Description: Jestin shares the difference between a fixed and growth mindset. Which mindset are we operating from?
The two terms were first coined by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck. A revolutionary study observed student attitudes to failure and its results have moulded education to how we know it today. The study showed that knowing intelligence is malleable and that the brain can grow with effort, produces greater progress.
Being devastated by the smallest setbacks can instil a feeling despair, ultimately affecting academic results. Growth Mindset refers to the belief that you can improve intelligence, ability and performance. Sometimes the difference between the A and the A* is your mindset.
Revision Structure
You may or may not have heard of the term VAK – Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic. Personally, I would say my learning style is a combination of visual and kinesthetic. I understand best through diagrams, pictures and physical experiences.
However, whatever your learning style there are effective techniques that will guarantee success if implemented properly. The key to academic achievement is to plan and start revision early. Learning a little each day will consolidate knowledge and your revision is less likely to be affected by the increasing stress as exams draw near.
Students mostly revise by reading notes and this has been proved ineffective. On the other hand, adopting an active revision technique will help form strong connections with the content and make you re-evaluate what you think you know, forcing you to address any learning gaps. Active revision techniques include creating flashcards, mind maps and topic summaries.
A question that I have been frequently asked is ‘How do you revise for Maths and Physics?’. The best way to perfect a skill is through practise. Watching videos to grasp the theory and then applying it to exam questions is the best way to cement knowledge. Past Papers are an effectual resource and the benefits of working through them can be explained by the testing effect.
Although it may seem illogical, multiple subjects should be covered each day. Exams usually take place within days of each other; some students even have multiple exams in one day. Taking that into consideration, subjects should be evenly revised, and areas of weakness for each subject should be identified early and prioritised.
A common pitfall to avoid, is to just revise subjects that you are interested in. By creating a set routine of revision everyday, you will increase your motivation and it will become increasingly natural to cover subjects that are disliked.
It has been scientifically proven that when asked to retain and quote back a set of data, individuals recall the first and last items most accurately. Consequently, efficient revision plans consist of 3 blocks of 20 minutes, separated by breaks of 5 minutes, followed by a 30-minute break. A minimum of 21 hours is recommended per week but don’t panic! This only equates to 9 chunks of 20 minutes per day.
Positive Attitude
Pressure to do well in exams can be crippling. Whilst exam results can help you to advance into the next academic or professional stage, it is important to remember that results are not the only measure of success. In fact, success is a roller-coaster of twists and turns, rather than the delusion of a straight path. Take setbacks as a learning curve and this will catalyse personal growth and development.
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