# 05 TIPS TO STUDY SMART, NOT HARD \[Editor's note: The writings are based on my experience from reading books and articles on the internet. None of them are plagiarized from any sources. Most of it are original content.]\ \ \[**PREFACE :** This being my first article, I have resorted to 5 tips in detail. Future articles will be short and precise consisting of 10 crisp tips. Thank you for your understanding.] 1. **Load-Aim-Shoot : The principle of goal-setting**\ \ You may ask me first. Goal setting is the secret? Come on! Goal setting has been there for ages, it is a known tool and it doesn't work!\ \ The rule for goal setting is simple! \ "**China Police ATE Ice-cream**" is the acronym. **C-P-A-T-E-I**.\ **C: Constructive, P: Practical, A: Arithmetical, T: Time-bound, E: Elastic, I: Individual.**\ \ Skipping steps without analyzing each parameter would be like window shopping - you add items to the cart and close the app - you go home empty-handed.
**i. C: Constructive** \ Have constructive goals such as, "I will sharpen my skills by learning the tips in the blog named "10 tips to study smart, not hard", and implement its principles by studying for 4 hours daily.
**ii. P: Practical**\ John says, "I am a 22% scoring student. I will score 98% in my next exam." Impractical. If this was possible, Rome would be built in a day. John should have subsequent smaller goals of advancing from 22% to 45% to 60% to 90% and so on.\ \ He should instead reframe it as - "My last score was 22%. However, I will study 3 hours everyday and score 48% in the next test."
**iii. A: Arithmetical**\ Do we go to the grocery store and ask for "little rice"? Nope! We rather ask for, say, five kilograms of rice. Measurable. Arithmetical. 60% of goal setters start with the wrong personal goal. \ \ Students study with the aim - "I will study hard". This is wrong! Instead reframe as - "I will study for 25 minutes, take 5 minutes break, study up to 5 hours daily and complete 3 chapters of physics today". This is more achievable.
**iv. T: Time-bound**\ Mark, a 17 year old, has a goal - "I want to learn playing the piano, and have mastery in chemistry." When? After his retirement? To simplify, if any goal doesn't have a time frame, it is bound to get diluted in with time. Therefore, have practical, achievable, time-bound tasks.
**v. E: Elastic**\ \&#xNAN;*Goals are meant to be rigid and non-flexible. If we change them, why have goals at all?* - If this is your thought process, think again.\ \ Suppose, Angela aspire to become a tour guide but the market(currently Covid-19) situation seems to be volatile, recession has spread and jobs are as rare as an oasis in the Sahara desert. Should she still take here chances by sticking to the tourism industry at such a pivotal time? Should she still stick to her 10 year old plan?\ \ If yes, she might be making a blunder. Times change, so does market, amidst these changes we need to keep our goals flexible.
**vi. I: Individual.**\ Smith has an unusual goal - "My younger brother must get into the national-level baseball contest this year".\ \ Rather, this should be Smith's brother's goal.\ \ An goal should be self-centric. It must be personal and individual. The goal must say what you are supposed to do. The more the details, the more the efficiency.
2. **Peacock with two chairs : The principle of constructive study space**\ \&#xNAN;*The atmosphere you live in, influences 70% of your decisions, behavior and character!* \ \ There are 6 rules to keep in mind for effective study sessions :\ **i. Sparkle Shine**\ \&#xNAN;**`Your Room is the Reflection of Your Mind. Let It Sparkle Shine!`**\ Keep your room/study place neat and tidy. Do not keep anything around except organized study materials. Ensure that you study in the same place and don't change your spot often.\ \ **ii. Radar Range**\ \&#xNAN;**`If Your Study Materials Are Not Within Your Reach, The Deviations Will Be!`**\ Keep your required study materials in your radar range before you begin your study session. \ \ **iii. Right-click re-load**\ \&#xNAN;**`If You Indulge in Right-Click-Reload During Study Time, Your Results Will Right-Click-Refresh Your Academic Year.`**\ \&#xNAN;*Computer - Discord - Friend is Online - Voice chat - minutes become hours - Go back to study - Freak out - Facebook notification - Wow! One 'like' from crush - right-click -reload.*\ \ Make your study time 'no-gadget' time. When it comes to acquiring knowledge, the brain is not built to multi-task. It takes time to shift your attention back to study. So switch-off and ban those diversions.\ \ **iv. Yogananda**\ \&#xNAN;**`Sitting On a Sofa or a Bed Will Make Your Concentration Dead`**`.`\ There is a huge difference between a comfortable and a cozy position. One will let you study; the other will encourage you to sleep. Sit on a stiff chair and never on the bed or sofa. Don't let the angle of view strain your eyes.\ \ **v. Peacock**\ \&#xNAN;**`Till You Colour Your World, It Will Remain Dark!`**\ Colorful, positive and stimulating affirmations around you provide you a direct flight ticket from where-you-are to where-you-want-to-be.\ \ Make your room a masterpiece. Drown yourself with creative placards, pictures and slogans' so much, that you have no time and space for negative thoughts.\ \ **vi. 2-chair technique**\ \&#xNAN;**`The Two Chair Technique Helps In Winning Your Dream Seat!`** There are 2 chairs - Reading chair & Recalling Chair. \ \ Reading chair to comprehend the study material and take notes. Recall chair to recall what you have just read.\ \ For every one hour of studying, five minutes of recollection is a must. This helps retain long term memory.
