How To Self Study
How To Self Study
This is coming from a girl who spent her fresher and sophomore year studying at home and yes, I got good grades. So, here are some tips that I followed for studying by myself without depending on any teachers.
So, let's get into it!
Gather and organise material
This is important, why? What are you going to study if you have absolutely no idea what your syllabus and study material is? By materials I mean:
Textbooks (If you have any)
Practice papers
Previous year papers
Extra reading materials/ Reference books
If you don't have any textbooks. Go through the topics that you have and gather resources from different sources.
Tip: Have at least 1 extra reading material for every subject/paper. It helps you understand some topics that are explained in a complex manner in textbooks which is almost all the time.
Don't depend on your teacher
Teachers are good. Seriously. But their attention will always be shifty. They have a lot of students to teach, from many other classes so if you depend only on your teachers for clarifying your doubts or being at the back of you to study then newsflash, its going to be hard. Rather, be your own teacher. Don't go "I'll ask this to her/him tomorrow after class" because that will be your answer every time you have even a small question which can easily be solved by a simple search. You're saving your time and theirs.
Tip: If you're someone like me who gets distracted when you take up your phone even for a second then write down all your questions in a paper and search them later after your study session.
Make notes
I usually say this because notes help you understand topics. There are many methods of taking notes. I usually don't follow any structure for note taking, I just read and write keywords under the topic name, linking a few things here and there.
Tip: Notes need not be aesthetic. Seriously. You can be as messy as you can.
Watch videos related to concepts
This helps and I know most already do this.
Tip: When you finish watching a topic, close the video and write down what you understood and then play the video again, fill in the gaps that you missed and watch it again.
Study in chunks
I always believe that whatever you do, you should do in chunks. Instead of doing one chapter, divide it. Into small bits. I'll tell you, you'll see the difference. I don't usually recommend Pomodoro since it doesn't work for me. I don't keep a time limit or a set number of breaks. I finish a chunk and if I am tired, I take a break otherwise i continue.
Tip: Self quiz yourself after each chunk and then take a break. Then after you finish the chunks for the whole chapter with the self quizzing then self quiz yourself randomly for every chunk. Here's an additional tip. Take 20 second breaks.
Period of deep work
This is not a new concept, i didn't realize i did this at first. Basically, when you start your work. You do nothing but work. Like nothing else. No phones. No snacking. No unwanted thoughts. Just nothing but what you have to do. That is to study.
Tip: It is difficult to implement this right away especially if you have a habit of it getting distracted easily so i just suggest => Start smaller. One topic with full concentration. It would usually take you 20 - 30 mins to get immersed in the work. 40 mins if it's something you don't like but once you get the momentum? An unbelievable achievement really. And then, change your environment.
Quality > Quantity && Consistency> Cramming
One hour of productive studying is better than nine hours of useless studying. I feel like it's better to study 20 mins everyday rather than the whole night before an exam. It just causes stress.
Tip: Start early. Your teacher is on chapter 5? And you still don't get chapter 1, it's fine. Start learning. Seriously, it's okay to be behind. You just have to stick. Do it everyday and you'll see results that is better than those who are just keeping up with the teacher.
Deadlines Are Mandatory
Have deadlines. There are a number of ways to do this. I'm a person who is really lazy and a weird soul who would never complete their to-do list for the day if they write it down. It would always be left unfinished. So i just keep a mental time limit and the thing i have to get done.
Tip: Overestimate your deadline. Like, let's say i have to complete around 15 lessons that week. I keep my deadline to around 25-30 and i eventually complete 15. It's about adapting to what works for you. Just change according to what works for you.
Practice questions / Previous Year Papers
I can never emphasize this enough. The best way to prepare for any exam is just do practice questions or previous year questions. You will learn a lot of things. The topics that are important or repeated. The topics that are never asked.
Tip: Grade yourself on each paper. Circle the questions in your textbook while you are studying and practicing. Then when you have to actually study then you can actually revise the topics a bit more thoroughly. If you want to know more, click here.
It's okay to be behind in class
During my first term in senior year, the whole class was around 5 chapters ahead for every test and exam while me? If they were on chapter 12, i was in chapter 4 or 5 but i understood the concepts and took my sweet time with each chapter. Because the more time you take for a chapter, the better it stays in your memory.
Tip: Here is where active recall comes handy. When you revise one chapter, take a 2 day break and study another subject and then go back to the chapter and answer the practice questions. If you're able to do them, great! If not, revise more and then look at it after 3-4 days. Repeat until you have no mistakes in your answers. This helps in long term retaining.
Make It Interesting
How do you study boring subjects? You adapt. Mind maps don't work for me. Neither does flash cards. So, i found something that did. Storytelling. Take your most boring subject, turn it into a story. Make it bearable.
Tip: Tie it somethings that you like. For example, business studies was the most boring one for me so obviously, every topic was a story for me. HR Theories and Processes? ==> An office romance story. Management Principles? ==> A fantasy story where a group goes on a quest. Make It interesting. Make it gripping. And let me tell you, this actually works because our minds grasp stories better than just normal theory jargon.
