Achieving Success with Optimum Study Techniques

1. Structure of Presentation • PPT on How to Top with Minimum Study • PPT on Career in Civil Engineering • PPT on MESE

2. How to TOP with minimum study? By Pravin Kolhe, Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department, Government of Maharashtra www.pravinkolhe.com 13 Sept 2014

3. How to TOP with minimum study? • Its wrong question… • Correct question is… How to TOP with Optimum study?

4. How to TOP with Optimum study? • What is difference between “Minimum” and “Optimum”? • Consider a graph as shown here. • On X-axis= Input (Study Efforts) • On Y-axis= Output (Result) • Study-Result curve looks like this. Study-Result curve Output (Result) Input (Study Efforts)

5. How to TOP with Optimum study? Output (Result) • Minimum Study Efforts results Minimum Output. • Maximum Study results Average Outputdue to stress, poor health condition & lack of concentration. • Optimum Study results Maximum Output. • You have to search for optimum study input, which varies from person to person. Study-Result curve Study-Result curve Max Avg Min Optimum Max Min Input (Study Efforts)

6. What is success? SUCCESS …is not always what you see ! SUCCESS …is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

8. Formula for success Success= (Intelligence) × (Hard work) × (Attitude) Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It is quite Simple. Double your rate of failure. -Thomas Watson

9. HARD WORK • शांततेच्या काळात घाम गाळल्यास, युध्दाच्या वेळी रक्त सांडण्याची वेळ येत नाही.

10. Attitude

11. Modified Formula for success Success= (Intelligence) x (Hard work) x (Attitude) ×(1+ ‘Smartness’)

12. WHAT IS SMARTNESS…?

13. SMARTNESS: Common Sense

14. SMARTNESS: Vision • It is a art of seeing things that are invisible to others.

15. SMARTNESS: Discipline

16. SMARTNESS: Teamwork

17. SMARTNESS: Courage to face challenges

18. SMARTNESS: Good Health

19. SMARTNESS: Do not reinvest wheel • Reinvention is waste of resources. • Learn from Others • Grow fast

20. SMARTNESS: Get it right first time • No drafts

21. SMARTNESS: TIME MANAGEMENT • Use waiting time • Identify time wasting culprits and eliminate them. • have your personal time

22. SMARTNESS: COMPUTER/Internet Skills

23. 3 steps for success

24. Stair method of goal achievement • Consider a Stair-case. • You are at bottom. • Set a small goal at first step.

25. Stair method of goal achievement • Work Hard and get it done. • This will give U lot of confidence. • Make a habit of celebrating every success. • Then set next higher goal and get it done. • Proceed in this way.

26. Stair method of goal achievement • Go step by step. • Never jump directly…! Because if you fails, you will come back to first step. • Don’t forget Ultimate Aim, which should be achieved with incremental addition. Remember: Not failure, but Low Aim Is Crime.

27. STUDY ACTIVITIES • Planning for Study • Selection of Reference Books • Organizing Syllabus • Strategy for Study • Listening Skills • Reading Skills • Notes • Revision • Tips for Examination • Tips for Career Planning • Overcome fear of Failure.

28. PLANNING… If you fail to plan, You plan to fail…!

29. PLANNING… • Some persons spend their days in study, but achieve very little success, because they neglect planning. • Consider your abilities and limitations while planning.

30. PLANNING… • People generally overestimate themselves. Initially you may fail, but after some time, planning will become your habit. • Remember: Planning is not only required during study, it is lifetime activity & it needs periodical updating. • Types of Planning:- • Long term: Prepare plan for the whole semester for complete syllabus. • Short term: Plan for a week and for each topic.

31. 3 steps of PLANNING… 3 basic questions &3 steps of planning:- Why >> Define Objective How & When >> Create Roadmap Who >> Act and Update Plan:-

32. Plan Your activities… • The activities in student life are shown here. • Frustration is integral part of life. Don’t worry…! Try to come out of that. • As time is limited, take ‘smart’ decisions and make sacrifices. It will pay you back. • Remember ‘No Free Lunch’ . Whatever you get in life has price tag attached with it. Be ready to pay the price and never expect free.

