How to Actually Study for an exam

Nobody teaches you how to study. They just hand you a textbook and wish you luck. This episode, we get into the habits that actually helped, the ones that did absolutely nothing, and whether any of us retained anything past the exam. Spoiler. Consider this the episode your teachers never gave you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:08

What's up, Amy?

SPEAKER_01 0:12

On the microphone, you've got Amy and Lydia. Woo woo.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

We're back with another Thursday episode as always. We're back with this will be on the test. Will this be on the test?

SPEAKER_02 0:30

So make sure, grab a notebook in the chat. Because this will be on the test. We are talking about, we thought it was about time. Well, we've been doing this for a while because we have this is over half a year now. Oh yeah. That's crazy. That's very good. That's fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

We've posted a bad hat. There we go.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

We've posted every Thursday for half a year. Yep. It's pretty good. Um, and we thought it was about time to talk about how to actually study for a test. Yeah. Because the name of the podcast is This Will Be on the Test. So then let's get into it. Would you rather? Would you rather um have to go back to primary school for six years or high school for three years?

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Am I the age of primary school? Like, do I get to go back and relive those years?

SPEAKER_02 1:24

Let's say yes. Primary school.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

And if you don't get to relive the age, you're just the weird, weird old girl.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Because for the kids, you are old. Yeah, regardless. Okay. Um, then high school because it's shorter, three years would be so rough. Six years of primary school teenagers. That was literally my job. I know. I was probably that. I kind of did go back to high school. I just didn't do the high school's the worst.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

High school is the worst. It was I did not enjoy high school.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

I enjoyed it because I came out of homeschooling. Yeah. And like my social network expanded. Not like my online social network, like my in-person social network. Um, I didn't like high school.

SPEAKER_02 2:15

Yeah. It's just I wasn't bullied or anything, and I still didn't like it.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

It's a it's a tough period. Yeah. And I don't uh I don't know how kids nowadays do it.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

Like no, with social media.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

Social media. Like I was watching something the other day, and they're like, kids don't get to have that awkward phase anymore. Yeah. Because it's so important. Like you need you need that awkward phase where you're putting on a sweater as pants and dancing around with your friends in like a wig.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

Speaking of awkward phase, I sent the picture into our group chat. You know what's back? Is the shirts, the 2000 Hanna Montana shirts. Oh really? Like a I saw at Hollister, like you know that the t-shirts that are tight around the boobs, and then they go out kind of like they're a dress. They're in, they're fully in.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Yeah, it's it is weird being an adult and seeing those things come back into style. Like, that was my awkward phase. Yeah. Yeah. I think I think kids need to have an awkward phase. I think I'm still going through my awkward phase. Sure. Um, so primary school?

SPEAKER_00 3:25

That's what you would pick?

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Yeah. If I could relive it, definitely primary school. Like being a kid, homeschooled, going to swim team on the room.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

Oh, but you have to go to primary school this time. Fuck. You can't go back to homeschool. Do I want to be at home all day with my mom? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Such a weird way to look at it. Um, I would pick homeschool because I don't want to go back to school for six years.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

You can't pick homeschool.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

I mean, sorry, high school. Yes, I can.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

It's my would you rather? No, I would think I would go with primary school. Yeah. Oh, because high school. No. Okay. Moving on. Would you rather? I've got a little bit of anxiety when writing this question. It might not be as an intense of a question for you. Yeah. I thought. Um, would you rather have to retake high school math finals? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

So matura or um chemistry. We didn't have chemistry. We had biology because it switched off every year.

SPEAKER_02 4:26

I'm not, I'm I wasn't sure if we had chemistry either. We had biology.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Um, in my last few years of matura, we had a really hot uh biology teacher, and I got really into biology.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

Who did I did not have the same thing? No, he was a substitute teacher.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

He was there for like a year and a half from bodies, and he was so cute that I was just I was so into biology because he was such a cute person. And um, I don't know if we did the matura with him or with the other guy, but I was quite excited for it because like I really understood it because it's very stupid, but I was attracted to him, so I was more into the subject.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

Were you sleeping with your teacher? No, never.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

No, that's what made him attractive is like he wasn't into us. No. I was like, come on. Um no, but I definitely and the the math finals is actually my funny story, so I'll get into that later. I would 100% take biology again, even though I was a math teacher.

