Emergency study tactics
WHEN you have a lousy teacher or you have been skipping classes, here are three emergency study tactics to help get you through examinations.
Find past exam papers
Past papers will help you see what topics come up on a regular basis. Analyse questions, make a list of things you need to learn to score good marks and draw up a study guide for yourself.
If the course, book or teacher has changed, this method may not be accurate. Ask your teacher if you are uncertain whether there has been a change in course focus.
Read the study guide
The study guide lays out the course for you, analysing what you need to take away from every topic.
Good study guides take the main textbook apart and set questions so that you can track your understanding.
Excellent ones also point out alternative and extra resources. If you have this, make the most of it.
Master the main text
If you have a main text written specially for teaching courses, pay attention to the learning objectives in each chapter. If you master these, you will have the book down pat.
If your book is not laid out in this way, you need to read each chapter and highlight the important points.
Develop study notes as you read and condense them. You will have a good chance of knowing what you need to know.
Take tuition lessons
If you have the resources (time, money and access to course graduates) you can also arrange for extra one-on-one tutoring sessions.
However, if you are not dealing with a professional teacher, you need to outline exactly what you need to get up to speed with, and then look for someone who aced that part of the course.