Learning
Learning is a journey
One thing I wish I had known before getting into Uni
In high school, we were taught to cram all information, get good grades, pass our GCSCs, A levels, KCSE, etc. The content application did not matter.
Imagine the culture shock when you have to remember what you are learning in uni, almost comedic I tell you.
Entering an environment where answers are not linear. The way the lecture wants the question answered is in a way that clearly outlines your understanding of the concepts and in some cases a real-life application of said answer. Not a quick copy-and-paste textbook answer.
In my first trimester I did ok coz it was full of generals. The rubber met the road when I had to apply what I had been studying in a computational math exam and give a reason for my answer. I relapsed cramming was not the way to go and my grades were suffering.
I needed to find a way to learn, understand, and apply the information I was learning to get the best grades in the cats and assignments and depending on how wicked the lecturer is, the final exam.
But all this was second to my main goal, to understand what I’m learning on a deeper level. I wanted to have content about what I was learning, I didn’t want to study and just have a good grade I wanted the information to stay in my head.
I needed to learn how to learn for the long term.
In this article, I will give you some tips you can apply in your knowledge retention journey.
Change Mindset
My mindset shifted from studying for the exam to studying to grow my knowledge base in the subjects I’m learning. This shift made me more attentive in classes. Taking effective notes, listening to what the lectures had to say, doing the assigned readings, doing extra readings on the side apart from the course outline, and sometimes reading ahead of class. This shift made me an active learner.
Find the best way you retain information
Learning and paying attention are not enough. Information retention is another skill you must master to make your learning useful. It goes without saying if you are learning you need to remember what you are learning. I did my research and what I’ve found works for me is active recall and spaced repetition. these are good techniques I’ve applied and my grades moved from C+ to B+ and A’s. There are a plethora of ways to retain information you just need to find the one that works best for you.
Practice questions
This is another underrated study tip. I know we are used to throwing this away after Hing school but this very much applies in university. University learning structure is the same concept as high school just in shorter time intervals.
There’s this thing we do with my group of coursemates. When we are doing different units in the trimester, we send each other the notes, past papers, cats and assignments of the specific units either of us is doing. Even better when it’s the same lecturer. This gives me a sense of what to expect from the lecture, it’s like a peek into their mind. The way they ask questions what they expect from learners etc. Even though the final exam is moderated for all students you can still get a sense of what to expect
Conclusion
Learning to grow your knowledge and expertise in a subject instead of for the exam makes you knowledgeable in the subject of your choice. I think it’s important to have this mindset especially if it’s something you are passionate about or going to school for.