How To Study Effectively for The Examination

SQ3R Method- It refers to Surveys, Questions, Reading and Writing, Reciting and Reviewing.

The SQ3R method can help improve your reading comprehension and

retention of material. By engaging with the text in an active and organised

way, you are more likely to remember the information and be able to apply it

1. The SQ3R method helps readers engage with the text more actively and
2. It is an acronym for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.

The SQ3R method can be used with any reading material, including textbooks,

articles, and novels.

Survey

1.  Before reading a chapter, you should quickly study what that chapter contains. It is looking at a map to plan your route before you begin your journey. Before you start reading, take a few minutes to survey the text. Look at the headings, subheadings, and any bold or italicised words. This will help you get an overview of the material and prepare you for what you will be reading.

It would be best if you read the following:

1. Chapter Title
2. Main Questions Addressed
3. Keywords and phrases
4. Section headings
5. The labels of the tables
6. Look at the figures, if any, for an overall idea.
7. Summary of the overall chapter
8. UPSC questions were asked in both the Preliminary and Mains examinations.

Questions

1.  While surveying the chapter, focus on the questions the chapter attempts to answer. This approach keeps your mind alert and concentrated. Formulate questions based on the headings and subheadings. This will help you stay focused on the material and give you a purpose for reading. Write down the questions if it helps.
2. Convert the titles of sections and subsections into queries and write them down.
3. Add some more from the UPSC papers in the question bank-the ones you find interesting.
4. Feel free to add your questions.
5. Write down each question on a flash card.

Read and Write

1.  Keep your questions in mind as you read and try to answer them. Highlight or underline important information that relates to your questions. This will help you remember the material and make it easier to study later.
2. Read one section of the chapter, looking for answers to the questions you have written it down.
3. Separate the key ideas from the supporting details and examples. This makes you an active reader.
4. Write down the answers as bullet points on the other side of the flash card.
5. For a keyword or phrase, right the explanation as bullet points.
6. You can also copy figures from the book or add a diagram.
7. Don't forget to write down the chapter number on one corner of the card.

Review 

1.  After reading each section, this is the immediate recall of what you have learned. After reading a passage, put the material into your own words and recite it aloud. This will help you remember the material and ensure that you understand it.
2. Go to each card and answer the question orally from memory. Check your answers by turning over the card.
3. If you need to, please read the relevant section of the chapter again and correct the answer on the card.
4. Makeup mnemonics if you need help remembering a list of points. (A mnemonic is a word, sentence, or poem that helps you remember something. An example is easy to remember Word VIBGYOR, which stands for the colours of the rainbow.)

 

1. Review:

After you have finished reading the entire text, review your notes and recitations. This will help you reinforce the material in your memory and prepare you for any quizzes or exams. This is the essential step for retaining in remembering what you have learned after finishing all the sections of the chapter. After reading a passage, put the material into your own words and recite it aloud. This will help you remember the material and ensure that you understand it.

1. Review immediately. Again, could you look at each flashcard and answer the questions from memory?
2. Look for Connections between sections, then chapters and between subjects.
3. If you have time and inclination, look up the references. Access the website and go through the books and articles. Watch the films if you can.
4. Review the next day again.

Ebbinghaus Curve

• The Ebbinghaus curve, also known as the forgetting curve, is a graph that represents the rate at which people forget information over time. German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus developed it in the late 19th century based on his research on memory and learning. 
• Understanding the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve can help us better design our learning and study strategies and improve our ability to remember important information over the long term.
• Ebbinghaus conducted experiments in which he memorised lists of nonsense syllables and tested his recall at various intervals. He found that the rate of forgetting was highest immediately after learning and then gradually tapered off over time. 
• The Ebbinghaus curve typically shows a steep drop in recall within the first few hours or days, followed by a more gradual decline over the following weeks and months. The curve is essential for understanding the need for effective learning techniques to help combat the forgetting curve's effects.
• Spaced repetition and other techniques that regularly review information effectively combat the forgetting curve's effects and improve long-term retention.
• The forgetting curve suggests that we forget information rapidly after learning it, with the rate of forgetting slowing down over time. Specifically, Ebbinghaus found that we forget up to 50% of new information within the first hour after learning it and up to 70% within the first 24 hours. The curve then flattens out, with the forgetting rate significantly slowing down. After a week, we may only forget 10-20% of new information; after a month, we may only forget 2-3%.
• This card gives us shocking news once we have learned something new. The brain begins to forget the further information almost immediately and quite rapidly. In 20 minutes, we forget before getting about 40% of it, 40% of eight and by the end of 24 hours, two third would be gone from the memory. Fortunately, as time passes, the rate of getting reduces, and the curve flattens. In a month, just 20% remains in the memory. This level stays the same. A small part of what we learned stays in our memory for a long time. There are, of course, people. Solid memories and age factors. This curve, however, applies to most of us most of the time.
• You must review the chapter after 24 hours and repeat the study for longer. And longer intervals, say after one week, then after a month, in reality. This method will take less time and give you better results. There will be much less need to study the same books repeatedly.

Spaced repetition

1.  Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing material at increasingly longer intervals to improve retention and recall. The idea behind spaced repetition is to space out review sessions to optimise the brain'sbrain's ability to remember information over time. This learning technique involves reviewing information gradually to improve retention and long-term memory. Spaced repetition is based on the idea that by spacing out your data review over time, your brain can better remember and recall the information when needed. Spaced repetition is particularly effective for memorising vocabulary words, language learning, and other rote memorisation tasks. Spaced repetition is a highly effective learning technique widely used in language learning, medical education, and other fields where knowledge retention is essential.
   • The technique is based on the principle of the forgetting curve, which suggests that we forget information at an exponential rate over time. By reviewing information at increasing intervals, spaced repetition aims to reinforce knowledge and prevent it from being lost.

• • The technique involves using a spaced repetition software or app that utilises an algorithm to schedule the review of information based on how well you have remembered it in previous studies.

• • Using spaced repetition, you can optimise your learning and maximise your study time by focusing on the information you need to review most while spending less time reviewing the information you have already mastered.

• • Spaced repetition is often used with flashcards or other study tools. The user is presented with a question or information and asked to recall the answer. Depending on their level of recall, the flashcard will be scheduled for review later. For example, if the user

Successfully recalls the information, the flashcard might be scheduled for review in a day or two. If they struggle to remember the report, the flashcard might be prepared for an examination in a few hours.

• • Over time, the intervals between review sessions will become longer and longer to maximise retention while minimising study time.