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In my earlier post I have discussed the importance of ensuring that you are fully aware of the higher levels of the syllabus and the interrelationships between each section of the syllabus. This is a key examinable skill that sets apart the fit from the weak. You need to have this in your repertoire to put yourself in the position to succeed.
Unfortunately, I find that the key revision materials that are being published don’t necessarily put you in the position to visually connect areas of a syllabus together easily. A set of ring binded index cards are not going to give you what is needed to visually conceptualize the different areas. Monotone text organised in undifferentiated pages within a endless text book is not going to really help you out too much either. Especially as the exams draw in closer, many will tend to just ‘get through the material’ rather than invoke learning. Remember that this is the wrong approach. If you need to find more time to make sure the information sticks, do it. However, I suggest an alternative approach…
I find that right after you read a chapter in the book, you have enough retained knowledge to answer a few basic questions over what you’ve just read. But as soon as you move on to the next chapter, the knowledge that you have seemingly obtained dissipates. This short termism can be counteracted by a technique I have picked up – knowledge mapping:
* Finish reading the chapter and recap the information by briefly flicking through the pages and looking at the headings.
* Have a quick look at the related syllabus learning outcome statements
* Get a blank sheet of paper and put the chapter title on the top and highlight it in your favourite colour.
* Start working through the chapter, and plotting the different elements that you think are important. Start linking them together. Use things like diagrams and charts as much as possible to visually represent the material.
* Only use one side of the paper, leave the other side blank.
* After you are done with a book, you will have anywhere from 11 to 26 pieces of paper with the key important elements.
* During the revision phase you can lay them out in front of you in an open space and start flicking through them, and you will find that the related topics just tend to flow. You can organise the papers to put two of these topics together and compare and contrast them, find linkages and further your investigation as necessary.
* You can use the blank sides of the papers to now enter in any additional notes (maybe as a result from practice questions, or a review of the syllabus) and key concepts that you want to drill in to create a comprehensive set of visual aids.
I think you will find that you start to think of these areas quite visually and these images (of your notes) will start coming to you when you are doing your exams. Part of this method’s effectiveness is that you are approaching something with a new method which challenges your mind in ways that you might not ordinarily be inclined to do.
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