SPEAKER_02 5:24

Yeah, same. Math was math was rough. Math gives me PTSD. Dumaney tried to explain Dumaney is becoming an electrical engineer. So math is his life, basically. And he tried to explain simple um how do you like simple energy theory? Like if you connect this cable to this, then the energy goes there. And I started to cry.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

I love math. I think math is fascinating. I love teaching math. I think it's really cool. I think it's so cool what you can do with math. The written exam in math, great. I loved it. The oral exam, it will be my funny story.

SPEAKER_02 6:05

I did not have an oral exam because of COVID.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Oh so lucky. So lucky.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

But the written exam also didn't I did not pass. There was great, there was subjects that you were allowed to not pass if you compensated with the other ones. I did not pass math.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Yeah. But I did with a four, which is very impressive.

SPEAKER_02 6:28

Just pass. That's very impressive.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

So you would retake biology.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

Yeah, I really like that test.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

That's actually one of the tests I enjoyed taking. I feel like biology is something you can you can study for more. Like if you miss something in math. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Like it because I don't know. For me, it makes more sense biology.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Yeah, same. Like physics makes more sense than math too, because it's kind of applicable to life.

SPEAKER_01 6:53

Math is much more theoretical, which is also why I like for me, it's kind of like a language. Yeah. Like you have to learn the basics and then to not speak that language. Um, yeah. No, I actually I really enjoy math. Um but I but biology was easier.

SPEAKER_02 7:11

Yeah. Um, I agree. Would you rather study for an open book or a closed book exam?

SPEAKER_01 7:21

See, it depends on what topic. I've had open book exams and those are so difficult because you're allowed to have the book. So you have to really understand the concepts and really, really get it. Whereas if it's closed book, they ask easier questions. But I've also had open book exams where you just have to know which page it's on and then you just copy and paste the answer. So it really depends on the teacher or professor. Because sometimes open books are like fuck with this teacher.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

I'm gonna be screwed. I think open book exams are often underestimated. Yeah. Because you think, okay, I can just look it up in the moment. But if you don't understand, you have to really understand what it's about. Yep. But I think I'd still choose open book because I'm better. I'm not a person who can learn something by heart without understanding. My brain just refuses. Yeah. So I think open book is better for my I'm not the kind of person who can read something and be like, okay, I'm just gonna read this a thousand times times until I know it by heart. Yeah, fair. Don't work.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

What about you? Um you have to pick one. Right. I think I think I can learn things by heart. I just like I think I got quite good at studying. So I would say closed book. Uh because I think it's a little bit easier. Closed book high school, open book university. Because university was easy.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Yeah, that's true. I don't know that we had any open book in high school, honestly. Oh, unless it was like open book literature. I hated that. Yeah. Yeah, no. Should we do one more would you rather?

SPEAKER_01 9:05

Yes. I was excited about this, would you rather? Because I thought it was like it's not really. Would you rather take a test in your for your job every month and have a pass or fail? And if you fail three times, then you get fired. Or take a test in your relationship every month and a pass and fail. Same rules. And they're questions about your job and about your relationship.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

Oh Jesus. Oh no, this is so bad. Okay, no. I had a really bad day at work on Tuesday, so I'm kind of like, fire me. Go have me, bro. Like it's a win-win at this point. So I'm a little bit biased at this moment. Yeah, I go with the job. Oh, 100%. 100%. Because even if you do well on the exam and you don't break up because of the exam, if they ask me, like depending on the day, if they ask me what's Domini's eye color, like I know it, but it's a lot of colors in there. Yeah. And there could be a day where I'm like mainly brown.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

But sometimes if the light is hitting from a 90-degree angle and we are the sun is setting.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Um, you have to go job.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Yeah. This is a good question, though. Or if it was like on Tuesday, Tarek came home and complained about which coworker was it?

SPEAKER_02 10:29

Yeah, no. I asked him any three times this morning if his roommates were home. I forgot every time. I was in the apartment. It has to be the job. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

I'm willing to lose my job. Which is a compliment to our partners. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

We have some exciting news. You can become an official A student for as little as $3 a month. You can support the podcast and you get early access to our shows, which means you can listen in on Tuesday instead of Thursday. Also, we will give you a special shout-out in the accent of your choice. And if you don't choose an accent, we'll choose one for you.

SPEAKER_01 11:15

We get into the main part.

SPEAKER_02 11:16

Let's get into it. What was the last exam you studied for?

