How do I study : A sharing

Bismillah


When I first read the chatbox when Farah, a visitor of this blog asked me to share my study tips, I was quite startled at first, and felt a little bit reluctant to write them. Well I really thought that Farah is asking the wrong person since I have never been called for distinction nor did I succeed with flying colours in every examinations. But I still passed alhamdulillah. Anyhow, when I read it carefully and note the word 'share'.. maybe I can give this a go. Maybe what Farah wants to know is how do I study up until now and see if these techniques suit her and plus, this is just a sharing isnt it? I can share whatever I want provided that it is beneficial to everybody, right Farah? ^^ So here it goes~



#1  Be motivated

There is a Chinese proverb that says 'A diamond cannot be polished without fraction, nor a man perfected without trials'

So in order to succeed one should understand that at some point in life, failure is inevitable. But do understand that it is the failure that teaches us how to live, gain strength and shine again. When I was 12, I did not get a good result for my UPSR. At such a little age, you may wonder this thing didnt affect me a bit. Sadly, it did. And it affected me a lot.


The reason being my brothers and sister did very well in their exams and I just dont know why, there's this trend in the family to send the children to an elite secondary school after finishing primary school. My brothers studied at Victoria Institution and St Johns Institution, both in KL and my sister at CBN High School, KL. Because my result were bad, I didnt get the chance to study there, so I just went to the sekolah menengah near my house, which was famously known for its gangsterism act and was very popular indeed to the policemen in that city. So yea peeps.. dont you eva mess with me aite, I still got that gangsta thing running in ma blood. Muehehe ~


Though my parents never mentioned it, I knew that they were actually quite disappointed in me (for studying at that school I mean, not because I became a gangster okay! lol). So I tried to prove them wrong, and it is NOT okay to feel disappointed just because of my UPSR result. With Allah's help, alhamdulillah I did well in my PMR and went to better school after that. So what I am trying to say here, when I study, I always remember that I hate it when my parents feel sad and disappointed in me. Therefore, I will study hard to make sure that such thing will never happen again. And THAT keeps me motivated. Same goes to you, remember certain situations in life that will give you the motivation you need. By that, you will be able to perform well inshaAllah


#2 Maintain our relationship with Allah

Yup, it is maintain.. that is to CONSTANTLY be aware of our relationship with Allah. One thing we need to understand today is, Allah does NOT exist only during exam weeks my friends, but He, the Exalted, is with us all the time. Hence, seek help from Him, ask for the barakah of the knowledge we have, and for Him to guide us through the painful years of our studying time until... forever! To me, it is just not right to be attached with the Quran and do extra ibadah only during exam time, because it is as if we are making Allah as a tool to get what we want, but on the contrary, He is the One that we want. To gain knowlegde in order to get His blessings and for the benefit of the ummah.. arent those our purposes in this life?


#3 Maintain good relationship with family, teachers and friends

Again, it is the issue of barakah we are talking about. I believe that most of us really take it serious when it comes to relationship with parents and other family members, but how many of us are really being considerate with what our friends feel regarding our attitudes towards them. Many people might take this lightly, but with Allah's power, I've seen incidences that taught me to really really appreciate my friends. It is a little bit personal so I dont think I can share it here. But I do hope you get my point.

And as for the teachers, do engage with them. Show interest in what they are teaching and if you have many free time, do visit their room and ask questions on topics that are not very clear to you. Remember to be VERY polite when asking questions because no teacher enjoys a company of a rude student. Smile a lot and thank the teacher's willingness to spare some time with you despite their hectic schedule.

                                                                           (kredit)


#4 Read notes repeatedly

When reading textbooks,I was told by someone to not read it like reading newspaper, that is, to make sure that we have sheets of papers by our side and also, a lot of pens. Jot down important points from the books right after you learn that topic and you can make the notes as colourful as you want. This tip will be really helpful especially when the exam is approaching and we still have lots and lots of topics to cover. By making short notes, you dont have to open the book, read that particular chapter once again and read it line by line because we dont have that much time left! (but of course if you have the time, by all means, read them all over again, and you'll do better in the exams :D )


Sadly, I have to tell you the truth that I rarely got the chance to make many short notes and keep reading them during my free time time since I entered clinical years because why? Because my time management was so bad that it made me feel really disappointed with my self. But alhamdulillah, Allah is so Gracious that He still let me passed the exam. Allah.. how can we not love Him for the nikmat He gave us? I pray to Him that my success in the previous exams will not let me become forgetful for His blessings


#5 Past years exam questions: A-MUST-DO

It doesnt matter what kind of examination you are sitting, be it PMR, SPM, A-level or professional exams in the university, past years examination questions are definitely a-must-do. This is to prepare ourselves, and for us to be very familiar with the exam format. It is better if you can dig the whole bunch of exam questions your seniors passed at the beginning of the semester and try to do it throughout the year. By the time the exam comes, suddenly you realise that you've completed most of the questions! And you also have prepared a list of topics that are popular in the exams and during the revision week you can give more attention towards that certain topics.


Of course there are a lot of methods to study smartly but basically these are the methods that I did (or at least I have once or twice did!). I may not be the right be person to be writing this entry, but like I said, this is just a sharing, and it would be lovely if the readers of this entry can share some of their study methods as well. I would really really love to read that :)  But, say you have set your intention right, tried all methods and have studied very very hard but still to no avail, remember that it doesnt matter whether we succeed or not, because in the end it is  the effort that we put in that Allah takes into account. Maybe if you dont see the fruit of your efforts in this life, surely He is keeping something amazing for you in the next, for Allah has said in the Quran

“[And it will be said], ‘Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated.’”

(Al-Ihsan: 22)

IZ: Dear Farah, hope this will do ^^