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We have different styles of study. Some like to read and
remember, some others like to read and understand the
phenomenon and still others like to practise by writing and
solving. If we want to do well in IITJEE, we should have
skills in all three areas:
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Reading and remembering
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Conceptual understanding
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Practice
Every subject requires all three skills.
Reading and memorizing
Whatever we read gets retained in the head as memory. We can
recall from our memory when we are needed to do so. It has
been observed that we tend to remember better if we have
written something ourselves. We are required to reproduce
these things at will while solving problems.
We have to learn the formulae. One can understand their
source by going through the derivations, wherever possible.
However, eventually, what matters is that we know the
formula. We can learn/remember all formulae by reading,
writing, and revising them again and again. It helps to have
a compendium of all formulae.
For example, if we don’t understand the derivation of
formulae in mathematics, we won’t be able to apply formulae
effectively. However, while solving problems, one does not
have the luxury of time to derive it. So, it must be pulled
out of our memory instantaneously.
Conceptual understanding
It is critical to understand the conceptual framework of a
subject. It is important to understand the flow of the logic
in the argument being put by the narrator. The examples and
illustrations used should fit well into our understanding.
We observe various phenomena around us in everyday life.
Physics and chemistry attempt to explain the reason behind
these phenomena through various concepts, laws, deductions
etc. We should gain a thorough understanding of the system /
concept being explained, before attempting to learn any
formulae or solve any problems. This can be done, with the
help of examples. Apply the concept to different real life
situations and predict the outcome. If the understanding is
correct, the outcomes predicted will be right. Conceptual,
theoretical questions are a great way to check ones learning
of concepts.
Practice
After writing down the formulae required and applying the
concepts, we still have to solve the mathematical equations.
Solving problems is a skill. If there is no limit to the
time available, a lot of students may end up solving all the
problems in a test. However, the key is to solve maximum
number of problems in a given amount of time, which is the
duration of the test. The best performer manages to solve
maximum number of problems in the given time. This needs
practice. In a competition, we don’t want to lose time in
experimenting, deriving etc. If we have practiced enough, we
would know the exact manner in which a problem can be
solved. This saves time in solving a problem and gives s
extra time to solve others. Therefore, to score high in a
competition, practice is a must.
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