r2i forum

to study intelligently, you should make a timetable of what you want to study and how you want to study it.

Set a timetable set into blocks. Then follow those blocks with as much discipline and dedication as you can.

Good blocks are normally 30-45 minutes in length each. Study for 3 hours (ie 3-4 blocks) and then take a 30 min break

Your folders of work should also be organised correctly. This will help your mind to remain focused and clear. When it comes to revision, its important to be as mentally clear as possible because confusion can dramatically reduce study effectiveness.

Your study should or can also incorporate ways to increase iq so that your study is more effective. Personally, this is what I did to increase study effectiveness and it helped me to stay in top mental condition. It helps to boost concentration, focus, memory, creativity and problem solving skills so your study is better.

If it's a difficult exam you have, you should revise as much as possible. I remember for my final BA Hons exams I revised 8 to 9 hours per day and had no social life whatsoever.

The key therefore is effective planning and effective focus of your study schedule. This is the key to success.

During my engineering days knowing the "Why" was very important for me. If I knew Why of something to begin with it was easier to make associations between seemingly disparate elements.

Association is key to learning. No real learning can be attained without gaining a perspective.

The most important part to build association is to have interest in the subject. All of us will agree that we fare good in some subjects and poorly in others. This is because we are interested in some subjects more then others. I like history. I was good at history since early on and I never had a problem in understanding, memorizing or explaining it while most of my class hated the subject.

In nutshell try to build interest in the subject. Make the subject more interesting for youself. Sometimes this interest will be there only when you are 20% into the subject/topic so dont loose the motivation before you complete the first 20% of the journey. Its easier to build and sustain interest once you have achieved some understanding of the subject.

Lastly unless you are in teens, dont try too hard for things that really dont interest you that well to begin with and for which you are struggling with building a momentum even after sustained effort. Move on to topics that really work for you instead of just pursuing something that you think is good to have (MBA or PMP).

I believe that there are a multitude of "action items" but the big ones that helped me get through schooling are:

#1 Interest in the subject (Engg & Electronics, in my case)
#2 Ability to focus & concentrate
#3 Learning the patterns, interconnectedness and the overall design
#4 Don't be stressed up, sleep well.
#5 Learn to Visualize, wherever possible

Ofcourse, I was unaware of any of these at the time.

Another technique I have found useful is to "teach" yourself. You read a chapter, then in your mind, teach it to a virtual classroom of inquisitive students asking many "what if, why not" questions. If you have study partner it could be useful too, if (s)he does not end up as a source of distraction

I believe that there are a multitude of "action items" but the big ones that helped me get through schooling are:

#1 Interest in the subject (Engg & Electronics, in my case)
#2 Ability to focus & concentrate
#3 Learning the patterns, interconnectedness and the overall design
#4 Don't be stressed up, sleep well.
#5 Learn to Visualize, wherever possible

Ofcourse, I was unaware of any of these at the time.

Another technique I have found useful is to "teach" yourself. You read a chapter, then in your mind, teach it to a virtual classroom of inquisitive students asking many "what if, why not" questions. If you have study partner it could be useful too, if (s)he does not end up as a source of distraction