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Oh my god. Um I think I know it, even if you don't. Probably my master's. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 11:31

Wasn't it for the car? Didn't you have to do a driving exam?

SPEAKER_01 11:36

No? Not in Mexico.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

But here. Aren't you don't you?

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Oh yeah, I am now doing the but it's like a control. It's not considered a test.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

Oh, you don't have to do the theory theory exam?

SPEAKER_01 11:50

No, I don't have to do the theory one. I am studying for it. I'm studying the theory, but it's not for an exam.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Um, and I am going to take driving lessons for Switzerland. And I have done the driving test in the US, but that was before my university was over. So I would probably say my master's oral math exam that I had to retake five years ago. Six years ago. A few years ago. Okay. I think that's the last one. Thinking I don't think I did any tests in Spanish. I mean, I did do one for a language school, but I didn't study for it.

SPEAKER_02 12:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Yeah. Probably my math university exam. Okay. How about you?

SPEAKER_02 12:39

Same. Some test in university for my bachelor's. There was three final exams, one of those. I can't remember which the last one was. But that was also three years ago. Forever ago. Forever. That was that long ago. You're so old. Uh yeah, I think that was it. I aced those. I did really well. Not to toot my own horn, but errrrr.

SPEAKER_01 13:05

Just like both times that I've had to do an oral exam in math, I failed. I don't know if I failed the first one actually, but I did really poorly. And I think it's so unfair that we study math so theoretically and so much on paper, and then the final exam is an oral exam. Because it's for me, it's completely different. And I cannot express myself. Like I can, I can do calculations, that's fine. But to explain them in detail in an oral exam is so unfair because you would be my downfall. And I think it's such bullshit. And if you're a teacher that does this, you have to practice. Otherwise, yeah, people are gonna fail just because it's a completely new scenario and you can't practice for it.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

But isn't it trying to like mimic what you do as a teacher, explaining these concepts?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

No, it wasn't. It was explaining very complex theoretical stuff, and then also theory, which like theory of teaching. Oh it's just like why is this chapter good for this theory? And which other theory could you use for this chapter?

SPEAKER_02 14:05

Oh, ours was way easier. We were allowed to decide between math and German. So you could well, okay, I didn't have math oral. So it was either math or German oral. I chose German oral. Yeah. And math was like, uh, student is making this and this mistake. How do you support them? What could the diagnosis be involved? Yeah, okay. Okay. And then we had to solve two equations.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

It was great. Yeah, no, we had to, I think I had to explain something about imaginary numbers. And then what in the Yeah. It's when math looks like.

SPEAKER_02 14:45

When did it become like I know it's it's so far, like I can't even begin to explain what part of it I don't understand. But imaginary numbers?

SPEAKER_01 14:54

It's actually not that complicated if you like if you build it up, but I kind of miss a part in math, so it was really complicated. I think now if I went back and looked at it, I would probably be able to get it, but to be able to explain it is another thing, and that was just never gonna be the level that I was going to explain math on. Yeah. So anyway, short rant about math oral exams. Yeah. Any oral exam, if you don't practice for it, how do you expect like a written exam, you're constantly writing things. You're not constantly like, yeah, anyway.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

Explaining it. Do you think studying is worth the effort?

SPEAKER_01 15:31

Depends on what you're studying, but yeah. Okay. I think studying is a difficult skill to learn.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

I agree.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

And I think there are some people that it comes very naturally to, and some people that have a different type of studying, and then they're expected to study like the normal way that everybody studies, and it's just so difficult.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

Would you consider yourself somebody that it comes naturally to?

SPEAKER_01 15:54

I think I learned how to study quite well because probably because I went into a German-speaking school right when I was hitting puberty and like learning a lot. And I had to learn how to learn German. Yeah. And that helped me. Yeah. Because I I studied a lot. Like I wasn't one of those people that just naturally had good grades.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

Like I well, you were doing it in a foreign language, to be fair. But yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Yeah. Oh man, as soon as history was in English, my grades went up. They were failing, and then they were like the highest of all my grades.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

But the same thing happened to me, and German is not a foreign language.

SPEAKER_01 16:31

It was way easier in English. Yeah. Um, do you think studying is worth the effort?

