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A short guide on how to score more
SECRETS OF TOP STUDENTS
REVEALED
Table of Contents
5. Becoming Students of the Future- The New-Age Learner
4. Tackling Exams
3. Benefits of Online Learning
1. Learning Decoded
What learning is not!
Learning Information Is Not Gaining Knowledge
Learning Is Not PerformanceLearning Is Not Doing Homework
Learning Is Not Memory
Use of Learning Strategies
Checklist of Learning Strategies
Understanding Your Learning Style
Effective Revision
2. Learning ‘How’ to Learn
Importance of Practice
Dealing with Exam Anxiety
Active Revision
Key Revision Strategies
Exam Taking Skills
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Learning Decoded1Learning is at
its best when
it happens on
its own.
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This ebook is about learning to learn. Strange as it may sound, herein lies
the key to becoming a brilliant student. Let’s begin with the concept of
‘learning’.
As a student it is important that you create an environment in which ‘real’
learning emerges on its own. You cannot insist on learning. Yes you heard
it right and you might want to tell this to your parents too :)
In the following section we will debunk some popular notions about
learning.
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Learning is not any of these!
Learning Information Is Not Gaining Knowledge
So you know the atomic weights of all the elements, can describe the
water cycle and its stages or you can (if in a senior class) reproduce the
structure of Benzene on paper.
Now, these facts will stay with you for a period of time (say, till the test),
and then when you no longer need them, they will get pushed out of
your memory. Let’s face it, information is not knowledge. In order to
qualify as knowledge, information has to be accumulated into a pattern
that is useful somehow in your life. Knowing how to eat healthy to stay
fit and using effective strategies to cope with exam anxiety are some
examples of knowledge gained from information.
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It is important to understand this distinction. Learning and performance
are two different phenomena. They are related but not the same.
Do you remember that during exams, you could not
recall the answers in spite of having prepared well?
That was not a failure of learning but a failure of
coping with exam stress.
So, an overemphasis on marks, when we set out to
learn is, actually detrimental to real learning. Marks
will follow. Let’s focus on learning first.
Learning Is Not Performance
Learning &
performance
are two
different
phenomena
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Simply finishing off homework does not ensure that you’ve learnt. Bet you
can recall those occasions when in spite of finishing homework on a topic,
you drew a blank in a surprise class test the next day!
A lot also depends on the quality of homework - is the HW simply a
practice of skills, or does it also involve learning new skills.
Agreed there is very little that you can do
to influence the quality of HW you get, but
the least you can do is stop fooling
yourself (and others) into believing that
you have studied, when all you did was
finish your homework!
Learning Is Not Doing Homework
Simply finishing
homework does not
ensure that you’ve
learnt
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Memory plays an important role in learning, but surely learning is not
equal to memorising.
Let’s understand this further. Suppose, you have ‘crammed’ the fact that the
earth takes 365 days to complete one revolution around the sun. However,
if this information is not ‘connected’ to any other
information and sits by itself completely unrelated
in your brain, then this fact cannot help create
meaningful patterns of knowledge.
If, on the other hand you are able to understand
how earth’s revolution causes changes in seasons and why different
countries located on different sides of the globe experience the seasons at
different times, then your knowledge is complete.
Learning Is Not Memory
Learning is
not equal to
memory
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Can We Actually
Learn
HOW to Learn?2
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In order to be an effective learner, it is important that you take
responsibility for your own learning. It is not only important to know ‘What’
to learn, but also ‘How’ to learn.
Learning Strategies are tools that help in the understanding and
remembering new knowledge. Which are some of the learning strategies
that you use most frequently?
The following list will help you identify some of the learning strategies
that are frequently used by you:
Use of Learning Strategies
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I draw pictures or diagrams to help me understand a subject.
I make up questions on a subject and try to answer them.
When I am learning something new in a subject, I think back to what I
already know about it.
I discuss what I am doing on a subject with others.
I practise things over and over until I know them well in a subject.
When I don’t understand something in a subject I go back over it again.
I make a note of things that I don’t understand very well in a subject, so
that I can follow them up.
When I have finished an activity in a subject I look back to see how well
I did.
I organize my time to manage my learning in a subject.