Difficult Topics Are Only Difficult Because You Think They Are
This was something that i learnt the harder way. Everything looked difficult at the beginning. Everything. But the most difficult paper was maths. Because i had no teacher. Literally. I was learning from YouTube, searching different sites for tips and tricks. I thought it was too difficult and then i was like "i have to do it anyway no matter how much i brood" so i started from scratch like 3 months before my exams.
Tip: A mind set change is everything. If you think it is easy. The topic will be more bearable. If you think it's tough, it's going to be more tough. If you want some more tips for complex topics, click here.
Hope this helps !!! :)
More Posts from Study-diaries and Others
heyyy just wanted to tell u that i live ur blog ! it’s so helpful !
I'm in exam period btw. 🩶
Hello! :D
Oh my gosh thank you, it really means alot! <33
All the best for the exams, make sure to take breaks and stay hydrated, sleep well too! I hope you complete them with flying colours! <3
How to avoid distractions while studying.
.
Social Media.
I personally know how hard it is to study when constant social media notifications are popping up so i just turn them off. This is obvious and the easiest way. Keep your phone in another room while you're studying.
Youtube
Here's the thing, YouTube is something we can't avoid, especially when it comes to studying because many times, we want to learn from the videos but end up getting distracted and therefore, i maintain 2 accounts. One, a personal account where I watch all my own channels like vlogs and other content videos and another account only for studying. I don't subscribe to any other channels beside the channels that help me with my studies in this account. I've noticed that I get a lot less distracted because your recommendations would only be study related or the content related!
Write them down
When you're studying and you noticed that you're getting a lot of distractions. Take a paper and write down the distractions with the timings and then continue studying.
Distractions - Time
Phone - 20 min (specify time: 8:20-40)
By this, you can analyse what's distracting you more than the others and you can actually calculate your study hours better and help yourself improve it.
Reduce everything by 5 mins
It's okay to get distracted. Everyone gets distracted and the best way to decrease your distractions is to decrease them by 5 mins for some days and then keep decreasing them gradually. It's the best way to work honestly because it helps you remove the distractions over time as a habit.
Complete your chores before sitting down
You might know that whenever you sit down with a firm motivation to study and then you take your notes, books, materia etc and a voice from the kitchen comes saying"You haven't finished the dishes!" So, now you go to do the dishes and then another chore pops up when you sit to study and another and another. So, here's my advice, either you complete all your chores before you study or you complete them after or you could complete them during breaks. But make sure you're not distracted by them.
Turn daydreaming into a weapon
Personally, this is something i really really struggled with, like whenever I sit down to study, I ended up daydreaming about a certain book or plot. It would definitely not help me study so recently, I started assigning fictional characters to subjects and personally, like, gosh my economics was alittle more interesting when I was "teaching" it to Cardan Greenbriar (tfota). It's kinda childish to have like an imaginary friend or such but it certainly helps with boring subjects. Imagine scenarios or do anything with your imagination as long as you're studying the content. It helps you remember important points even though it may be absurd.
Q and A sessions
From time to time, get in the habit of quizzing yourself, I do it after every topic i complete. I'll ask questions which are not in the book, I'll twist the questions just like in the tests. This means that you have to stay focused if you truly want to answer the questions or even form the questions. You can even do it with a friend/study buddies!
Tennis method
This method is really useful and i kinda made it up. You hold your hands up in the air facing towards each other. Now, after you completed a topic, you "throw" your first point from one hand to another and the other hand should "throw" back the second point and so on until you're completely done with it. If you can't "throw" a point back in less than a minute, you need to revise more. Personally, I love doing this because I'm focused on answering and it's actually kinda fun "throwing" points like balls, even though it may look crazy to any outsiders xD (You can use this for maths for formulae, vocabs etc!)
Hope this helps! :D
hi, bella! may I know where are you from?
and are you applying for college this year?
Hey dear Anon! :D
First of all, I'm not that comfortable with sharing the country/city/state name because it somewhat gives me creeps so I hope you understand.
And second of all, I'll be applying to college around May next year. I'm currently a senior in high school, it's literally my second day xD
Take care! <3
Affirmations i use to study/get things done!
"You've prepared the whole year for this. Don't let it go to waste." "I can and I will." "It doesn't matter how hard it takes to reach my goal." "It doesn't matter if the other person is more talented than you. There's no rule for them to work more harder than you." "You can wake up anyday and decide to change the person that you are." "Who cares if I'm pretty if I fail my finals?" "One day, you'll leave this world behind so live a life that you'll remember." "If it's a million to one. I'm gonna be that one.” "You can't be perfect. No one can. But you can try to be the best." "Failure is a part of success. Use it in the best way possible." "You are more than capable of handling yourself and your textbooks." "Study like you haven't prayed and pray like you haven't studied." "You came this far only to come this far?" "There is no way I'm going to come back with something I don't like." "Study because learning is better than being ignorant." "Grades aren't everything but they do make your life somewhat easier." "I know more than i think I do." “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” "Progress > Perfection." "You're doing this for you. Only you. Don't forget that."
