How to Study and Score Top Class Marks And Stay Ahead Every time in Any Subject

 

EXPLAINED NOW: Simple and Powerful Steps on How to Study, Gain Knowledge, Start Scoring High Marks And Stay Ahead Every time in Any Subject

The SQ3R Method

The SQ3R method requires time. If you are in a hurry, you may want to skip the process.

 

Every student has his own style, technique or method of studying that he thinks will help him best to gain knowledge. Sometimes these techniques may work for him and sometimes they may not be so effective.

 

I would like to introduce you to a study system called the SQ3R method in this blog. This method was developed by Francis P. Robinson way back in the year 1941. Even after more than eighty years, this simple and effective system of study has proved successful for many students helping them master their subjects.

 

So, if you are a student or a professional who has to study a subject you may be interested to know more about the SQ3R methodology.

 

 Benefit:

 

Following the SQ3R method of studying can help you understand your subject better. This in turn will commit the content to your long-term memory and you can retrieve it as and when required.

 

Before We Begin…

 

Remember, to get the most out of this technique it has to be used daily and not once in blue moon. Also, don’t think of cramming as you implement this methodology.

 

Let’s Set the Ball Rolling…

 

As is evident, SQ3R has 5 Steps – Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.

 

Be Ready to Get Amazed at How Much You Can Learn and How Much Your Grades Can Improve

 

SURVEY

 

Survey here means to pre-read a chapter that you want to study. Surveying does not mean reading the whole chapter. It involves reading the following things in a chapter:

a. Read the title of the chapter.

b. Read the heading and the sub-headings.

c. Focus on the vocabulary used

d. Go through the graphs, charts, pictures, and diagrams provided in the chapter.

e. Read the summary of the chapter if it has been provided. The summary is usually provided at the end of the chapter.

f. Read the first and the last sentence of each paragraph.

 

Once again I would like to remind you that surveying is not reading the full chapter.

 

ACTIONABLE

Ask the following questions as you read a chapter. You should also write the answers to the questions in short.

 

Q1. What is the title given to the chapter? Does it tell me something about the chapter?

Q2. What headings and corresponding sub-headings have been given in the chapter?

Q3. List down the various sections that the chapter has.

Q4. Some books offer objectives at the beginning of the chapter. What objectives, if any have been mentioned?

Q5. Does the chapter contain any quotations? If yes, list down the quotations that appear most important to you.

Q6. Have any words in the chapter been highlighted? If yes, write down those words that you need to lookup.

Q7. What does the graph or chart, if any, tell about the chapter?

Q8. Write down 3-5 topics that you will learn about once you read the chapter completely.

 

QUESTION

 

After you have surveyed the chapter, it’s time to pose some questions. The questions can be categorized under 1H5W – How? What? Where? When? Who? and Why?

 

As you survey the chapter, try to convert whatever you read into questions – you may convert some headings or subheadings into questions. You may not know the answers but you will come to know that these are some answers I need to seek once I start to read the chapters.

 

Let’s take an example. Suppose you are reading a chapter on ‘The Art of Delegating’. You come across a few subheadings like - Definition, Importance, and Stages of delegation. Based on these four subheadings you can design your questions.

 

Some questions could be –

What is delegation?

Why should I delegate?

What happens if I don’t delegate?

What are the four stages of delegation? How are they important in the process of delegating?

 

Hope you get the idea.

 

READ

 

After you have surveyed and prepared some questions, now you are ready to explore the chapter. This is where we start our reading.

 

You will find in textbooks that in a given chapter there are many paragraphs. Usually, each paragraph is built on the preceding paragraph. So, it is best not to skip paragraphs. Instead, understand the first paragraph before you move on to the next. If you don’t understand a paragraph you may have to read it many a time. Just follow the process. You are reading to master a topic.

 

Reading a novel doesn’t require much work because it is read for entertainment. But reading a textbook is different. You need to do 3 things as you read –

 

1. Highlight the key points

2. Take notes in your notebook

3. Take notes in the margin of your textbook

 

That is why it is important to buy your own textbook so that you can personalize it with your remarks and notes.

 

Some people think that highlighting or writing on the pages of the textbook will spoil the look of the textbook. So What? You have bought the book not to keep it neat and clean so that you can resell it. You have bought it to master the subject, whatever it takes.

 

Here are certain tips that you can follow as you read your textbook:

 

a. First, read the entire paragraph.

b. Identify the topic that is covered in the paragraph and highlight it.

c. Highlight the key phrases that support the topic in the paragraph.

d. If you don’t understand a word google its meaning or search the meaning in the dictionary.

 

The mind will tell you – C’mon, read it fast and finish it. Why waste time searching for the meaning?

 

Don’t listen to your mind. You have to become a master of your subject. The idea is not to finish reading the book. The idea is to gain a deep understanding of the subject. If you plan your studies properly, it’s not necessary to finish reading the whole chapter in one single sitting. If you want, take a break but never ever seek a shortcut to reading the chapter.

 

The next step of reading is to take good notes. You may have highlighted or written some comments in the margin of the textbook. Now you have to expand on that and make notes in your notebook. Making notes will create a connection between your mind and the fingers with which you write. This will help you remember the content for a long time.

 

When you make notes, don’t simply copy word by word from the textbook. Instead, use your own words to explain what you have understood about the topic. This way you become the author of what you have written. You take ownership of the content and your mind remembers it for a long time.

 

For example, you may call this blog a sort of my note-making on the topic of active reading and developing comprehension skills.

 

RECITE

Recitation is a simple yet crucial step in learning skipping which may result in a poor understanding of the subject.

 

Here are a few actionable that you can practice during recitation. You can do it alone or with your friend who has the same goal as you – to master the subject:

 

1. Once you have read the section following the steps mentioned above, ask yourself – What is the paragraph about?

2. Discuss and try to explain to your friend the main points of the paragraph or chapter. Do it without referring to the textbook or your notes.

If you are not able to do it, you may not have understood the topic. You need to re-read it and then repeat the steps.

 

REVIEW

 

Review literally means – to view again.

 

The definition of ‘review’ is - a look back at something in order to check, remember, or understand and be clear about something.

 

So, here’s something that will catch you by surprise – After you have cleared the RECITE step, go back and read the paragraph or the chapter again.

 

We review things for a reason – to see if we have missed something.

 

While you review the content go through all the markings and notes you had prepared for the content. See if you have any questions left that were not answered before. This way you will also make sure that you have really understood the topic.

 

If you follow this step you are taking your brain through a process of retaining the information for the long term.

 

 

SUMMARIZING SQ3R

 

The SQ3R methodology of studying is best suited for understanding content or texts that may be technical or overwhelmingly hard to comprehend.

 

Sometimes the steps in the method discussed above may irritate your mind as it may demand that you finish off the task as soon as possible, even if you don’t understand it’s okay.

 

This is what we need to resist. Just stick to the process. There is no hurry to complete the chapter. Remember, you are reading to master the subject, not just finish reading it.

 

Make SQ3R your friend and see it become a lifesaver in the long run when it comes to comprehending any kind of content.

 

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