I make plans for how to do the activities in a subject.
I review my concepts to check if I understand the ideas in a subject.
Checklist of Learning Strategies
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Studies reveal that students who used only a few of these strategies
reported more difficulty coping with schoolwork.
So, start using learning strategies that work for you. Let’s make a plan,
beginning today!
Ask Yourself These Questions & Learn Better
What is the topic of today’s lesson ?
What will be the important ideas in today’s lesson ?
What do you already know about this topic ?
What can you relate this to ?
What will you do to remember the key ideas ?
Is there anything about this topic you don’t understand, or are not
clear about ?
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People learn in different ways. While we do use all our senses to collect
information, some of us tend to use one sense more than others while
learning. Knowing one’s preference for the mode of learning can help one
learn faster and more effectively.
Learning style refers to the characteristic way in which an individual
acquires, perceives and processes information.
Students are often seen to have more than one preference with regard to
their learning styles and more often than not, students are known to use a
combination of two learning styles. Once you know how you learn best,
you can adjust the way you study to make the most of the study hours.
There are several ways of classifying Learning Styles. One popular method
classifies learners thus - Active Vs Reflective Learners, Visual Vs Verbal
Learners and Sequential Vs Global Learners, Sensing and Intuitive
Learners, each with their respective learning styles.
Understanding Your Learning Style
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Active
Reflective
Visual
Verbal
Sequential
Global
Sensing
Intuitive
There are several ways of classifying
Learning Styles. Some of them are :
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They tend to retain and understand
information best by doing
something active with it
Active Learners
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Study in groups where you can take turns to explain topics to one
another.
Recall the experiments or field trips related to the topic.
Go back to the laboratory for hands-on work .
Solve previous exam papers.
Practise your answers.
Use plenty of examples, case studies and real-life applications in your
notes.
Study Tips for Active Learners
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These learners prefer to think
about the problem quietly first and
prefer working alone
Reflective Learners
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Think about what you read and ask possible questions.
Avoid simply reading or memorising the material, you will soon
lose interest.
Try to think of the real-life applications of what you read.
Try writing short summaries of the topic or lesson in your own
words to help you remember what you learn more effectively.
Study Tips for Reflective Learners
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These learners remember best
what they see
Visual Learners
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Use plenty of diagrams, sketches, flow-charts or other visual
representation of the study material.
Prepare a concept map by listing key points, enclosing them in boxes or
circles and drawing lines with arrows between concepts to show
connections.
Colour-code your notes with a highlighter so that everything relating to
one topic is in the same color.
Make sure that you have a clear view of your teacher when they are
speaking, so that you can view their body language & expression.
Study with the help of videos and slides wherever possible.
Study Tips for Visual Learners
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Such learners get more out of
written words
Verbal Learners
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Write summaries or outlines of topics in your own words.
Organize any diagrams, graphs etc into statements.
Take detailed notes during important classes.
Turn reactions, actions, diagrams, charts etc. into words.
Participate in class discussions and debates
Practice with multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
Working in groups can be very effective – you can ‘hear’ classmates
explain concepts and learn even more as you ‘explain’ things to them.
Study Tips for Verbal Learners
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Such learners understand better
when each step logically follows
from the previous one
Sequential Learners
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When your teacher ‘jumps’ from one topic to another or skips some steps
in between, you will need to ‘fill in the gaps’ to follow and understand.
Chapter-wise revision notes and summaries (synopses) can be very
handy for learners such as you.
Strengthen your global thinking skills by relating each new topic to
things you already know.
Get ample practice on application-based questions for effective
learning.
Study Tips for Sequential Learners
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These learners learn better when
they have the ‘big picture’ first
Global Learners
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When your teacher plunges straight into a topic without giving you the
much needed overview or ‘big picture’, you can skim through the entire
chapter quickly to get an overview or read the topic heads and sub-
heads to form connections.
Spend time on one subject rather than trying to study too many
subjects on a single day.
Try to relate the subject/topic to things you already know to see how it
connects to other topics and disciplines.
Study Tips for Global Learners
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These learners enjoy learning facts
Sensing Learners
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When the subject you are studying is abstract, ask for specific examples
and procedures and find out how the concepts apply in practice. This
will help you learn better.