SPEAKER_02 16:39

Yes. I just don't think it's all that it's talked up to be. I think it's a very like we have a very academically focused.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

Wait, like studying at university or studying for a test? I think I understood this question wrong.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

Well, okay, then let me let me do both. Okay. Um I think studying can be worth the effort if you know how to study yourself. Yeah. I did a lot of studying for a long time that was not worth the effort. Yeah. I spent hours and hours and it brought me nothing or next to nothing. Um, so if you know how to study, then yes, I think it's worth the effort. If not, no. Yeah. And then like studying academically, like in a university. I think it really depends. I think there, like, I would like my doctor to have studied medicine. So I've been watching this TikTok and I think I watch a lot of Gray's Anatomy, so you'll be fine. But do I care if the pianist has done like been to art school or if they just spent all their time practicing the piano or if they just have a natural talent? No. I mean, I think a lot of the art school is also networking and getting to know people. So I don't think that like universities are all that they're made up to be in all cases. But would you consider yourself an academic? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

I like academia. And I think that's why I would say yes to this. I don't know that I would become a full-time academic, but I could see that in my future.

SPEAKER_02 18:20

What what do you consider a full-time academic?

SPEAKER_01 18:22

I like doing a PhD and actually like studying and being a professor and or going into more theoretical sciences. Um I just think that's something that I actually genuinely enjoy. I just don't think it's that fun right now with AI. Because AI can do everything way better than you can. So I like I'm not really interested in it. And I like practical things, not like Captain Holt in Brooklyn 99 and Kevin, but you know.

SPEAKER_02 18:51

Took me a long time to Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

Are you an academic?

SPEAKER_02 18:56

No, I don't think so. I don't think so. I think I would if I go and study, it would be with the goal of then being able to do something with the studies. I would not go and study because it fascinates me. Like, yes, it fascinates me, but the whole academia of it and then like learning things that I know I'm never gonna use, but you need to do like necessary. I d I don't know. I just I don't think I'm a huge academic. I like learning things for myself. I like reading books and stuff, yes, but I don't want to go back to study.

SPEAKER_01 19:33

No, me neither.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

But I would if I had to because my dream job requires it or something.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Yeah, I think that honestly would be harder for me. Like at the job that I have now, one of the criteria was I'm not going back to university, I'm not getting another degree.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

And that was because like I don't want to do the whole studying from zero again. Like I'd rather go and continue my studies rather than start fresh.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

Gotcha. So you would do like in how do you say that?

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Um educational science?

SPEAKER_01 20:10

Educational science, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:11

You would do something in that direction.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

If if it was a cool opportunity, and I actually saw that me doing that would have positive change. Like I think the Sir Ken Robinson, the guy who did the TED talk on how schools kill creativity, he had a PhD in education.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

Um and I think like his career is quite interesting to me. And he was more of an academic, but he had a like influence. I wouldn't do academic academia just for the sake of doing academia. Yeah, I see that. But I think most academics wouldn't. Although some people are all honestly just fascinated by it. So maybe that's wrong. Yeah. Um were you ever taught to study, or did you have to figure it out yourself? Um, I I honestly think I figured it out for myself. I mean, homeschooling. Yeah. I know like mom helped, and people would like show me their methods sometimes. But I think it was just kind of like a trial and error. And and what worked then best? I think what works for me is reading through something and summarizing it in my own words.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Um, but also like I think I've already said this on a podcast, like moving while I'm studying. Yeah. So walking with my summary, or you would sit on the home trainer for a while. Sit on a home trainer, yeah. And but it was just because like I the just sitting there and trying to figure it out would stress me out. So it kind of like balances the skills. Um, I think that really works for me. And I mean, obviously, if you're interested in the subject, it's so much like having an attractive biology teacher really worked for me because I was so interested. interested in the subject because he was attractive. Yeah. But then that kind of like connected his motivation to my motivation and I became motivated to see the attractive teacher who was teaching biol biology. Therefore I was motivated to do biology. And so like stupid stuff like that. Yeah. Get yourself a cute tutor.

SPEAKER_02 22:19

Get yourself a cute tutor. Were you ever taught how to study? No. Kind of. I really struggled when I got into the more difficult high school and when I got into Mentura. Because up until then I was used to minimal effort and big success. Big success. Great success. And then that changed. I got a few really bad grades.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

And a lot of people go through that. When they switch from like uh middle education to the higher education high school here in Switzerland. I don't know how to explain it. From from like regular high school to IB. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

Something like that kind of um and then I started to write like summaries like you did and that didn't work.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

No it didn't it's not your study type.

