Studying
Kallan
Having just entered a new semester, I’ve recently started getting back into the study routine I used throughout last term, however as my classes have progressed to the next level, studying now looks a little different. My goal each day is to understand the lesson content of every class, this usually involves reviewing any notes taken whilst the teacher was talking and translating anything I don't fully understand.
My favourite way to memorise new vocabulary is by creating a ‘character story’ in my head. This involves breaking down each character into its radical components, and understanding their relation to the meaning. This was a technique that I learned in S1, however it remains very useful to ensure I not only remember what the word means, but also how to write the hanzi (汉字) from memory. Next, I create a flashcard set on Quizlet for each class, copying all of the vocab from our textbooks out so that I can clearly see the meaning and the pinyin, I think this is especially useful because if there happens to be a word I don't recognise when studying, I can sort the flashcards into groups based on my level of understanding.
I also enjoy watching some of my favourite TV shows with Mandarin dubbing and English subtitles, so that I can mimic the pace and intonation of the characters’ speech, and pick up more conversational vocabulary.
While this may seem like a lot, I promise I will never do all these things in the same day. I think it's important to study small amounts, and often, rather than overexerting yourself with large, intense study sessions. That being said, when I do feel up for a big study session, I enjoy losing myself in the library. Being surrounded by students who are all so focused really helps me stay motivated, and the quiet atmosphere paired with the shelves and shelves of books sets a calm, relaxing tone.
Overall I'd say that the results reflect the effort you put in. Weeks when I study consistently, I notice a difference in class and in daily practice I naturally understand more, compared to weeks that I've maybe taken a more relaxed approach. However, you are always making passive progress every day, whether you realise it or not. Being immersed in the language leaves so much room for you to soak up new information all the time and studying only helps to accelerate that process!
Eve
Last semester I tried my best to do most of my studying on the weekends because I didn't have a proper routine for after class. This caused me to get overly stressed as my course work began to pile up and I began to lose track of things. As it got closer to my winter exams I began to spread my studying more throughout the week and found that keeping a notebook specifically for vocab helped keep my thoughts organised while doing as many practise questions as possible helped me understand the content my teachers were giving me.
This semester however I have found it best to get into a routine from the first day by writing down and going over everything we have done in class that day to help me further understand what I was being taught and to help me memorise the vocab more easily. When it comes to learning new vocab I found that although flashcards can be helpful they aren't very efficient when it comes to memorising how to write them. For learning new characters I try to write them out at least three times each day, while doing active recall, until I can confidently write them without needing a prompt. It also helps as we do dictations at the start of class with our teacher on
on the new words we have learned for that lesson.
In regards to the environment I like to study in, I am an avid hater of the library as to me it is too quiet, I like to talk myself through most of my homework and repeat outloud new vocab I am trying to learn meaning whenever I go to the library I just become unmotivated and bored. The biggest thing that has helped ensure I actually study this semester is not letting myself “relax” until I have done my school work, meaning I don't end up procrastinating all my work and not having any time to actually understand the content.
Compared to last semester I can already see a difference in my skill level and confidence due to the good habits I have picked up, I would say the best way to ensure you feel little stress during exams and actually feel yourself improving is to keep up to date with work, get into a good routine and find the environment you feel most productive in.