Study Guide of A Failure Who Made It
College Life
I was used to having supportive friends who will be there to help when I need some tutoring or upliftment, but at that time I felt all alone. My barkada (a group of friends in high school) has taken a different path and I don't want to bother them. I lost motivation that I screwed up especially in my Math 1. The Professor taught like everyone in the room is good in Math like the one in that room who's an Accountancy student (she's a CPA now) easily answered her Mathematical questions. That made me insecure and I screwed up more. I often absent to focus on other subjects specifically those where I was chosen as a group leader. I don't want to fail my team so I prioritize those subjects. I also participated in extracurricular activities that caused burn out that I haven’t experienced before. I almost lost consciousness while I was in a hurry not to be late for my Sociology class.
The semester ended and I was so exhausted. All I want is to go home and rest, but it was not the end of exhaustion. I failed in my Math 1. I took a summer class and retake Math 1. I got used to being busy so I also took up Filipino 2 on that summer. I was all alone in my room because my siblings and cousin went home for a vacation. I was alone but was not lonely because I was able to focus on studying. I rented a very thick book about College Mathematics and that became my bible on that summer.
Realization
All my life I believed I am dumb in Math, but that summer changed my perspective. Nobody's dumb when the right effort and focus are exerted on a subject believed to be difficult. As neuroscientists said, it's all in our minds.I passed my Math 1 and never failed again on my higher Maths. I am blessed that I found the book Think and Grow Rich on that summer because it pushed me to my limits.
It's a long Introduction so I'm gonna make my answer to the question below short.
How to study effectively?
1. Seek knowledge and believe you can do it. Never underestimate your capabilities. All things can be mastered with constant practice and focus. That leads me to the second tip.
2. FOCUS. When I say focus, it means you must give all your attention to what you are studying that even how loud the music that comes out from your headphones, you cannot notice it. If you can relate to this, you can proceed to the next tip. If not, observe yourself and find out the best way you can focus. People have unique rituals to find focus and remain focused. On my side, I listen to my playlist (mostly motivational songs) when my roommates become loud as I study. When I'm in a peaceful environment, I just read, understand and let myself be immersed with the content of the book I'm studying. Most often, I answer the quiz section of the book or I will create my own questions based on the statements in that book. Which leads me to the 3rd tip.
3. Test yourself. This means you have to do some practice tests to know your weaknesses, and if you really understand what you've read/studied. Memorization alone cannot help specifically in Mathematics. Memorizing the formula is not enough. You must understand how the problem was solved and why the answer was different from yours (even if you followed the right formula). That will bring you to the next tip.
4. Be open-minded. Accept the fact that you are not perfect, but you can convert your weaknesses into strengths with the right determination. Accept your faults and change to become the best you can be.
I think that's all you need to study effectively, but don't forget that you need to have good books and references before anything else. Don't forget to rest too, but don't relax too much. You might enjoy resting than studying, so always set your alarm to limit your rest period. I suggest using a speaking alarm clock that has puzzles or mathematical problems, and you cannot turn it off if you cannot solve the problem. That had been my technique to push myself and do what I need to do.
Hopefully, that helps.
You can also read the article I wrote previously which is related to this topic here.
