Tips & Motivation
Studying + Motivation = Success
Remember, there are no secrets to success. It's a combination of hard work, goal setting, and motivation.
It is universally known that you simply cannot succeed if you are not motivated towards your future. If you are not invested in what you are doing, there is no point in preparing yourself and studying for a topic you have no motivation in pursuing. This is why it is so important to be motivated. Motivation does not come easy! However, there are methods you can use to pick yourself back up and be extremely motivated! Studying is the best way to receive great examination results. Not all studying techniques are presumed 'useful', thus it is important you know you studying techniques are the best way to go if you're aiming for amazing exam grades!
Study Tips
Draw up a revision timetable
Research shows that shorter 25-30 minute spells work best because your concentration is much higher. We, therefore, recommend taking short, frequent breaks. We also advise mixing up the order of the subjects you are studying.
To access study planner templates, please click on the green button below the examination timetables.
Find a quiet space
This is a pretty straightforward one: you desperately need a place where you can be uninterrupted for a few hours.
Get down to it in the morning
You have to make a start at some point and doing it sooner rather than later is a very good idea.
Work out what you need to learn
Don’t spend time revising information you already know. Do you know what you will be assessed on? If not, ask your teacher for guidance.
Make summary notes
Making notes is one of the best ways to memorise a lot of information. Change the format of these notes to add variety and to force yourself to think.
Go over notes one day after learning them, then three days later, one week later, and one month later. Reviewing is not just repetition. Actively reviewing your notes can at least double your recall. Reading over your mindmaps, grabbing your notes and going through them or talking about and discussing your notes, your recall will stay at 90%.
If you do not review your notes for three days, your recall will drop to 30%. You will forget 70% of what you have learned in three days without active reviewing.
Summarise, using keywords
Summarising reduces the amount of material you have to remember while helping you to learn
Once you've studied a section, reduce the main ideas to keywords that can be memorised.
Start by deciding on the main (most important) idea in each paragraph.Tip: ask yourself: 'What is this paragraph/section about?'
Rewrite the main idea in your own words; then reduce it so you're left with a short sentence.
Then write a few keywords (the supporting details) under each main idea.
Flashcards
Studying with flashcards is a form of active learning.
Using flashcards to revise forces you to think about the material and do something with it rather than just reading it. And this definitely helps you remember what you are studying.
How to use flashcards for studying
As you're working through your learning material or reviewing your notes, identify any terms, concepts or formulas, etc., that you need to learn.
Write each question, term, concept and/or formula on a separate flashcard.
Write the answer or explanation on the other side of the card.
Use your own words whenever possible.
Shuffle the cards so you can't figure out any answers based on their location in the deck.
Look at the card on the top of the deck: Try to answer the question or explain the term.
If you know it, great! Put the card at the bottom of the deck.
If you don't know the answer, look at it, and put the card a few down in the deck (so it'll soon come up again).
Keep working through the deck of cards until you know all the answers.
Do plenty of past papers
Go to http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/subjects/
Select your subjects and follow the links to examination papers and exemplars – look at the exemplars and consider why they have been selected.
When you have completed a past paper, take it to your teacher for marking and feedback. Use this feedback to guide your next revision steps. This may mean you need to go back over key concepts, ideas, or content or you should attempt a different past paper
Motivational Tips
Motivation is undoubtedly the pushing force that allows us to reach all of our goals. Therefore, to increase our motivation, we must set goals. Fortunately, there are many more methods of increasing motivation to study while maintaining one's wellbeing.
Start where you are.
Plan your action, THEN take action.
Make it easy on yourself, take it one step at a time.
Set specific goals, write them down, and tick them off once you've reached them. This creates a sense of accomplishment.
Understand there are roadblocks in between you and your goals. However, derive a plan to pass these roadblocks to get back on track to reach your goals.
Celebrate small and big victories, this motivates you to go back and want to win more.
Break tasks into smaller tasks.
Create a To-Do list
Set goals that excite you. These goals will push you to work as hard as you can to accomplish your goals.
Have a positive mindset - You cannot accomplish anything with negativity. It is the negativity that pulls you to the ground and ruins your motivation to win big.
Most importantly, take breaks. Reward yourself. Constant work to accomplish goals lowers your motivation as eventually, you will be fed up with chasing the same goal. Take breaks, do something you enjoy for a while, and once you're refreshed, head back and work for your goals.
YouTube videos - There are over 100000+ videos on youtube specifically for motivating society to reach their goals. These are short, but powerful, videos that range from 5-10 minutes and very much push indidivuals to get up and get their goals. Here are a few examples.