays for English, and position papers and source based analysis’ for Social Studies) as practice for that mindset. Those essays allow opportunities to think critically and objectively in a way that studying the material covered in class doesn’t, although this is still crucial. For English, studying the material might mean re-reading a chapter of a book, and thinking about how certain factors impact the theme of the story. For Social Studies, I would recommend making timelines. As much as it may feel like a drag, writing a timeline is one of the smartest ways to ensure you understand the material in Social Studies, particularly since events are not taught in chronological order (unfortunately).
And there you have it! These are my tips and suggestions on how to study for each core class. Of course, how you study will depend on who you are as a person and what material is being covered in class, but these are as general tips as I could muster. Just remember what Albert Einstein once said: “intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
