We are currently in exam season, which means most students should be knee-deep into their revision and practice for the year end exams! Naturally, some students are on top of things and are on the way to crushing the exams. Others may be still figuring things out along the way, wondering what’s the right way to study for each subject.
Different subject requires different study approaches because some are more content-based and some are more skills-based. Whether it is your first time taking a particular subject or you feel like you could further improve your study effectiveness, the following subject-specific study tips may help you!
Math
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Review formulae & methods
Math is all about knowing your formulae and methods for solving mathematical problems. Consolidate the formulae you need to remember for each topic, as well as the type of questions that are found in each topic. You can outline the standard approach and method for solving those common questions, so that they are easy to refer to during your practices.
Build a checklist of skills and question types for each topic, so that you can keep track of whether you have mastered every skill needed.
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Practise
The bulk of studying for math should involve practising so that you know how to use the formulae and methods. The goal is to practise until you don’t have to refer back to your notes. Use your skills checklist to make sure you have covered everything you need to.
In the early stages of revision, start in order of topics, subtopics, and difficulty level to master each skill and build up confidence. Nearer the exam, practice should move on to mock papers where there are mixed topics. Timing your practices is also great for improving speed, time management, and your ability to work under pressure.
Physics
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Revise formulae and concepts
Physics is quite math-heavy, and involves memorising a lot of formulae as well. Make a cheat sheet of all the formulae for each topic and ensure you know the explanation for each formulae, and how they are are interlinked. Write them in an easy-to-refer format so that you can refer to them in your early stage of practising.
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Practise
Improve your answering skills through plenty of practice, being diligent to review your answers and highlight common mistakes and things to note.
There are two main types of physics questions: calculation questions and explanation questions. Ensure that you are aware of how to answer each type of questions, including technical details like how to present your workings, the units and significant figures to leave your answers in. For explanation questions, it is essential that you know the keywords and phrases that examiners are looking for.
Chemistry
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Create tables, charts, and mindmaps
Chemistry requires remembering a lot of equations and trends. These are best presented in a table or mindmap to show the interconnectedness of the concepts. This makes it easy for you to visualise and refer to during your practises as well. To aid in speed recall, you can also utilise flashcards to test yourself on any of the equations and trends quickly.
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Practise
Chemistry involves a fair mix of calculation questions and explanation questions. Doing plenty of practises will help you notice the important keywords you need to include in your answers, and train you to recognise topics quickly and react appropriately.
Biology
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Make notes
Biology is very content heavy, so it is useful to make notes and consolidate the content in your own way. Ensure you have a clear understanding of any topic from a macro to micro perspective, and highlight the key terms that are important for explaining any concept. You can make use of mind maps, flowcharts, and diagrams to help you!
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Use visual aids
Biology is a subject that involves a lot of systems and processes that we are not able to see with our naked eye. So, making use of visual aids like diagrams or even videos to learn and revise can be immensely helpful. Draw out important diagrams, colour-code them, label them – whatever works for you!
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Teach a friend
Besides understanding the concepts in your own head, you need to be able to explain them in the exam. You can practise this by explaining concepts to your friend. This encourages your mind to process the information and verbalise it, and also reveals to you areas that you are still not fully confident of explaining.
Languages
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Keep a language log book
Language is not something you can improve overnight. A good long-term strategy to improve language is to read widely and keep a language log book, recording any new words, phrases, or language rules and examples that you come across. You can also record common mistakes that you make from past assignments to remind yourself not to commit the same mistakes. This way, you have a personalised set of notes to revise instead of having to go through an entire grammar book when you study.
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Write essay outlines on hot-button issue
Current affairs and societal issues are common topics that come out in essay questions or even comprehension passages. It is handy to write some notes on these topics, including your own opinion, different perspectives, and important keywords that are relevant to those topics. A good practise is to pick one news article each day, summarise it and write arguments for different perspectives on it, or write an essay outline for it.
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Study model essays
Not sure how to write a good essay? Look at model essays provided by your teacher or assessment books! Rather than memorising them, analyse and annotate them to find out what makes them good. Take note of good phrases, good structure, or good examples you can add to your repertoire.
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Practise
Like most other subjects, practising is helpful for familiarising yourself with common question types and exam strategies. Practising comprehension passages helps you be aware of the answering techniques required to tackle each question, and improves your reaction speed to answer the questions more quickly.
Conclusion
And that’s it! Every subject is different in the type of assessments it has and the way you should study it. But of course, there is no fixed way to study – what matters is that you find a method that works for you and helps you improve.
Our tutors at Future Academy are here to offer you advice and guidance on our tried and tested methods for revision. Be it H2 Math Tuition or A Level Chemistry Tuition, join us for personalised small group classes that are designed to help you excel in your studies.