Best Study Methods?

Gerry Manders

Hi Im new to maynooth this year and Ive never studied in my life. Im trying to develop some study tecniques. Ive started to read some past exam papers. I answer one question a day on them at the beginning of study and then read over what Ive missed out on. Is there any other ways I can improve on my studies?
Thanks
Gerry

banquo

Remember: your undergrad doesn't test your smarts, just your ability to do essays and pass exams. Pick a few exam topics, assemble answers and then practice answering questions on that topic from past papers.

A lot depends on the subject too.

Gerry Manders

banquo wrote: »

Remember: your undergrad doesn't test your smarts, just your ability to do essays and pass exams. Pick a few exam topics, assemble answers and then practice answering questions on that topic from past papers.

A lot depends on the subject too.

i dont understand exams, there just memory tests to me.

We

Gerry Manders wrote: »

i dont understand exams, there just memory tests to me.

they are, so get practicing

pakb1ue

Print off all you notes off Moodle and exam papers, punch them so that they can go into a folder, organise your printed and hand written notes. Finally get into the reading room and study till you pass out.

Make a schedule, like what you are going to study and try to keep to it as much as possible. What I normally did was start studying my last module first so that I would spend the few days before my 1st exam entirely on that module as it would be fresh in my head. Then when it comes to your last exam you will just be looking over the stuff you have already covered and it will be fresh in your mind again.

If the lecture gave you hints to the exam study them areas as much as possible, look at the past papers to see if certain topics seem to reappear but if the paper is done by a different lecture then what you have the paper will more then likely be very different.

Study groups are great, as you would divide and conquer so you would do all questions ones and someone would do all q2s and then go off to the library and photocopy each others work. For any Maths based module this is great as once someone figures it out every one else does too. I would have never gotten past first year if me and my class mates didnt help each other out.

If you have any questions go up to the lecture with them but dont just go up with one question make a list of all the questions you are having trouble with.

No need to stress as there is always August :cool:

I only realised that I cant study with a Computer in final year, once I removed it my grades improved a lot. I would go into the reading room at like 7am and not leave till 11pm. You need to get in nice and early when exams start as the place is full by 8am. Though you can always find a seat right before an exam starts.

Always enjoyed taking breaks and looking around the reading room

EDIT:
Depending on the course the text books are normally crap, lectures notes are king I only used the text books to go over some stuff I was unsure of and most of the time they didnt really help.

irish_goat

Good advice pakb1ue but I think I'll just study when they're handing out the exam.

kisaragi

Just to add to what other people said...

If you're doing an arts subject (presumably science too) and you want to get a first it's not enough just to regurgitate your lecture notes back on the page. Like in your essays you'll be expected to references studies you've read outside the notes/recommended reading. You'll also get better marks if (for example) you have a question on say something you covered in lecture 4, and you tie in RELEVANT information from other lectures on the course - showing you've understood the module as a whole and how each concept connects to the other ones rather than just learned a list of 12 topics.