7 Days left
I can't believe I'm this close to my exams. Literally a week and gosh, it's gonna be a hectic month. My highschool party got over yesterday so I literally didn't study anything. Now, the main question is... How in the world am i gonna use these precious days to get the best possible result?
I don't wanna get burned out like I had last year in the middle of the exam month so I'll be taking consistent breaks. From Friday, I'll be studying Arabic because that's my first exam so exactly 3 days to prepare for it. Then I just have... Like 4 more days... I gotta fit in Business studies, Economics, Accountancy and Computer Applications in it... I can't revise fully, I'll just revise the things I haven't in awhile.
I haven't been studying a lot this year but I still feel confident enough so... I guess it is what it is...
Today I:
Did Accounts 1 hr+
Did some business studies revision.
Weekly Goals
I've been really lazy these past two weeks since summer break started so i think this is a good way to track my progress and productivity.
Complete a course on digital marketing (which I was ignoring for a long time)
Finish atleast 2 books
Complete atleast 5+ lessons in Arabic
Start attending summer course classes (also Arabic)
Clean my closet
Wake up alittle earlier (it's not gonna happen but let's believe it will)
Watch a movie
Hi! I was wondering if you had any tips for studying consistently, especially with burnout?
I have an awful habit of studying a lot on one day then avoiding it and not even looking at my notes for 3 or so days after then repeat. i'm starting fifth year soon so this cycle can't continue because it will not end well for mw or my grades
Heyy :) Thanks for the ask.
I just answered a similar ask like this so i think my answer is pretty much the same.
How To Avoid Burnout While Studying
But you technically asked how to study while in a burnout so i'll add a few additional tips. I hope this helps :)
How To Study / Work During A Burnout
Micro Goals
Write down your micro goals. By micro goals i mean the goals that are broken down from bigger goals. For example, my first task was to complete chapter 4 in accountancy fully. Instead of completing it fully and contributing to the burnout, break it down. Divide chapters into 4 parts and complete each part throughout the day. This is more manageable and doesn't make you feel overwhelmed.
Watch Concept Videos
Whenever i'm too tired to study or revise from my notes, videos always help. I did this mostly for accountancy, economics and business studies. YouTube has a variety of videos and make the most use of it. It really helps during exams because it gives me some leverage of knowing some extra points that are in the textbook, but most haven't studied it so use it to your advantage.
1% Progress Everyday > 100% Progress Once A Week
I really feel that even one percent progress every day is better than giving your best on the weekend. I usually divide my subjects throughout the week. I don't exceed more than 2 subjects per day because i did have extra assignments and projects to catch up to. This is one important rule i really followed.
Find The Stressor And Find A Way Through It
Find your major stressor. And try to go around it as much as possible. You have to navigate around everything. Most common stressors would be tests, exams, pressure or extra curriculars.
I had ignored every single test and just winged it because one our teachers never corrected it and two i was focusing on my finals. I didn't even care for my midterms, i experimented with them. I didn't study for term finals because i wanted to test how much i actually remembered. When the pressure got too much at the end of final year, i just didn't go to school after the attendance closed even though they were having revision classes.
I don't know if it's the same for you but there is always a way to minimize the impact. Find stressors and try to make it easier for yourself.
_________________
Additional Posts That Might Be Helpful:
How To Study For Longer Hours
An Absolute Guide To Manage Your Time And Energy For School
Floor To Ceiling Method
How To Study Multiple Subjects
_________________
Hope This Helps :))
123 days left
Today's exam was honestly pretty alright, i couldn't believe that i could attend everything especially because the teacher told us that she'd give no options for MCQ questions and we have to study like fully throughout the book T-T
Now, I'm more scared about tomorrow... even though I've been practicing for more than 2 weeks for accountancy, today, as soon as I came. I slept and I just woke up around 9:30 and panicked because I haven't revised anything. Right now I've completed 1 and a half lessons and I got to complete 2 major topics tomorrow morning.
So yeah... and my hopes and dreams on resting on Sunday alittle and studying just went down the drain. I got to complete a computer project which is like 10% of my final exam grades and submit it by Monday T-T
Today I:
Studied accounts
Tomorrow's To-do list:
Revise accounts in the morning
Complete 5/10 pratical projects in computers
Clean my desk (cause it's just too much of a message right now)
04.08.2024 + past 3-4 days
Today was alright, I've got a cold for the past few days plus cramps... Doesn't really help in productivity but nevertheless, I did do something....
Today I:
Completed English assignment
Reviewed 5 lesson in business studies
Topics covered:
Financial Markets
Capital Market
Money Market
Stock exchange
Past few days:
Completing Computer Project (50%)
Reviewing Economics lesson 4
06.08.2024
Well, today was alright i guess. I did some accounts and economics... and for some reason, I'm like one of the few in my class who actually is anxious about the finals, especially accounts. Like, i literally an so confused with it this year but everyone else is like "Oh wow dude I love accounts this year, it's so easy" and I'm like T-T
Anyway, Today I:
Did 2 sums in accounts (took me 2 hours almost)
Made some economics notes
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