Reading a Topic for hours doesn’t automatically mean you understand what you have read. You need to examine clearly whether you fully assimilated.
You can read for an exam and still perform poorly. As a matter of fact, many candidates fail exams because they enter the hall with assumptions (that they know).
Many candidates assume they have read the topic and as such can answer the exam questions that follow. When they eventually get to the hall, they realize that they are not able to produce what they have been studying.
The issue above is not a result of any problem or people after your success. It is due to the fact that you never tested yourself after your studies. Testing yourself after reading a topic does the following for you:
- Makes you realize that you never truly understood what you read
- It Makes you better understand what you have studied
- Makes it more difficult for you to forget what you have studied.
- Increases your speed in the exam hall.
I shall give you a few strategies you can apply to fully confirm whether you have fully understood the topic you are studying or not.
A. Paraphrase what you read and write it out. Do this without looking at your book. Putting a concept in your own words requires you to process and understand a topic more deeply.
B. Make notes from your reading material in your own words. Ensure to keep this note for revision sake. It should contain all the important points you have jotted under a subject.
C. Have a personal questions bank. As you read, write down possible questions that will come from that topic.
D. Have a study session with another student where you review these concepts one by one.
E. Test your paraphrased material with their understanding of the topic. If you are off base, you will discover the difference in the discussion.
F. Create a test for yourself. Wait at least 24 hours before you “take” the test. The act of writing the questions will be an exercise in the study as well as practice.
G. After completing some of those tasks, explain and/or teach the material to someone else to confirm that you have a clear and complete understanding of the material.
With the above steps, you should be able to test yourself after reading and pass any examination.