Try to focus more on ‘understanding’ the material rather than
memorising the facts.
Develop innovative thinking. Begin by approaching every
situation/question in a new way to come up with different solutions.
Study Tips for Sensing Learners
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Such learners prefer discovering
possibilities and relationships
Intuitive Learners
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When the subject you are studying requires memorisation and rote
substitution in formulae, try looking for theories that link the facts or
try to find the connections yourself.
During exams, take time to read the entire question before you start
answering to avoid careless mistakes. If you have time, go through your
answers carefully.
Study Tips for Intuitive Learners
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Benefits of
Online Learning3
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Learning via
Textbooks aloneTutor-driven learning
You can pick up the book
anytime and resume where
you left off. Except when the
lights are off ;)
Ever seen a book with a game
in it?
You really won’t be carrying
your 5 kg backpack full of
books everywhere
Tuitions are usually time bound
and fixed. Don’t want to study
now? Sorry! No choice.
Nope
You will have to wait for your
next scheduled tuition class
to clear your doubt!
No scope for personalisation One tutor for many many
students. No personalization.Personalised learning
Study anytime
Gamified (fun) learning
You can read a textbook as
slowly as you want
Pace of learning is defined by
the teacher. Remember how
you felt when the teacher
was too fast?
Learn at your own speed
Study anywhere
Passive reading of textbook
makes it difficult for the learner
to engage with the material
Unless a tutor is extremely
innovative, active learning
remains a distant dream
Active / Engaged learning
Everyone gets the same quality
book
Are there better tutors for
Maths in locality ‘A’ as compared
to ‘B’? What about days when
your tutor is in a bad mood?
Uniformity & consistency
Get Personal attention.
Always!
Be your own Boss
Make learning Fun
Online Learning
- Meritnation.com
With online learning you are
always connected. Study whenever
you want, even the midnight
before exams!
Online learning is just like a game.
Points, avatars, badges & more
help you stay motivated & jump
on to the next topic.
Just whip out your phone or laptop
& you are ready to start studying
One-on-one learning. Completely
personalised
You control how fast you learn.
Didn’t understand that concept?
Watch the video as many times
as you want!
Self-directed, interactive learning
keeps the student actively engaged
& motivated
Content made by the best minds in
education, passed after several
rounds of testing & backed with
regular updation to keep up with
changes in syllabus/trends
Benefits of Online Learning
Learning is limited to the
visual modeMulti-sensory learning Rich animations and multimedia
content in an interactive gamified
format combine the best of
audio-visual learning
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Largely limited to lecture mode,
though a small number of
enterprising tutors are trying
to incorporate multimedia
elements into their teaching
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A textbook does not lend itself
easily to collaborative learning
or learning with peers
Affordable but limited
No scope to know how you fare
vis-a-vis others your age
No scope for collaborative
learning
The cost of tuitions is going
through the roof!
You can compare your
performance at best with
only other batchmates in
the tuition centre
Assessments limited to textbook
questions. No Reports
Assessments in the form of
weekly tests, are not
accompanied with detailed
performance reports
Sophisticated assessments
& feedback reports
Collaborative learning
Affordability
Comparative
benchmarking
with peers
Only time involved is that
spent studying
A lot of precious time is spent
traveling to and from tuitionsTime saving
Identify Your Weak Spots
Learn with Friends
Save time & money
Online Q&A forums like Ask &
Answer help you learn by linking
up with the smartest students
all over the world
An extremely cost-effective option
at 1/10 th the cost of tuitions
Features like Live Test Series in
Maths & Science help you compare
your performance with the best
minds all over the world
One-on-one learning. Completely
personalised
Time-saving: everything that you
need, is available at the click of a
mouse without having to step out!
Blended Learning Boosts Achievement
A recent study conducted by the U.S.
Department of Education found that
students involved in blended learning
programmes generally performed
better than students who participated
in face-to-face instruction.
Face-to-Face
Learning
Self-Paced
Learning
Online
Collaborative
Learning
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In addition to the obvious benefits of flexibility, convenience and cost
effectiveness, online learning offers certain unique advantages that can
give students the much needed competitive edge.