SPEAKER_02 23:12

No I would write it down and I spent hours. Yeah. Like I would put so much time into studying and then nothing would happen. Like my grade got a little better maybe and I started to feel really stupid. And then I think it was Naomi who said that she did like drawings when she studied for an exam and that worked. Yeah. Like for history exams I would make elaborate mind maps and I think I still have some of them. And it would be just like the topic in the middle because I need to understand how everything works together so that it makes sense to me. I can't read 1945 this happened 1955. I have to like see it in a picture like okay this happened and since this happened that was able to happen and that triggered this. And so I had to like either make a mind map or if the topic didn't work with the mind map sometimes it's really hard to make a mind map out of something. And that's the thing you have to really think about what how it structured the topic to be able to draw it. Yeah. And so that really worked for me. My grades in history got so much better when I started doing that. And if I couldn't do a mind map then I would still write a summary but very basic and I would do doodles next to it.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

I think the doodling next to um summaries that also worked for me.

SPEAKER_02 24:30

Yeah. Sometimes I wouldn't even write down the word anymore. I would just turn it into a pictogram kind of thing. And then I could remember it much better. And then I knew like okay this means this and like I would had so many stick figures with like strong arms. I was like oh that was the year they did very well. But it worked. It sounds so stupid and nobody else studied like that. And that's why I was so like I was a little embarrassed to then show my mind maps but it worked. I was the only one who did this and for the longest time I thought I was supposed to study with summaries. And it just wasn't working. I felt so stupid.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

No and honestly a lot of people do work with summaries and in university because I got quite good at writing summaries because this worked for me. And then I started sharing my summaries because people asked for them and I don't see why you wouldn't share them. Yeah. But I don't think they worked for other people because the summary worked for me because I had to sit down and write it. Yeah. And I had to go from this big book to two pages. And that was the part that worked. It wasn't the summary that worked it was what of this is important. So I think that's why your summary works for you as well because you have to digest it and put it in your own manner. And that's why sharing summaries yeah that's cool but it usually doesn't sometimes it helps because you're like oh these are just like the keywords.

SPEAKER_02 25:50

No but my mind button was is useless to anybody else. Yeah. Because there's little drawings that only make sense to me also because my mind works like like a conga line. So yeah. I think I think it's worth trying out a few things and yeah trying them out even if it's not what everybody else is doing. Yeah. Like if you are studying with summaries and you're like shit it's just not working I mean try making a mind map or drawing a picture or or writing a song or playing it out in like a physical way.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

I think that also like I don't know why we don't do that more often like physically acting out what happened and then your brain's like oh and then he that person died. Yeah. So then this thing happened. Especially history I feel like is a very good example.

SPEAKER_02 26:41

I think in yeah go even music.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

Yeah like this person unlocked this part of music like the the chord with the I don't know minor fifth and then that changed like a whole direction that music went in because it was like oh this new thing is really cool and everybody started experimenting with it. And that's what opened up this period and then they figured out this and that's what opened up and then you get to free jazz and you're like people were just what? They were done with the structure.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

And they were like fuck everything I mom kept on saying this when I was in high school she was like I waited way too long to start studying with friends and like studying with friends helped me so much. And I think in high school I was so ashamed of how much I was struggling with with the school that I wasn't really open to study with other people because I didn't want to show them how much I was struggling with the topics. But afterwards in university actually if you can get over that and start studying with friends if you find good people like I had such a good group in university to study with and I knew they were all diligent and um reliable people that we would just divvy up the topics and each person would summarize a topic and then we would bring them together and then also like we would doodle stuff in. They also worked similar to me. So that's I think that helps. Yeah. I understand if you don't want to study with other people and you see it as like a solitary thing but if you find good people to study with that's a game changer. You can save so much time.

SPEAKER_01 28:13

I think also just like I mean I struggled in Matura as well but I had Pirina who was also struggling and we struggled together and it kind of made it nicer to the point of like we were both very much invested in each other's grades and everything. And like it we were gonna pass we're gonna pass together. Yeah like it was a very mutual thing even if you're not studying the same thing to sit next to someone because you're not gonna scroll scroll on Instagram as much if you're not and maybe you'll you'll talk to each other but that's a very different thing than getting distracted by a movie or Instagram or a TikTok I even think just going in like out in public.

