Many of us would have wondered how our friends get straight As, or why we never seem to be able to score that coveted A no matter how hard we try. Its almost the end, or already the end of the finals season for many of us, and so this is a problem we will inevitably face when we receive our grades.
First of, it is ok to feel demoralised. It is ok to feel bad about a grade. However, a grade is merely a reflection of how well you understood a topic! It reflects whether you have met the objectives your teacher has set out in class! It doesnt mean anything more than that! It shouldnt lead us to question our self worth, it shouldnt make us feel less and inferior, and it definitely should not call into question whether we can be happy! Let me share a trick I found pretty useful in dealing with bad grades in the past. While this sounds cliche, I used to tell myself that grades dont determine who I am, and I am more than the piece of paper. I asked myself how I would feel about this test in 10 weeks, 10 months or 10 years. And then, eventually, I would feel better! As life moves on, we really dont have the capacity to mull over all the bad things in life. We just got to move on and accept it.
Pardon the long intro, but now let me share 4 scientifically backed tips on how to study, from a productivity Youtuber and doctor, Ali Abdaal. Just remember the acronym STIC.
STIC stands for spacing, testing, interleaving and categorising.
Spacing:
What spacing is, or spaced repetition is, is just spreading out revision of one particular topic over a period of time! This relates to an interesting phenomenon called the Forgetting Curve, which states that our memory deteriorates exponentially over time, but, if we put in effort to revise, we are effectively slowing down this deterioration! If you got a test in a week, you could try revising once every other day. If you a test in a month, perhaps once or twice a week.
Testing
Testing ourselves, is essentially one of the most powerful ways for us to recall things and concepts. It forces our minds to actively recall the things we have learnt. We dont forget things, we merely arent able to retrieve them from the storage. Think of a messy and disorganised cupboard. You know your notebook is inside there, but you just cant find it. In the setting of the exam, you know you have seen this before, but you just cant remember how this concept works. Testing ourselves, over and over again, would help reinforce our understanding, and strengthen our ability to retrieve information, quickly and accurately from our mental storage. One way we can test ourselves is by using flash cards! We can see our progress, repeat the concepts we are weaker in, and study them over and over again! We can make it fun too by having a contest with our friends!
Interleaving
This concept is about what we should do within our revision sessions. If you have reached a point where what you are studying isnt challenging, then you probably are not learning anything much. The point of studying and revising is to tax your brain, to exert those mental muscles, as that is the only way they can grow.
Interleaving is the idea that we should try to mix up our practice as we go along. If we get to a point where we find stuff too easy, it means we’re not learning anymore. Ali Abdaal
Categorising
Last but not least, we have categorising. Imagine drawing a mind map, by heart, of everything you have learnt about the topic and then seeing those connections between different topics and areas. If you are able to do that, without referring to any textbook or material, I think you have reached a pretty high comprehension of the material, and you’ll feel pretty confident about yourself!
I wish you all the best for your exams, and I hope you are able to apply the STIC method in your future endeavours! If you would like to find out more about how seniors have applied the STIC method in their careers, or whether the STIC method actually works, come check out matchin.asia when we launch!
