5 Key Study Components

5 Key Study Components

1.      Study Plan

2.      Refill Pads

3.      Exam Papers

4.      Stopwatch

5.      Coloured Pens

1. Study Plan - Before you even unpack your bags, you're going to need to know what you want to do. You need to make a plan of what you want to achieve during this study session. You must be specific - it's not good enough writing down 'History (2 hours)', you have to specify which element of the course you will be covering. For example; 'influences of the French Revolution on Ireland (30 minutes)'. This will enable you to look back in the weeks to come to see what you have studied, or more importantly, what you haven't. Always give a time frame with the topic and tick it off when you have finished studying it.

2. Refill Pads - You will need to write a lot. Whether that's doing notes, essays or establishing a study plan. Have at least two refill pads at all times, you're going to need them both in class and at home!

3. Exam Papers - Absolutely crucial when studying. You can get all the answers correct in the books, but when it comes to the papers, you may struggle. Get papers for all of your subjects. Even if you are not given homework in the papers, do some questions. Start with the most recent questions and work backwards through the years. Instead of using sibling's papers, try to get the latest copies. Remember, both the papers and marking schemes are available at http://examinations.ie

4. Stopwatch - You're going to need a stopwatch for both timing yourself doing exam questions and timing yourself studying. We've all got stopwatches on our phones nowadays, but when using our phones studying, it is very easy to become distracted. Try to get a dedicated stopwatch that you use just for studying.

5. Coloured Pens - It's important to make things stand out on the page. Colour is a great way to do that. Whether you're underlining things in a book or writing words in different colours in your notes, it is good to highlight the most important information.