How to Study Efficiently: Key Strategies by Steven (JB)

Introduction

Problem: Main reason students don't get top grades is due to not studying, because studying feels time-consuming and daunting.
Personal Experience: Steven (JB) hated studying but improved by learning to study faster, resulting in less procrastination and better results.
Promise: Teach efficient study techniques to achieve great results while studying less.

Power of Expectations: Beliefs about aging showed people with positive outlook on aging had better health outcomes.
Application to Studying:
- Having a negative expectation (e.g., "this will take forever") can make study sessions longer and more tedious.
- Actionable Tip: Start with a positive mindset; say out loud "this task will only take X amount of time."
- Result: More focus and efficiency; change in perception changes action.

Concept: Focus on essential areas that yield the most significant results.
Gold Mining Analogy: Concentrate on "gold nuggets" or critical concepts instead of everything.
Implementation:
- Spend time on weak points and topics heavily tested in exams.
- Avoid focus on strong points during revision.
- Use past papers to familiarize with exam formats instead of relearning content.
- Learn from mistakes in past papers for more efficient learning.

Purpose: Increases awareness of time spent and encourages efficiency.
Benefits:
- Time awareness helps adjust pace (speed up/slow down as needed).
- Encourages task completion in the least amount of time (similar to speed runs).
- Set specific time targets for tasks to evaluate efficiency.
- Example: Parkinson's Law (work expands to fill the time available).
- Tip: Set an 'unrealistically realistic' time frame; surprises occur in efficiency.

Call to Action: Try these strategies, set timers, and see efficiency improvements.
Additional Resource: Check out "Student Accelerator" for courses and workshops.
Encouragement: Take action to improve your student years and achieve top grades.