CSIR NET Learning Ideas
In this article, we are going to help you simplify your CSIR NET exam preparation process by giving you the Top 10 Active learning Ideas which are not just practical but also usable by most CSIR NET Aspirants, including you!
So, Let’s get started!
In our student life, we do passive learning; In fact, our entire education system of today, is built around passive learning, we sit in a class and listen to the lecture; we sit in the next class and listen to the lecture again. Now even though, we are in the 21st century, but we still do passive Online learning because we sit and listen to online lectures even there. In fact, just watching this video right now is also passive learning.
So let’s first know what active learning is – Now, active learning is a process, where students are engaged during the class or after the class through discussions, debates, problem-solving, case studies, role-plays, and various other methods.
The benefits of active learning are huge – you learn better, retain longer and recall faster but always the onus to implement active learning falls on the teachers, but today we will change that
.Today I will give you 10 Active learning ideas that will help you study better, retain longer and recall faster.
Number one: Buddy Study & Buddy Revisions
Now, I wish to highlight here, how important it is to have a study buddy who is also preparing for the CSIR NET exam. If you have a friend who is also having a common goal, you can meet on the weekends and study together and revise together. The benefit here is that you get a Bird’s eye view of your preparation status. Now let me give you an example – You studied Developmental Biology this whole week. Suppose Today is Saturday; invite your friend, discuss developmental biology questions, and revise together, which will help you both inch towards victory together.
So the active learning formula here is Study => Revise with a Buddy > and Repeat
Number Two: One Minute Reflections: Normally, you study from a book, and some times you make notes while studying, but if you really want to level up your preparation, then finish a topic, close the book, and write whatever you remember from that topic in a notebook or a whiteboard. Hide the Paragraphs and Just take one minute to Summarize in a Notebook, whiteboard, or Powerpoint. This will help you see what percentage of concepts you actually retain and recall now, and if you feel you are unable to recall well, then go back and study that topic again.
So the formula here is Study > Reflect > Repeat
Number Three: Flowchart Making: Now, this is an extension of my previous point, Now, here you make a pictorial representation of the concept you just studied. Now you can either draw it on a whiteboard or a piece of paper. Now remember, whenever you try to represent data in pictures and flowchart format, your creative brain kicks in, and that way, you remember longer. Also, never forget to take a pic or a scan of the flowchart on your mobile so that you can revise it whenever you are traveling.
Remember the Mantra here: Study > Flowchart > Repeat
Number Four: Chain Notes
Now, this is a brilliant way to collaborate and crowdsource your revision when you and your friend are in 2 different locations. It’s effortless, and all you have to do is share a google document with him and simultaneously go online on a video call and crowdsource your Notes and or revisions. The additional benefit is Your google document notes stay forever with you in your google account, so it becomes super easy to refer back when traveling.
So the mantra here is Study > Collaborate in Google Docs > Repeat
Number Five: Audio Notes
Now, this is for those who hate writing. I was once upon a time a student, who used to hate writing. So what I used to do. I used to take audio summary notes of important topics and listen to them while exercising, traveling, or revising. But when taking audio notes, you have to be lucid and explanatory enough so that you can listen to them with ease in the future. Also, always record on mobile so that your audio notes are always available on the go.
So what is the formula here: Study >> Record >> Revise >> Repeat
Number Six: Concept Pictionary
Now, this is an awesome idea, and you are going to love it. In fact, we often play this game while training our students for CSIR NET. To play this game, you need 2 teams of a minimum of 2 players each. Now Suppose there are 2 teams – Team and Team B. Team A will give a concept word to Team B, and someone from Team B will explain it by only drawing it on a whiteboard and not by telling it to his teammates of Team B. This way, your teammate has to guess the right concept word with visual clues on the whiteboard.
So the Active Learning formula here is Study > Play Games related to What you studied > Repeat
Number Seven: Teach A Friend
Now, teaching someone is an age-old concept, but as a student, you can benefit from this idea by identifying the weakest student in your class and helping him/her understand the concept. Remember, knowledge expands as it’s shared, so when you teach, you learn much better. Just try once, and you will know its benefits.
So the success mantra here is Study >> Teach your Friend >> Identify where you lack >> Revise >> Repeat
Number Eight: Fish Bowl
In this method, you and your friend have to write various conceptual words on a piece of paper and put all of them in a bowl. Now take turns to pick them up. Each time you pick a word, you will have to explain it to your friend, and if you explain correctly, only then you will get the point. If you fail to explain, your friend has to explain and that way revision happens in a play-way method.
So the learning Formula here is Study >> Gamify >> Recall >> Repeat
Number Nine: Make a Study Gallery
Now, this is a method that I learned from the co-founder of Biotecnika – Neha ma’am. In her student life, she used to buy chart papers, use sketch pens to make large flowcharts of important concepts in her free time, and used to paste them in the frequently visited areas of the house such as the bedroom, study room, or dining room and each time she used to walk past it, she used to look at it, and that helped her qualify CSIR NET in her 1st attempt itself. So you can also opt for this same strategy and qualify faster.
So the formula here is Study >> Create Memory Milestones >> Install at frequently visited places of your House >> Look at it whenever you pass
Number Ten: Using Study Tools
One of the most sought-after active tools is using Study tools such as Flashcards, Konceptika Flowcharts, Koncept Cloud, Koncept Table, and Koncept Wheel. These study tools make studying easy, colorful, and an active process. Since they are not in the usual study format, you do not get bored studying the same textbook repeatedly and also helps in quick revision and augments your recalling capacity. You can check out the links to these tools in the description below.
So the guaranteed Success formula here is Study >> use Study Tools to Revise >> identify loopholes >> Fix them >> Repeat
So there you have it, Top 10 CSIR NET Learning Ideas – Active learning ideas and Playful methods to spice up your CSIR NET and GATE exam preparation and Learn better, revise smarter and recall faster. Remember your studies must be enjoyable or else it becomes a burden and boring. In this Information technology era, your mind is not just competing with your fellow students but also with mobile notifications, funny youtube memes and videos, and super interesting series on Netflix and Amazone prime, so you must be able to design an enjoyable study experience, or else you will fall into the trap of distraction.
Thank you so much for reading this, do let us know in the comments section which method you liked and which method you are already using. We will catch up with you in our next article.
