The Study process
The first step in the study process is planning. There is a cliché that goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail,” and studying for an examination is no exception. A study timetable is a tool that helps the learner to manage their time and hence use it optimally. The planning process of learning also involves the organisation of the relevant materials that one need to study to perform in a given examination. A well-planned study session may turn around one’s fortune in an exam. The next step is the actual study.
Several activities are poised to occur during the actual study. Perusing the study materials is done during this step and as content is reorganised in the method that the learner deems easy to synthesise. Some students will prefer to conduct silent review, others will do citations while some will take short notes or draw maps and diagrams. This synthesized information can then be learned fast in future before the examination. The next step is self-testing.
Self-testing involves the learner setting questions or other forms of tests to ensure that the information learned is remembered. The learner can always refer to the notes and establish the areas they have a problem remembering. Re-reading the problematic areas will help in understanding the content better.
In conclusion, the three steps in a successful study process are planning, performing the actual study and reviewing of the knowledge gained. Revisiting the previously read sections will serve to strengthen the weak areas in the learning process.
