The internet is full of "study hacks" and people claiming that they have cracked the code for the best way to study, a method GUARANTEED to get you top marks. However, it is impossible for students to read through all of these online articles and integrate all of the strategies into their studies; instead of tackling topics with ease and confidence, oftentimes students only feel overwhelmed and stressed.
When I tutor my students, it's very easy to fall into the trap of telling them to study exactly as I did - I know that these methods worked for me. But it's also incredibly important to remember that each student is unique! While there may be some students who would greatly benefit from the ways that I like to study, some students' brains simply don't work in that way, and that is okay!
Instead, I like to spend a decent amount of time with students before exam figuring out the best way for them to study, because studying is personal and honing your study routing early on is incredibly important.
I always start by laying out all of the topics that the student has to go through and revise before their assessment task and begin breaking it up with them. From here, some students like to plan out their days exactly, some set reminders in their phones, some write out a weekly to-do list, some decide what they need to do each day as they go along. None of these options are more correct, and none are them are invalid. The most important part, and what I urge my students to ensure, is that their study methods work and make sense to themselves, they don't have to make sense to me! At the end of the day, the person who is sitting the exam is the only person who needs to understand a certain colour code or abbreviation or desk arrangement.
Thus, while it may seem like a massive waste of time to sit around for a few hours and think about how to study rather than just doing it, I would highly recommend that you come up with a game plan of how to tackle your studies. Happy studying!
