During elementary school, I didn’t have to study most of the time to get high grades, and if I did, my study method was horrible. I would memorize whole pages of information, and only start the night before a test. I didn’t understand why this was so unhelpful at the time. I remember one of my grade 8 teachers telling me that in high school this method wouldn’t help me. In high school, I would have to understand the material I was memorizing. Being a stubborn eighth grader, I insisted he was wrong and exclaimed that I was just superb at memorization. Keep in mind that I only did this for 2 or 3 tests a year. Fast forward to the start of grade 9, where all the adults in my life are telling me that I won’t be able to continue receiving the grades I did in elementary without actually studying. Now, I have a test nearly every week, compared to once a month in elementary, and these tests are challenging! So, for my first semester of grade 9, I tortured myself by spending hours memorizing useless facts and not understanding any of them. I continued to receive marks in the high 90s, but I would always miss the application questions, and I dreaded every test. Not for the task of actually doing it, but for the preparation. Then COVID-19 happened which turned my school online. I lost my work ethic, my motivation, and I forgot what tests looked like. By that, I mean I forgot that teachers generally ask questions regarding your understanding of the topic, not random facts you heard once. Then when I went back to school this year, I did my normal study method for my first test. By my second test, I couldn’t physically bring myself to study. I found it so utterly boring and a waste of time. However, knowing I would regret not studying at all, I forced myself to read my notes over once. A few tests later, I have found the ultimate studying method that helped me get higher grades in less time with less mental fatigue. Keep in mind that this method works for me, and everyone’s brain works differently, so experimenting is the only way to find your perfect method. To study, I read my notes over once every night the week or few days leading up to the test. On the day before the test, I’ll read my notes over 2 or 3 times at different times throughout the day. I’ll switch up between actually reading my notes and skimming over them because by then, I’ll know the important information. Either my teacher will give me a summary sheet of everything that’s going to be on the test, or I’ll make my own. I’ll read this sheet more than the other ones. By reading your notes over so many times, the information will stay in my head, without actually having to memorize it. Reading over plain and simple information won’t do any good though. Most of my notes are answers to textbook questions. By reading these over, I’m essentially quizzing myself. I make sure to write the question from the textbook as well, instead of only writing the answer. It takes longer to finish work at the moment, but it makes studying easier. I create questions about the topic and answer them as if I was doing a test. Doing this helps me assess how much information I’ve retained. After reading my notes over, the last thing that helps me is when I attempt to summarize all the information I can remember. Basically allowing me to see if I understand the main idea of what I’m learning. In conclusion, this method helps me spend less time studying, there’s less mental torture, it leads to higher grades, and I gain more confidence when walking into a test. I encourage you to find your perfect method because I’m so glad I found mine!
Edited by: Khushi Kumari
Nyla is a grade 10 student. She enjoys playing sports and reading. She hopes that people can read this and not waste their time making the same mistakes she did.
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