Our readers provide their top study tips and name their favourite places to study, just for you!
HTFT Partnership recently got together with PQ magazine to offer three lucky readers a set of Apple AirPods. We asked you to send a picture of the place where you feel most happy studying, along with your top study tip. We promised to put the best on the cover – which we have done – and here are some of those top tips and reasons why those happy study places work for them…
Richard Balogh: “I study best when I am at home at my desk with multiple screens, with notepad, pen, pencil, eraser and calculator at hand. I study with a mixture of calming, relaxing music in the background to create the flow.
“I use Osborne Books’ tutorials or the workbook, writing the answers with pencil and erasing to reuse the task again later.
“I found multiple screens useful, as on one screen I can have the tasks to resolve and on the other screen the answers to check, so I can find where I went wrong. While using the computer I also use YouTube videos walkthrough on mock assessments.”
Madeline Howard: “Slightly outside the box, not a physical place, but my happiest place studying is with my little friend Whiskey. He got me through AAT Level 4 and is now doing CIMA Operational Level with me!”
Emily Orchard-Pain: “As a distance learner I set myself a study goal at the beginning of the week. This could be how many chapters I want to get through that week, or time spent studying, which helps me to stay on track. Inevitably, life sometimes gets on the way so my caveat to the first tip is be kind to yourself, if study doesn’t quite go to plan that’s ok, tomorrow is a new day.”
Sharon Pickering: “I feel most happy studying on the beach. My studying tip is to focus on active practice over passive reading as ACCA exams aren’t just about knowing theory; it tests how well you can apply the theory. So for every hour of reading on the beach I spend at least another hour applying what I learn through questions, while listening to the white noise of the tide.
“My studying tip is basically to study like the beach; take one topic at a time (waves), build strong basics (sand), revise regularly (tides) and stay consistent (sun). Stay steady, and success will come ashore.
“The beach is Trunk Bay, Tortola, Virgin Islands.
Kim Schofield: “This desk (see cover) is where I spend most of my time working through practice questions and preparing for my exams. My top study tip is perseverance and not giving up, even when the journey feels longer than expected.
Over the past two years I have been studying for F2 and P2, and it has really tested my resilience.
It took me four attempts to pass F2 and three attempts at P2, and there were times when I seriously considered giving up.
“During this time I learnt that it’s important to ask for help when you need it. Reaching out to tutors helped me understand topics I had struggled with and gave me the confidence to keep going.”
Keira Lake: “My top study tip is to always carry flashcards with you (if you made them yourself then that’s even better!). The reason why I say this is because if you ever find yourself with a spare five minutes whilst waiting for the train (for example), then you have them on you for quick recall. After all, studies show that using flashcards like this for quick recall is a brilliant way to solidify your knowledge.
“The photos of my favourite place to study: Maiden Castle (see cover). The photos were taken whilst I was there to watch the sunrise.”
Kiran Kullar: “Sharing the place I am happiest studying – while I may never reach feeling truly happy while studying (!) – I do have fond memories of packing all my notes and walking over to my local park in the sun. The picture I am sharing (see cover) was taken last summer, when I was studying for my CIMA Management Case Study. It was incredibly peaceful and a really lovely way to feel less isolated and like I was missing out on being outside and having fun.
“My study tip is to identify distractions and figure out the best way to remove them so you can stay focused rather than trying to ignore them.
Social media was my biggest distraction by far when I first started my qualification, and I would pretend it wasn’t or ignore the fact that it was. So, whenever I am studying, I make sure to delete and log out of apps and accounts, to ensure I make it easier on myself to remove distractions. It helps my mental health too, so win-win!”
