Quality not quantity

Principal of Yeats College Waterford John Heffernan shares some words of advice to students heading towards the Junior Cert exams

Students often complain that despite spending hours studying they find it very difficult to retain and recall information. It is important to realise that it is not so much the amount of time you spend studying that matters, it’s the quality of the work you do.

Over the years I have watched students sit at their desks totally focused on a school text for a long period. It seems as if they feel the information will in some way leap from the page into their brain. That form of passive study just doesn’t work.

You will gain far more by being an active learner. This means, firstly, deciding what precisely you want to have learned by the end of the study session. Saying you are going to study French and randomly opening a page is pointless. Focus instead on something definite such as the present, past, and future tenses of an irregular French verb. By having a specific and limited goal you will be easily able to measure if you have achieved that goal.

I would take the present tense, learn it, close the book and see if I can recite it and write it out. Check your answer, correct any mistakes and test yourself again. Repeat the process with the other two tenses. Your parents will tell you that when they were in primary school and learning multiplication tables for homework they would ask their parents to examine them. Even then, assessment or checking your progress at the end of a study session was seen as key.

MAKING NOTES

Let’s say that you want to study a topic in Geography such as Rock Formations from your textbook. You will obviously read it but as you do so make notes of the important points in bullet point form. In doing this you are actively studying and shortening down the material into manageable chunks. Taking notes is the best way to learn and retain information because you are learning by doing. You can then close your notebook and test how well you know what you have learned. After checking for any mistakes or omissions you can test yourself again and ensure you have reached the goal you set yourself.

Over the weeks you will build up your own set of notes that will form the basis for revision as the exam approaches. It will be so much easier to review these notes than go back and read large chunks of essay-style material from a textbook.

If you don’t like the bullet point system, there are alternatives such as the Spider Diagram, Mind Maps, Flash Cards or indeed the old-fashioned essay-style summary. The different methods of active studying will suit different learning styles. You will discover which style suits you best. Always remember that you cannot learn every single line – you must have a system that condenses long paragraphs and gives you a manageable set of notes for revision.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Another important aspect of good study habits is efficient time management. Very few of us can study continuously for an hour without losing concentration. I suggest you consider working for 30 minutes at a time. Adopt the active study method outlined above for 20 minutes or so and then take ten minutes for self-checking and review.

Think about your day in school. After each class you walk around the school to another room. This provides a natural and necessary break. Why should it be different at home? After each 30-minute session you should take a break – have a cup of tea, talk to your parents or play with the dog. I’m sure you also know how disorganised school would be without a timetable. You should have your own timetable for working at home, making time for both homework and study/revision.

In Yeats College we provide students with classes in study skills and exam techniques. On average, students can avail of up to 26 hours of supervised study each week. It is so much easier to work when everyone around you is motivated and there is no doubt that in Yeats College it is cool to study.

I hope that all of you, the Junior Cert class of 2019, will find in these two special supplements valuable hints, notes and sample answers to help you in your preparation for the June exams. I wish all of you the very best in the coming months and success in the Junior Cert.

Taking notes is the best way to learn and retain information because you are learning by doing. You can then close your notebook and test how well you know what you have learned