Hi!
It’s Kay again!
It’s been a few months since I’ve written to you guys for Smart Student Secrets but I’ve been involved in the background. I’ve been finishing up some stuff for my classes (and rereading KAIC to make things a little easier.)
Quick note: that last email Aaron sent got some serious response from you! We weren’t prepared for it so we’re getting a little bit delayed in sending our replies back to you all but we’re super happy to read each and every one of them. Sorry if it takes a couple more days. 😮
Aaron wanted me to tell this story –
I always thought I was a “bad test taker.”
I would get nervous about a test. I’d study super hard for it. But then… come test day…
Ughhh…. I wouldn’t remember a thing (or it would feel that way.)
I later learned – that’s the difference between familiarity and knowledge.
Most strategies student’s use to prepare for a test improve a student’s familiarity with a subject.
But those familiarity strategies don’t actually help the student remember the information.
Familiarization works for open book tests. But for most classes, familiarization will just get you feeling that “I know it but I don’t remember it” feeling.
And that feeling – is worse than just not knowing because that feeling will increase your stress levels and make it harder for you to remember the stuff you actually could have remembered.
That’s why, when I discovered SSS years ago now, my whole school philosophy changed for the better. I learned the power of active recall and I became skeptical of “familiarity-based” strategies like highlighting.
At first – this may “feel” more difficult. It’s kind of like exercise for your brain. The first days are always the hardest. But once you get into a rhythm, your whole body reinforces your good behavior. You feel better. You look better (less stressed out at least.)
Even if you’re laid back about it, people around you might start thinking you’re super disciplined. It’s not discipline though. It’s more like automatic.
I was just looking at my grades for my finals.
I spent years at this now, and despite the huge positive changes I’ve made, I still get nervous come test time. I have that little voice whispering that I might screw it up.
But looking at my grades…
those voices obviously don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.
As much as it feels strange to admit, I’m no longer a bad test taker.
-Kay
Every Journey Starts With A Single Step
If there is one thing I’ve learned in life…
It’s that decisions are about risk.
I’m going to tell you some stuff that sounds pretty crazy.
Want to learn:
- Why You Screwed Up In The Past Because Of The Things They Forced You To Do – And What To Do Instead
- How To Get A Top Score (Even If You’re Failing Assignments Now)
- 5 Biggest Reasons Students Get Bummed And Give Up
- How to prepare for a test so well that test day is easier than studying
- Learn to predict what’s on the test with (almost) perfect accuracy
- How to use the most science-backed study strategy to study in a fraction of the time
That’s the kind of stuff we keep bottled up for people that sign up to our email list. Including tons of members-only articles.
Now let’s get back to decisions…
You can take a chance and sign up for this email list… Or you can never take a shot.
What’s the risk here?
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There are no words to show my appreciation!