We all deal with daily problems, and because of that our attention competes with several things making the power of concentration more and more difficult. We know that the secret to passing a test or assessment, wherever it may be, competitions, schools or universities, is to study. The key to efficient study is not studying several hours a day, but studying efficiently.
To make your studies more efficient try to adopt the following habits:
Most people see studying as a task and not as an opportunity to learn. So far so good, but researchers have found that the ‘how’ you approach your studies is critical to achieving the success you aim for.
You can’t force yourself to be in the perfect state of mind to study, at these times it’s best to avoid studying. If you’re distracted by a problem at work, your relationship, or whatever, studying will only make you more frustrated. Study when you are not focused or obsessed with something else in your life.
Several people make the mistake of studying where it is impossible to concentrate. A place full of distractions won’t help. If you go to study in your room for example, you will have a computer, a TV, family, friends more interesting than the reading material you separated.
The library, a study room or even a quiet Coffee House can be a good place to study, get creative! Find the quietest place possible. Look for several places, external or internal until you find what you like the most. He thought? Great now whenever you need to study go to this place.
Unfortunately, when you find an ideal place to study, sometimes people take what they don’t need. For example, although the computer is good for taking notes, watching video lessons, really useful things for studying, it also has games, social networks, chats, emails, that is, distractions! So, ask yourself if today you really need to take your computer, iPad, notebook to study. Sometimes a notebook and pen can be underestimated, don’t make that mistake!
Don’t forget the things you need to study, books, articles, exercise list. You will waste a lot of time if you have to go back every time to get something you forgot. If you like studying while listening to music, bring your iPod. Research has found that instrumental music is better, as songs that have a voice and lyrics end up being more distracting.
Most people find that keeping a standard summary helps to focus the most important and basic information in a text. Other people find that making connections with similar concepts helps them remember what they need when taking a test. The most important thing about summaries is that summaries only work as a learning tool when you write them yourself, with your words and structure. Each person has a unique way of writing a text. So, if you use someone else’s resume, be sure to rewrite it in your own words. If you don’t, the chance of failing to remember the important things is great.
Another thing that helps is looking for multiple meanings when studying, so the information is retained more easily. This is why writing summaries or notes works – it translates information into understandable words and terms. Speaking the words out loud as you write them is an important method that will help you later on when you’re taking your test.
Methods for remembering bits of information using common word associations.
The key to this type of method is that the word or phrase you come up with has to be easier to remember than the terms or information you are trying to learn in your studies. Try using words from things you like to do, for example.
These techniques are useful because you exercise your brain more to remember visual things than a list of terms, for example. Exercising your brain more means better memory!
The old adage, practice makes perfect, is true. You can solve questions from previous tests, play a question and answer game with a group of people. The important thing is to train regularly. This method helps to understand the behavior of each bank in relation to the elaboration of the questions.
Review study material with a group of friends who are facing the same challenge as you. A small group of 4-5 people works best when implementing this practice, any more can get messy! The dynamic of the group has to be defined by its members. Reading summaries, solving questions, simulations, all these practices can be applied to the group.
Most people consider studying to be something to do in their spare time. But if you draw up an organized and realistic schedule your studies and results will be much more successful. Instead of last minute studies lasting 12 hours a day, spend 40 minutes to 1 hour studying every day, the important thing here is to create the habit. This will allow you to study a greater volume of disciplines and will help you to better retain the new knowledge acquired.
Most people consider studying a chore or a boring but necessary task. With that mindset it’s natural that we’ll eventually run away from that obligation or at least procrastinate. However, if at the end of each effort scheduled in the schedule you reward yourself with something fun, it could be going to see a movie at the cinema with your girlfriend or even 1 hour of video games, this habit will make you enjoy studying more.
No one can study 4 hours straight and fix everything, so take breaks. Every hour of study, rest 10 minutes, drink some water, eat, do a good stretch and go back to studying. Don’t leave subjects unfinished, but don’t spend 4 hours studying the same thing, remember tip 7 and organize your schedule. Read your summaries but do the exercises too.
Your effort will be of no use if you are sick on the day of your test. Always hydrate, balanced diet, especially the day before the test, this is very important, have you ever thought about having a stomach ache during the contest? Prevention is better than cure, take your vitamins with medical supervision and try to maintain a balanced physical and mental health. Saying it sounds easy, but we fall back into the adage that practice makes perfect. At first it may even seem difficult, but if you practice a good diet, do physical exercises regularly (walking), your studies will indeed become more efficient, you will be more willing and you will have better results.
There was a time when I took exams without studying and I always went to take the tests thinking I was going to do well, “positive thinking”, logically that never worked. It’s no use fooling yourself, there’s no secret to conquering your place in the sun, studying with quality and efficiency is the way to go. It’s no use creating high expectations if you haven’t studied enough and that false feeling only lasts until you open the test book and skim the questions, you’ll know right away if you have a chance or not. So be realistic and study, without effort you will hardly achieve anything. Remember that passing the public tender is a process, you will go through disappointments, almost passing but not being in the vacancies or not even qualifying, don’t worry, this is all part of this process, be persistent and study UNTIL you pass.