33. Reference books… • Selection of books should be done with proper care , since Ur success heavily depends on it. • Market is flooded with books. So follow only those books in which you are comfortable in understanding the fundamentals • It is better to solve/read a book twice rather than two books once.

34. Reference books… • Never take a book without pen/pencil in other hand. • Write what U understand/not understand on that page. It will help U in next revision. • Use Ur own books. Don’t write on Library books. • Search on internet to know the best books in a given subject. • Also visit: youtube, slideshare, NPTEL, Coursera…

35. RESOURCES…

36. Organization of syllabus. • Go through Complete Syllabus. • Go through previous years question papers. • Identify “Important” & “Urgent” topics. • IMPORTANT:- From exam point of view • URGENT:- From understanding point of view.

37. Organization of syllabus. • Divide whole syllabus in to four parts as-

38. Strategy for study • Q1:- 50 % time • Q2:- 20% time • Q3:- 20% time • Q4:- 10% time

39. Strategy for study • It is not necessary and possible also… to command whole syllabus. • Before going to lecture, read the topics to be covered in class.

40. LISTENING SKILLS • Definition of Listening:- Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or non-verbal messages.

41. Hearing Vs. Listening Do you think there is a difference between hearing and listening? • Listening • Hearing • Requires concentration • act of perceiving sound by ear • Psychological Process • Physical Process • Active • Passive • Skill • Natural

42. Communication facts • Listening: Learned first, Used most (45%), Taught least. • Speaking:Learned second, Used next most (30%), Taught next least. • Reading:Learned third, Used next least (16%), Taught next most • Writing:Learned fourth, Used Least (9%), Taught most. Truth is:-Most individuals are inefficient listeners !!!

43. STEPS for effective listening • Demonstrate you are paying attention to what is being said by providing feedback through nodding your head. • Pay attention to what isn't said—to feelings, facial expressions, gestures, posture and other nonverbal cues. • Listen to words and try to picture what the speaker is saying. Concentration:- • Speed of Talking: 125 words per minute. • Speed of Thinking : >1200 words per minute • Thus, Speech happens at about 10% of your mind’s capacity. Effective Listening depends on utilisation of rest 90% processing by concentration.

44. STEPS for effective listening • Stop talking! You cannot listen while talking. • Avoiding distractions or at least controlling them. • Face the speaker and maintain eye contact. • Judge content, not delivery; • Find areas of interest. • Keep your mind open; Be attentive, but relaxed. • Ask questions only to ensure understanding. • Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions. • Don’t interrupt and don’t impose your “solutions”

45. Notes… • Use you own notes, don’t copy from others. • Make a habit to take notes in class and during self study. • 1st Version : 10 pages/chapter • 2nd Version : 3 pages/chapter • 3rd Version : ½ page/chapter : 2 pages per Subject • Zip and unzip procedure. • Keep you notes and books with you…forever.

46. Notes… • Before going to exam, close all the books and have a look on final notes. • Notes on a 1-2 pages will be helpful in competitive exams when there are continuous exams, and little time for revision. • My notes are available for your reference at- http://www.pravinkolhe.com/cenotes.html

47. When & what to study ? • Don’t have habit of studying on bed. Use table-chair. • Remember…! • Don’t have a mentality that firstly I will complete theory and then problems. Both should be done simultaneously. • When you feel fresh & energetic (morning): Start with theory and new topics • When you are tired, (evening): Problems and revision. • Have a look on syllabus at the start of semester.

48. revision • Read a topic carefully. • Close your eyes and try to recollect whatever you had studied. • Do this very systematically, step-by-step and gradually. • When you stuck, open your notes and look. • NEVER try to remember a particular numerical problem. • Plan out 'trial' exams for yourself with strict time limit.

49. Class Review • Brief Review in class:- • Immediately after class. • Just before start of the class. • Group Study:- • Help Others, share with others. • In long term, getters don’t get& givers get.

50. During examination… • Plan & prepare timetable for study during examination period & follow it. • Before going to exam, don’t talk with negative minded persons. • Between two exams, don’t discuss question paper of previous exam. • You must be mentally tough. Be bold & confident. • You must concentrate on your task irrespective of what is going around. • Read instructions carefully before attempting any question. • Remember: ’20 questions’ story… • In case of objective exams with negative marks, don’t mark unsure answers.