best social studies study tips for SEE preparation

    Everyone studies. Studying is the way people learn new ideas. Studying means learning. Learning is different from memorizing. Learning involves your whole attention. It means making sense of new ideas and thinking them over. Learning happens most easily when students have a confident attitude and take interest in their work.

How To Do It

Here are some tips for studying:

• Give your whole attention to your study. Find a quiet spot to work. Bring all of your study aids: notes, books, a pencil, some paper. Sit upright in a chair at a desk or table. Turn off the television. Let yourself concentrate.
• Organize what you need to learn. Think about your subject. What do you know and understand already? What do you still need to learn? If you can bring together what you already know, with what you still need to know, your study will go smoothly. Try organizing like this:
  • Make a list of important ideas, key people, terms, and events.
  • Make an outline of key concepts in the chapter.
  • Make a timeline showing important people and events.
  • Make a map showing important information.
  • Take notes about the things you think are important.
  • Highlight information that you need to know, so you can find it again easily.
• Make sense of what you know. Now think about the information you have organized. Does it make sense to you? Ask yourself questions to test your understanding. This is different from memorizing. Make sure you are thinking deeply. Do you know why an event is important? Do you understand how a key person influenced an event? Do you understand the ideas behind the events? Do you understand the ideas that influenced people to act? Keep reading and studying until your questions are answered.
• Rehearse what you know. Now that you understand the subject, you'll need to remember it. This takes practice. It means going over what you know. You might reread your notes or book. You might memorize some information. Be interested in your studies. The subjects you are learning link you to human beings from the beginning of time. People everywhere think about the things you are being asked to learn. If you relate what you learn to yourself and to others, you'll find your studies take on new interest, even fun!