We have had a number of students and parents ask us how they can use the summer to improve their grades. This will help students that are in 2nd year and 5th year in particular whose summer exam grades weren’t what they hoped for.
Firstly, it’s the summer and a chance to enjoy three months break. Secondly it is three months break so there is a lot of free time to dedicate a little bit of time to getting back on track.
Like any study plan you need to identify what areas you are falling down in and look to spend more time focusing on the subject. Look at how many weeks you have left and then consider how much time you want to dedicate to each subject each week.
It doesn’t have to be five hours a day but 2 hours a day x 5 days a week x 10 weeks will give you over 100 hours to work on subjects that you are struggling with. Then break that 2 hour block into 4 smaller blocks of 30 minutes each.
Being prepared for each 30 minute study block with a clear plan means that you won’t waste any time but you need to plan first. So that’s 4 topics or 4 subjects with a 5 minute break between each or 2 subjects for an hour each then you have the rest of the day to enjoy the holidays.
List out the subjects you are struggling with. Then list out the chapters that you are having problems with. Then look at the topics within that chapter and work out how many 30 minute slots you need to dedicate to each chapter to cover each topic at least 4 times over your study weeks. Remember 100 hours is a lot of time at only 2 hours per day 5 days per week over 10 weeks.
The first time you review your topic you should read it over carefully highlighting or underlining the key passages or statements. Take pictures on your phone of any pictures or diagrams on the topic or create a mind map of each chapter on a large sheet of A3 or A2. By reading, writing and visualising the information it will go into your head faster than just reading alone. Having different colour highlighters can be useful.
At this point having a revision book guide such as Revise Wise, Less Stress More Success or Shortcuts series will help you narrow down the content that is more relevant towards answering the exams rather than the entire syllabus site sur cialis. For the second time you review your topic use one of these books and then review the content in relation to what you have covered in the chapter or topic from your text book. This will help you cut down that you need to focus on.
The third time you review your topic and leaving a few days between each revision of each topic is wise unless you are not sure if you will get back to revision regularly. Take out your exam papers, or download previous versions from www.examinations.ie and read through the questions relating to topic / chapter that you have studied. Using your notes answer the questions and use the marking scheme to ensure you are answering what is expected. If you have the Edco Exam papers there is a code which gives you solutions to the questions which can also be useful.
The fourth time you cover your topic should be around doing the exam questions without any books or notes. Using a site like www.studyclix.ie which allows you customise your own exam questions around each topic and create your own exam PDF from all previous papers is incredibly useful. This means you can sit down and attempt to answer all the questions ever asked on the topics.
Using the marking scheme you can then mark yourself on your success. Actually give yourself a mark based on how you have done. Keep a folder for each subject and keep your notes and paper practice in each folder and go back to it when you need to.
The summer is long and it’s easy to fall out of studying habits and then have a rush in September when you are back. Don’t take studying as something that you can only do in term time. Learning and studying is a lifelong practice, it’s not punishment. Getting into good study habits early on means a lot less stress when it comes to exams whether it’s state exams or just end of term in-house exams.
Most of all enjoy your summer break but don’t look back in September and think I wasted all that time when I could have been spending some of that time studying a subject that you were weak on and really need a good grade come exam time.
Check out the DGA Study Skills Seminar on the 1st of October 2016 and for parents our Seminar on ‘The Best Your Child can Be’ October 1st 2016 in the D Hotel at 4pm to 6.30pm.