Wendel Abel

Ring-a-ling-ling, school bell soon ring. Hey, the start of the new school year is just around the corner. Here are some tips to help you study:

Tips to study

1. Start early. Start studying early. Do not leave preparations for the last moment. It is impossible to study a year's material in a few weeks. Review your material as soon as possible after it is taught. Information is quickly lost, if not rehearsed.

2. Be organised. Noted educator Joyce Gordon emphasises that students should 'create a study timetable from day one and ensure that you allocate sufficient time for leisure and relaxation. Management of your time is very important!

3. Be consistent. You may have to review a particular area several times before you understand it and are able to memorise it.

4. Use study aids. Diagrams and flow charts help us to store and retrieve information more easily.

5. Don't study word-for-word. It is time-consuming and is more difficult to recall. Try to understand general principles and express information learnt in your own words. Definitions and theories may have to be studied word-for-word.

6. Less is more. Avoid using too many texts to study one particular topic. This is especially true at the high school level, although at the advanced and university levels, one may have to do more extensive reading. It is unproductive to learn the same concepts in different words using different texts.

7. Rewriting notes can be helpful. This is useful for students who have difficulty concentrating. It allows you to organise the material and to include more information than is taught in class. Some persons find this a useful technique as it keeps them awake while studying and eliminates the need to constantly refer to several texts each time a topic is reviewed.

8. Use a syllabus or curriculum guide. This allows you to have a clear idea of what you are expected to learn and what you could possibly be examined on. It may be good for general knowledge to learn information that is outside the curriculum but it does not make much sense to study information you will not be examined on. Keep focused. Pass papers do help. Practise past examination questions early. Initially, it may be difficult but in time, problem solving and question answering become easier. Remember practice makes perfect.

9. Avoid drugs. These usually do not work and usually have side effects. Stay away from sleeping tablets; they can be addictive and may even affect your memory.

10. Get adequate sleep. Most persons can survive on six to eight hours of sleep. Pay attention to your nutrition and have a well-balanced diet. When you are hungry, it is difficult to concentrate and study. After a heavy meal, there is an increase in the blood sugar and this makes you drowsy, making it difficult to study.

11. Avoid distractions. Don't study in your bedroom or in bed. You will fall asleep. Do not study where there is too much distraction for example, while watching television. It is difficult to concentrate under these conditions.

12. Get organised now! The earlier the better. Start studying early and strike a balance between your studies and leisure.

'If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail.'

Dr. Wendel Abel is a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer, University of the West Indies; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.