Stop trying to memorise facts and expect to score

As much as I have my reservations about the practicality of pen and paper examinations, they are here to stay (at least for the near future). So play the hand you're dealt and learn to avoid the mistakes that others have experienced. Here are my thoughts on the approach taken by many when it comes to the studying of Geography.

You see, it is easy to memorise information.

Before you start cursing at me, hear me out.

According to the Bloom's Taxonomy, pure information recall is a lower-order thinking skill. Just like how we used to play memory games when we were little, it is possible to memorise information without exhibiting any in-depth understanding of the context.

Therefore, should you be approaching the studying of Geography with the mentality that you can simply memorise and regurgitate chunks of explanation from the textbooks, you're assuming that the questions in your examinations are merely assessing your ability to recall information, rather than your ability to exhibit and apply your understanding to the geographical issues.

This short article is a call to get you to review your study approach.

While you are reading the explanations on your textbook, instead of memorising the entire set of explanation, try to:

- identify and highlight the key geographical terms (not sentences or paragraphs)

- make sense of these terms and their roles in the set of explanation

- watch YouTube videos to help you visualise the geographical processes

- do up a mindmap to help you unpack the overarching inquiry question of the chapter

Seek to understand instead of memorise. Only by doing this, you'll find meaning and clarity in all that you're studying.

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If you want to master essential skills, learn clear strategies, and gain confidence for your exams, consider this guidebook. I have distilled over a decade of teaching experience into practical advice tailored just for you.

You may also click on https://www.thatgeographyteacher.com/category/all-products to read about how you can use this guidebook effectively to enhance your learning of Geography.

For additional support to enhance your learning, head to

🔗 https://www.thatgeographyteacher.com/newsyllabus 

You’ll find sample answers to both the 2024 O and N-Level national exams. These are ideal for applying the techniques taught in Chapter 2, especially for understanding what a top-band LDQ or well-scaffolded structured answer looks like in reality. You can attempt the questions using the frameworks in the guidebook, then compare against the samples to learn from real answers.