Studying for your matric exams can be hard and extremely time consuming. The bad part is that even if you put in the hours, you are still not guaranteed success.
That’s why we aim to teach methods that not only save you study time but that also help you achieve better matric results.
One such method is the Feynman Technique.
This technique was used by Richard Feynman (Physicist) to help him understand and remember complex theories. Its success and practical nature has thus been used by many University students and if it can help someone understand quantum mechanics then surely it can help you 🙂
The method consists of the following four steps.
Choose a topic that you need to study. Lets take the Doppler Effect in the Physical Sciences curriculum but please remember that you could apply this to any subject or topic.
Then take a blank page with the heading ‘Doppler Effect’ written right on the top. Then simply explain (out loud) the concept as if teaching it to someone else. Write down definitions, draw sketches and explain everything in simple language but in great detail.
Take note of parts that you do not understand but really try and explain everything as if the person that you are teaching has no prior experience in the topic.
Now that you know all the parts that you do not understand, you must go back to your textbooks, teacher or class notes.
This helps you fill in the blanks and rounds off the concept in your mind perfectly. The great benefit is that you do not have to cover the entire section again, simply the parts that you could not explain.
Lastly go back to your sheet of paper and explain the parts that you struggled with. Be creative and make examples that anyone can understand. That completes the process and leaves you with a deeper understanding of the topic that you less likely to forget or struggle with again.
This process can be done on any matric subject and will help you greatly in all your future studies. Learning this way is better than simply studying parrot fashion for ridiculous hours.
Working hard and working smart sometimes can be two different things.
This method can be used in the following ways.
- Learning new work and concepts
- Remembering the work that you have studied for your exams or tests
- Revising work, during the year and also at examination times when there is simply not much time to study all the work
So warn your loved ones that you may be talking too yourself quite often this year 🙂 but please give this a try and tell us your results. Lastly, please share this with your friends if you have found it useful. It might just be the missing piece that changes their academic lives forever.