3. **500 Page Book - On The Tip of Your Tongue**\ Each Chapter is divided into Multiple Paragraphs. The Number of Sentences in Each Paragraph Varies. One Paragraph May Have 10 Sentences; The Other May Have Just Two.\ \ One single paragraph will pertain to only one **"KEYWORD"**.\ \ I will explain one technique pertaining the same. There are several other techniques you can find on the internet.\ \ Lets take an example sentence - "**G**eorge has a **b**eautiful **m**ansion and a **w**ife."\ Consider only the first letter of the main words in the sentence. You can construct it as "GBMW". You can remember it as "**G**ermany manufactures **BMW.**" This helps cram/remember huge amount of information through smaller parts.
4. **Tuition Fees in the Bank**\ \&#xNAN;***`If you don't run your own life, somebody else will.`***\ All my friends attend Stanford coaching classes. Why should I be left out? What if I fail by not going to tutorials? \ \ To summarize, we all join these tutorials and waste time and money, only because we don't want to be separated from the herd. We feel 'left out of the tribe' if we do things others don't do. We don't want to stand out!\ \ `We are taught to be afraid!`\ We are not taught to embrace failure, we are always forced to strive towards success. It's a good thing to look forward to success but you also need to embrace failure and not suffer from a mental breakdown.\ \ Instead of depending on tutorials and professors, learn to make your own notes!\ The purpose of note-taking is so simple : To help you study better.\ It must answer **5 W**ives and **1** **H**usband - **W**hy, **W**hat, **W**here, **W**hen, **W**hom and **H**ow?\ \ There are 3 thumb rules for note-making :\ a. Relevant and accurate. \ b. Keep it simple, silly.\ c. Study before, during and after the class.\ \ You can further simplify note-making using these techniques :\ i. Bullet points\ ii. Spidey map : Create Mind Maps \ iii. Cornell System of Note-making
5. **BUS - (B)**ELIEVE , **(U)**NLEARN and WORK **(S)**MART\ 1\. **(B)**ELIEVE\ `If you can Believe it, You can Achieve it!` You need to have an idea or notion formed in the heart or mind. It is also a solemn vow or stated determination to perform. You need to be passionate about what you do. \ \ Attending the classes, Taking Notes etc. just because you have to, isn't going to help you reach where you want to. Be a Warrior, Not a Worrier! \ \ 2\. **(U)**NLEARN\ As a child, you are taught superstitious beliefs, mythical facts and other random stuff. You need to do 2 things - Unlearn and Relearn. Unlearn the unwanted stuff, and Relearn the necessary, logical stuff. Knowledge is Permanent - Pursue It.\ \ 3\. **(S)**MART\ `"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it."`\ As stated above in the article, use smart methods such as Spidey map, **5 W**ives and **1** **H**usband, 2 chair technique, Peacock and so on. Cut down distractions, keep it simple. \ \ Technology is a Great Teacher - Embrace It. Revise and Become Wise. To Cheat is to Be Cheap. ### SUMMARY Throughout the process, don’t let the goal of getting good marks become an unhealthy obsession. After all, education is about more than getting good grades. It’s about the pursuit of excellence. It’s about cultivating your strengths. And it’s about learning and growing, so you can contribute more effectively.\ \ It does require a bit of work to implement these strategies. But I know you are up to it. \ \ HAPPY STUDYING.! :D
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