1. Weak area identification using sophisticated technology:
As a result you focus only on those topics/concepts that you
are weak in for maximum advantage. A very effective study
strategy that is difficult to implement without the aid of
technology.
2. Social Learning:
Peer review and collaboration through social media features,
that help you connect with and learn from the smartest
students in India.
And hey! There is an interesting advantage to the component
of social learning.
The Unique Advantages of Online Learning
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Studies reveal that when interacting online,
students learn that it is important to
emphasize positives, celebrate success, be
constructive and also learn how to take
criticism. Thus, online learning is a good
forum to learn conscientiousness, teamwork
and resilience.
Online Learning & Social Skills?
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Research has proved that games are effective learning tools. People learn
more from a game than from other modes of learning.
Gamified Learning:
Why Should You Try Game-based Learning?
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There are 3 very essential conditions required for learning. The elements
in a game meet these conditions easily. Here’s how:
1. Motivation to Start and Remain Engaged
Game goals, challenges, conflict cooperation, reward
structures (feedback, points, achievements such as badges)
easily fulfil this requirement.
2. Relevant Practice That Prods for recall
Reward structures that unfold in the context of game levels
(or avatars as in Meritnation.com) seamlessly ensure that a
student continues to play and learn.
3. Specific and Timely Feedback
Timely feedback on performance that guides and corrects. Reward
structures and game feedback loops take care of this aspect.
There are 3 very essential conditions required for learning. The elements
in a game meet these conditions easily. Here’s how:
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EXAMS!
How to Give Your
Best Shot?4
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In order to make your revisions more than simply cramming all of what
you have studied into an already overcrowded brain, here’s what you need
to do:
Key Revision Strategies
Ask Questions: Try asking questions - Why is this so? How do these
areas relate to each other for quicker revision?
Revise Everyday: Don’t leave your revision until 2-3 weeks before the
exam. Revision should be a continuous process. Log on to websites like
Meritnation.com everyday to revise all that you studied in school. Doing
so
will leave you less stressed.
Make a Revision Time Table: Look at your syllabus and prepare a list
of topics you need to revise before exams. Start off with a smaller
number of hours and increase these week by week.
Active Revision
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Break up the Day: Intersperse ‘interesting’ subjects with those that you
find relatively boring to help maintain your concentration levels.
Organise Your Notes: Condense your notes into brief summaries of the main points of the topic. Meritnation’s Revision Notes and Synopsis come in real handy here.
Practice: Answering questions from past exam papers. Sample papers and previous years’ board papers on Meritnation are very popular with students.
Simulate Exam Conditions: Attempt answers under timed conditions. Full length test papers like the ones readily available on Meritnation make this easy. And that’s not all! You can even ‘check’ your answers against the ‘model’ answers provided.
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Take Short Breaks: For every hour you study, take 5-10 minutes off. Don’t work longer than 3 hours at a time. Do something completely different.
Group Study: Work with other students in group revision sessions. Discuss topics and share information within the group. Peer collaboration and various other social learning opportunities provided by Meritnation.com have served as fertile learning grounds.
Follow a Healthy Routine: During revision time, try to maintain a normal routine. Eat well and get adequate rest.
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Practicing skills over time causes 'neural pathways' in the brain to work
better.
To improve your performance:
You need to practice frequently.
Get lots of feedback so you practice correctly.
Keep a track of your errors – learning from your mistakes can help you
immensely.
Importance of Practice
You Can Learn From Your Errors Too!
Understand the Error- Look for something about the error that you
can remember to help you avoid making it again.
Commonly referred to as ‘careless mistakes’.Rushed Errors-
Continually making errors of a particular type probably Repeated Errors-
indicates that you may not have a good grasp over the concept at hand.
If you can find the error and/or don't understandCan’t find the Error? -
why it was an error, it’s time to get help with the concept.
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It is quite normal to feel some anxiety before exams and feel those
butterflies in your stomach as exams approach. In fact, findings suggest
that for some students a little bit of pressure spurs them on and
enables them to get down and do some serious work! It is when the
stress levels go beyond a point that the alarm bells should start
ringing! Here’s a simple 3-step process to help you effectively manage
exam-triggered anxiety:
Step 1: Recognize The uncomfortable physical and emotional
experiences in the body as symptoms of anxiety. Here’s a quick check
list.
