Subject Maps: Your teen's study road map
No matter what time of the year it is, exams are never far enough away!They have this ability to creep up on you and be just around the corner before you know it.That's why it's really important to get organized SOONER rather than later.The study technique that answered our prayers when it came to getting organized for exam study was Subject Maps. Making Subject Maps is a really simple but highly effective study tool that will help you or help your teen significantly with their exam preparation. And — there is no better time to start making your Subject Maps than right now.
Why are Subject Maps such amazing and important time-saving and organization-wonder tool?
Because the first thing your teen has to figure out BEFORE they start swatting is what they need to study and in what order.
This is the purpose of Subject Maps.
What is a Subject Map?
A Subject Map is simply an organized list of every topic your teen needs to cover by exam day. They act as a road map that will help your teen navigate their way through their exam study, and keep on track while they do so, so that they're focusing on the IMPORTANT topics, and not wasting precious study time on topics or facts they don't really need to know.They also prevent every teen's worst nightmare — missing an important topic and realizing the day before the exam.You wouldn’t (or shouldn't at least...) go on a road trip without a map, and studying is no different.
Subject Maps should have the following simple structure:
Subject Heading (e.g. Science)
- 1st Main topic (e.g. Biology)
- First sub-topic (e.g. Genetics)
- Main points/key words from this topic
- Second sub-topic (e.g. Micro-organisms)
- Main points/key words from this topic
- Third sub-topic...
- 2nd Main Topic (e.g. Chemistry)
and so on...
Here's one example of a Subject Map...
You can see that a Subject Map does not need to be a work art, or take a lifetime to create.Your first one might take you half and hour or so, depending on how quickly and easily you can figure out what topics you're going to be examined on. (Hopefully your teachers have given you a breakdown of each subject at the beginning of the term/semester — referring to this will make making your Subject Maps a breeze.)Just to clarify — your teen will need to make a Subject Map for every subject they’re going to have an exam on at the end of the year/semester/term.
Extra tip
We recommend that your teen creates or sticks their Subjects Maps at the front of a new exercise book for each subject, and uses that exercise book to write their study notes. Otherwise — at least put it somewhere safe so you don't lose them!We can't exaggerate the benefits of making Subject Maps to help you or your teen get organized for exam study. They truly are the Fairy God Mother of exam study.
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