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"study smart. not hard" (1 Viewer)

BHS10

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i've read that a few times on here and i was always wondering what it meant.

Can someone please explain? and how do you exactly study smar and not hard?
 

evilevoevil

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i like to think of it as.. not how much u study, but how well u actually study. like say, studying 2 hours with no distractions, not tired and firmly concentrating as opposed to studying for 4 hours straight and forcing yourself just to sit there.

it's just more effective study, and u can use those 2 hours to do something else
 

-Savvy-

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Yeah its just making sure that you don't study too hard! When we study too hard we get all stressed out and miserable... but when we pace ourselves we stay in control and therefore we use our time more wisely.. which is a smarter and healthier way to do it.

Taking breaks.. and rewarding ourselves sufficiently is studying smart.

So pretty much.. just not overdoing it and managing time..
 

zaefr

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yea - being specific about wat u get done. it also helps if u plan out short term and long term goals on wat u wanna get covered, as well as the rewards
 

mystiques4

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Actually practicing and doing past papers.
Not just staring at a page of notes.
 

matthewbugden09

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Rather than swallowing text-books whole - take a look at the syllabus.
This is the only post that answers your question properly. The only thing I would add is the importance of consolidating your knowledge through ongoing revision. 90% of the information you absorb when you read a text book is lost the next morning--98% if you get less than 8 hours of sleep that night.
 
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Look at the syllabus dot points and LOOK at the dot points being assessed on the assessment notification.
 

ninetypercent

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just think smart, and act smart

e.g. rather than doing one billion textbook questions with zero relevance to the exam, make summaries from syallbus dot points that will be in the exam

being smart is about picking out what is irrelevant, what is relevant, and what will get you the top marks
 

annabackwards

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i like to think of it as.. not how much u study, but how well u actually study. like say, studying 2 hours with no distractions, not tired and firmly concentrating as opposed to studying for 4 hours straight and forcing yourself just to sit there.

it's just more effective study, and u can use those 2 hours to do something else
Rather than swallowing text-books whole - take a look at the syllabus.
Actually practicing and doing past papers.
Not just staring at a page of notes.
Look at the syllabus dot points and LOOK at the dot points being assessed on the assessment notification.
just think smart, and act smart

e.g. rather than doing one billion textbook questions with zero relevance to the exam, make summaries from syallbus dot points that will be in the exam

being smart is about picking out what is irrelevant, what is relevant, and what will get you the top marks
+1 to all of the above.

I'll also add this important word, Prioritise. Prioritise what has to be done in the order that is must be done and do it in that order :)
 
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Its about all of the above, plus balance. studying smart is working hard in the day and then going out with friends or chilling in the evening, you'll be relaxed, refreshed and feel like you have a life yet productive
 

trevhk

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As said above, studying in accordance to the syllabus is crucial. However, I also found that reading widely helped me dramatically, since I did partake mostly in humanity subjects.

Academic excellence is not only studying the textbooks and the syllabus but widening the parameters of your research. This applies especially with English. I read philosophy during year 11 and 12 out of my spare time or even when I was studying, not only was it stimulating for the brain, but I soon came to realise how invaluable it was to my analysis skills. The way you think and perceive is enhanced greatly, no doubt, and when in exam conditions you really shine. All that I had read which had no correlation to the syllabus whatsoever, came together during exams or during assignments, weaving threads and making connections. In whole, it allowed me to have a different take on certain subject matters which differentiated me from the rest of the students. Also, what you write actually carries A LOT of substance and that's where most of your marks come from.
 
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Sayangliss

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^+1 But just make sure you're reading what's necessary because sometimes you just might not have enough time to go as indepth as you'd like to.

Understanding the theory behind the concepts is far better than spending a lot of time just trying to remembering the concept itself.
 

bubbrubb

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In my opinion...

studying smart means

1. not doing any more work than is required specifically in the syllabus. This applies mostly to sciences. i think i spent more time scrutinising the syllabus dotpoints and discerning what i had to know rather than just learning it all. however subjects like modern history are a bit vague tbh so thats why i ended up hating this year because im not the type of person that wants to study stuff that wont be tested. (unless you like to gamble like me and study only small part of syllabus in depth in the hopes that it comes out in the exam)

2. write your own notes using at least 3 sources. (tho i am guilty of only doing this for a small portion of my studies...) but i do kno that the dotpoints i wrote notes on were basically ingrained into my memory. preferably hand written because your brain works harder when you hand write rather than type.

3. when you want to memorise, make sure you are always writing it down or typing it up. If you simply read your notes it will be very difficult to memorise. By writing your notes out while you are thinking about it and trying your best to not look at your notes, you will activate more parts of your brain. preferably handwritten as stated above.

4. know every dot point to a decent degree of understanding - don't spend all your time trying to know everything about 1 dotpoint then neglecting another.
.
 

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