Hey juniors! Today I present you with: Study methods that helped me jump grades in JC2
Before we start, I’d like to reiterate that each of you probably have a different study method that suits you best. I am here to share the best study methods that worked for me, and others that did not work, over my 2 years in JC.
My story starts with me struggling in the first year of JC. I came in as a straight A student, without having to study much, and as such, I did not know how to really study when I entered JC. Immediately, H2 Economics and H2 Further Mathematics delivered the consequences of my earlier negligence, and I received an E and D respectively. It really shocked me, because I had really mugged so hard and it was the most that I had ever studied.
But here I’ll give you my first tip. Tip #1 Do not lose faith in yourself. It was easy to fall into the downward spiral and think that I just was not capable of doing well, especially since I received such poor results although I had already given my all) However, somehow I convinced myself that I was performing below my ability, and decided to solve the problem rationally.
I reflected that my poor grades was because I could not finish my Economics essays in time and could not solve Further Mathematics problems in examinations as they were too different from practices I did in the revision packages.
So here’s my Tip #2 Reflect on your past mistakes, like solving a puzzle and Tip #3 Learn from your classmates/ online sources. Regarding Tip #3, most of the study methods I will share below are either from Tiktoks I watched or from consulting my friends who were doing well in these subjects on their methods. So really, don’t struggle alone!
After I did all these and corrected my mistakes, I was able to pull both of my grades for these subjects up to Bs.
1. MY BIGGEST, BEST, MEGA TIP: NOTEBOOK FOR MISTAKES AND CORRECTIONS Grab a notebook, and every time you learn something new, write it down in the notebook! (such as after you look at the answer sheet and find out how to answer a question you made mistakes on, or a teacher said something that clarified your doubts during class) When a question
regarding a concept pops into your mind, write it down too, and remember to ask your teacher immediately the next day.
We all learn the most from our mistakes and doubts. For those of you who are wondering why you cannot score well even though you can do all the basic tutorial questions and know the notes very well, I would even say this is what bridges the gap between an A/B and every other grade.
But the thing is, we forget easily. After we had that moment of epiphany, by the time the next day comes, we have already forgotten what was the mistake and the correct answer. So I
believe we should write it down, and every time we open that notebook to write something new, we also revisit our past mistakes.
This will save you so much time when you are revising for examinations, so you don’t have to go back to your tutorials/ practices and search for all the epiphanies you had.
Here’s some pictures of what a page of mine looks like:
2. IMPORTANT, BASIC, BUT OFTEN NEGLECTED TIP: TIMED PRACTICE PAPERS AND SUGGESTED ANSWERS
Are you still revising by rereading your notes? Do you still only practice 1 out of the 3 economics essays at a time? Do you just keep doing the revision package your school gives for mathematics (not practice papers)? Do you always struggle to finish the papers in time?
JC examinations are hard, and they don’t give you the time you need. The best way to go into exams and be able to complete the paper is when you are already used to everything (the question types, their suggested answers, the time you are giving yourself for each question and even the layout of the paper). Every second is precious and you want to have it all planned out, and have your plan tested by doing timed practice papers. It also helps you to think faster on your feet, and master concepts more effectively than just reading notes.
And it’s just not the same as doing topical revision packages, or doing essay outlines, or giving yourself a whole afternoon to write one essay.
In the days leading up to the examinations (Around June-August in JC2), you should start to practice almost every paper of each subject at least once every 2-3 weeks, focusing on your weaker papers.
That’s all from me. Hope this helps:) All the best for JC exams!
By: Zhuo Lin
Zhuo Lin is an about-to-be university student who spends most of her time writing, reading, travelling, and watching sitcoms (but she truly spends 50% of her time studying computer science while thinking that she needs to touch grass) She enjoys sharing her knowledge of navigating the education system through writing, and also engages in writing poetry, prose, stories, and fanfiction.