How Your Friends Use To Get Better Exam Scores Than You In Less Time

How Your Friends Use To Get Better Exam Scores Than You In Less Time
You're probably looking at the title of this article and thinking that there's no way it's possible to improve your grades by studying less. After all, you've always had to put in so much work just to make barely acceptable grades, haven't you?

by Dr Marc R. Dussault

You’re probably looking at the title of this article and thinking that there’s no way it’s possible to improve your grades by studying less. After all, you’ve always had to put in so much work just to make barely acceptable grades, haven’t you?

Though, now I’ve mentioned the possibility, you must at least be curious.

Keep paying attention as I give you some useful secrets to studying effectively and efficiently, rather than through sheer brute force of spending lots of time. Plenty of people have dealt with the same problems and found good solutions– and not-so-good solutions, too. You can help yourself study far more effectively by taking advantage of their advice.

Even at this very moment, other students are using study strategies far more successful than yours; the crucial thing is for you to find out what they’re doing right. After all, the best way to learn about anything is to ask the experts.

So half the secret is in getting inside the head of those who are studying like this right now.

You ask how that can be done?

Blue printing others actions for success.

A good starting point is to find out how your classmates work. Talk to the best among your classmates; find out just what they’re doing to get the grades they do. Most will only give you vague answers about “working hard,” but don’t be deterred. Get the details of what they mean by that.

You: George, how are you getting such good grades no matter how much you don’t like a class?

George: I don’t know. I just study hard and apply myself I guess.

You: Just what does it mean to really put a lot of work into studying?

George: Well ya know I spend a lot of time studying. Don’t you?

You: Yeah I do, but I’m not getting the results that I desire. How come you can spend seemingly less hours than I do in a week?… How many hours do you spend studying exactly?

George: Probably around four hours a week. One a day on three days between Monday and Friday, and sometimes another hour on the weekend.

You: When do you study?

George: I study as soon as I get home. I can’t concentrate after dinner because I get too sleepy. If I have an after-school activity, then I study about an hour after dinner. I go and do a social activity with mates for an hour or so, this relaxes me and helps me to focus more.

You: Where do you study? At home, the library, outside in a park?

George: Your question is rather coincidental. In the past, I studied in my room because my parents were watching TV and I found it too difficult to concentrate. Now, I just go downstairs to the nice, quiet basement instead.

It’s important that George doesn’t feel like you are slamming him with too many questions. Be sure to check in with him to make sure that he is okay with participating. George needs to feel as though you are happy and grateful for his cooperation and help. He might not be aware of how much you appreciate his input, so you should clearly communicate your pleasure.

You: Now that you’ve made it as far as the desk, what’s your next step?

George: I determine what I am going to accomplish in this session, then I start. I do all the assigned problems. If I have time left over, I’ll try the odd numbered problems if the even ones were assigned. I stop doing problems when I “know” I can do this type of problem. It usually takes me three problems to get the hang of it. I do all my extra math problems that I don’t hand in to the teacher in pen - which helps me see my mistakes when I review for quizzes and exams.

You: I really appreciate it, George. I think I’ll try some of that stuff tonight. I also wanted to let you know that using pens of different colors seems to help me visualize and recall the notes. You should consider trying that. I’ll be in touch with any other suggestions.

It is important to show other people how much you actually appreciate the time they invest in helping you to advance. The best ways for doing that depend on the individual people and the situation. The important thing to remember is to show your gratitude afterwards with at least a heart-felt ‘thank you’.

Your professors and teachers, parents, older siblings, or even your local librarians could serve as excellent resources as well. To find the best match, try to find a mentor that has already accomplished the same goals you’ve set for yourself.

About the Author:

About the author: Dr Marc R. Dussault can show you how to easily get better grades using proven “speed study” methods that anyone can learn. Visit the “Get Better Grades” web site for more great tips on speed learning.