who puts the kids to bed at night? You? Significant other? No kids?
This is an excellent study schedule -- I just printed it out -- but it is
pretty intense. I read somewhere about a mother who would take only one exam
per year, and study for it pretty much all year. It might work for other
busy people as well.
-----Original Message-----
From: jcourch@colognere.com-@-INETGW
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 1998 7:42 PM
To: Waldhauer, Amy; studygroup6@lists.casact.org-@
Subject: RE:Study Techniques
People have different techniques, and I 5'ed part 7 last time so mine isn't
necessarily a good one.
Personally, I think you are going very slow. If you are a genius and
retain everything you read, nevermind.
Here is my schedule. Of course I never actually follow it "perfectly,"
because there are always distractions to studying. So far I am on track,
but the hardest part is at the end, when you reach that "5" level and your
marginal return from studying one more hour is near 0.
Jan 1 - March 1: First Reading, use CSM outlines as base and write in my
own notes, which are extensive, attempt a few problems (perhaps 5 per
reading. If I can do them easily I stop at 5, if I struggle I reread
sections and do another 5, until satisfied).
March 1 - March 6: NEAS seminar which helps understand the hard papers, and
see the "big picture" of how the papers are related.
March 6 - May 1: Second and Third reading of "high point per page" papers
expanding on CSM outline when necessary and doing every problem I can find
- except the last 3 years which I save for the last week. I actively mark
sections of the outline that I think could be "possible" quesitons that
have never been asked before. Creating notecards - and using as I create -
from my (now complete) CSM notes, seminar notes, practice problems and
"other." Notecards are usually not "all inclusive," but stress areas that
I need to know better. By May 1, I should no longer have to "learn"
anything. (I have yet to reach this 1 week "buffer," of course you have to
move on to the last phase, regardless.)
May 1 -May 6: Practice exams (which are important to get used to the 4
hour timeperiod as well as to do problems), review of notecards,
rereading/memorizing A.S.O.P.and other small paper that ALWAYS get at least
a point tested (Sometimes you could anticipate up to 10 points that get
asked. While one would probably get 5 of these points correct anyways,
your confidence DURING the exam increases). Flip though my "possible"
questions from all papers.
May 7: Read (intense reading of ALL notes can be completed in about 8
hours) my CSM folder which is usually a rainbow of different colored
pens/markers/highlighters/sticky-notes. By now you should know the areas
that you need to slow down/speed up. Go to bed early (8pm)
May 8: *$%!+#
I find that by setting unattainable goals (like above), I avoid the "5"
level problem I described at the beginning. You have a list of things you
want to accomplish, so you keep going and going. .
JC