Tick (�) on the checkbox if you experience any of the emotional &
physical symptoms before or during exams:
Racing heartbeat
Sweaty palms
Stiffness at the back of the neck
Nausea or diarrhoea
Light-headedness or fainting
Feeling of “going blank”
Frustration
Experiencing distracting thoughts of failure and of poor performance
Feeling overwhelmed
Dealing with Exam Anxiety
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If you have answered a ‘Yes’ or � in three or more fields, then it is
possible that the anxiety you experience before or during your exams,
prevents you from doing your best.
Step 2: Classify your worries as those that lie within your circle of
influence and those that are outside your circle of influence and over
which, therefore, you have no direct control.
Here is an example of a ‘Worry Diary entry’ to help you classify your
worries so that you can deal with them more effectively. Go ahead and
prepare your own worry diary. You will soon realise that while some
worries are ‘real’, some are at best hypothetical.
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Step 3: Practice calm breathing and try to improve your problem-
solving ability. Rather than worrying about a problem, try to look out for
solutions to tackle it. In other words, try to actively think through what
you plan to do about the situation.
Prepare your own “Anxiety Buster Plan”. Following is an example of an
Anxiety Buster Plan.
Upcoming Chemistry
exam.
Any other
I still have 5 more chapters
to finish. I will not be able to
pass this exam.
I will focus only on Chemistry
today & tomorrow. Will also
attempt a test on Meritnation
and go through the Revision
Notes, so that I feel confident
before the exam.
SituationYour ‘Worry’
Thoughts/Script
What Are You Going
To Do about It?
Reasons for WorryUnder Direct
Control
Beyond
Control
Incomplete science project
for assessment
Probability of a difficult
Maths exam
Classify Your Worries in This Manner
�
�
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A lot will depend on how you attempt the question paper on the day of
the exam. Here are some pointers that you can keep in mind:
Exam-Taking Skills
Listen to the instructions given.
Read the instructions on the paper.
Read the paper carefully.
Decide which questions you are going to answer and in what order. You
might feel better starting with the question you feel most confident
about.
Don’t write everything you know about a topic. Be selective from the
information you know.
Analyse the question. Underline or highlight key words and phrases. Ask
yourself what the question is asking.
Plan and structure your answer. Does it have an introduction and a
conclusion ? Does it answer the question ?
Look carefully at the allocation of marks for each section. This will help
you apportion your time correctly.
Answer the required number of questions. Keep a watch on time.
Remember, you don’t get marks for questions you have not attempted.
Allow five minutes at the end of each question to read through your
work.
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Becoming Students
of the Future:
The New-Age Learner5
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The depiction below highlights the skills current students need in order
to meet the ever changing needs of the global market.
Beyond the 3R’s - the new skills the world is looking for
In this digital age, where the use of smartphones and tablets is steadily
increasing among students, the way we approach learning too has to
undergo a 360 degree change. The new approach for this digital age
should well be Find, Filter & Apply. Soon, you as students will no longer
need to know everything. All you will need to know is just how to find it,
how to filter to get the most relevant information, and to apply it.
CBSE’s open text-based assessment (OTBA) can be seen as a positive
step in the direction of encouraging students to apply their knowledge
to the problem at hand.
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We at Meritnation are committed to continue in our efforts to add value
to the lives of our students in order to help them become global
students of the future.
We hope you enjoyed reading this ebook. Do send in your suggestions/
feedback on possible topics for more such downloadable ebooks.
Drop in a mail at or call 011-40705070
We wish you the very best for all your endeavours.
Happy Studying!
Team Meritnation
.
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Meritnation is India's largest online education platform and is
trusted by over 70 lakh students. We have the world's most advanced
Study Material with 7000+ Animated Videos, an unlimited question
bank and comprehensive Sample Papers.
We offer a gamified learning experience and adaptive computer-
assisted analytics that help you learn at your own pace. This ensures
a strong foundation and a complete mastery of all topics.
email: [email protected] 011-40705070