SPEAKER_02 28:49

I think that's why a lot of people go to libraries and stuff to study because they're great. I mean you're not gonna at home all of a sudden you're watching a Netflix show and you're like oh my god I was supposed to study whoops but if you're in a library you might go on your phone from time to time but it's I don't think it's gonna be as drastic as if you're at home. Yeah no yeah if you can find people and I think also like my group really kept me on top of stuff like months before our final exams they're like guys this is our plan we're not gonna have that much time to study so let's start now every week we meet on this day like it was intense but perfect. I do want to ask this question because I actually think there is an answer is there a correct way to study um I think studying should be enjoyable and if you feel like you are stupid you just can't seem to understand it like there's no way you can be getting this then it's wrong. Yeah that's how I like I thought that's what studying feels felt like because oftentimes it is yeah and then when I started to do these drawings I was having a blast like not all the times but studying for history I loved studying for history.

SPEAKER_01 30:09

I think this is such a good thing because like if you're not having fun studying then your brain is already working so hard just to like stay neutral and then you also have to understand a new concept it's exhausting.

SPEAKER_02 30:22

So if you can make it fun yeah game changer and I also but I don't know how to study for like math scares me. It liter like legit scares me and I don't know how to study for that I think I would have to go back and do like math basis course because I've missed a lot because I had a pretty bad high school teacher for a while who just we missed so many topics that we should have had. And then you're kind of building on a broken foundation. Yeah um so I don't think I don't think you have to enjoy every subject.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

I don't think so either I also just want to say like I think math is scary now for you because it's kind of like if you fall off a horse every time you get on a horse you're going to be scared of horses. And then if you're also tested on whether or not you can stay on a bucking horse and you fall off like you're going to be scared. So the reason a lot of people are scared of math is because they have a shitty teacher at one point in their life and then everything in math builds up on that point. And you are missing this basic part of the foundation which if you had this it would unlock the next steps but then you kind of have to go back through the other steps again because you didn't understand them because you're missing a foundation and then you're graded every month on this thing that you're already bad at so it becomes this like thing that's so difficult. Whereas a lot of the other subjects are broken up a little bit more where it's it does build up on it itself but not as much as math does I think and I think that's why a lot of people are scared of math because they've been told through exams so often you're not good at this which is just not true. It's maybe you weren't taught in the right way at the right time or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 31:55

No, I think I am clever and like I was really good in primary school I was really good. And then in high school I was good too but I had to teach myself everything. And so I think that would be a fun thing to do at one point in life is to go back and like learn the basics to build confidence in that aspect of my life.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

I think for me that's chemistry.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

Really?

SPEAKER_01 32:18

Yeah like I wasn't good in chemistry but I think now it would be fascinating to go back and do.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

That's so funny. Yeah no I really enjoyed chemistry.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

But I had Brandy who was like a private tutor in that subject if Mateo or Louie or any of our nieces and nephews had an upcoming test and was struggling how would you help them?

SPEAKER_02 32:40

Okay. I think I would ask them a bit try like I would try to figure out how they learn because this was really important to me. Like try to figure out if they're a visual person or if they learn over hearing or over teaching try to figure out that first and then I think I would offer to go through it with them and just pick out the one of the like learning how you study best is a big part and then also filtering out the unnecessary information is also a big part. If you have a good teacher then they'll do that for you. Yeah and if not you're gonna have to filter to through a lot yeah I think I would go through it with them pick out the most important and then teach them or like help them learn how to study. Yeah but but I think it would take a few tries yeah a few hours like I think that would for the first exam or the first few exams and then once they get into it they can do it themselves. And I think it's a little insane that we're just expected to know how to do this.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

Yeah on our own like there's there's no course on it and like if you don't have parents or someone at home who supports you through it you're screwed.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

Yeah I mean you're not screwed but you're at a few steps behind.

SPEAKER_01 34:04

Yeah. Yeah um what about you? I remember studying for an exam for I think it was history and I I was sitting at the table and I was just I was basically like in a breakdown. Yeah and mom was like go outside and jump on the trampoline and I was like mom I can't I have this exam tomorrow and I was so like I was so nervous because that's what exams do and I don't think that's right but she was like I don't care you're not studying go outside and jump on the trampoline for 10 minutes. And it was my mom so I had to do it even though I was almost an adult um and I think that really helped to realize like in this state you're not studying and it doesn't matter if the test is tomorrow if you study like this it's going to make it even worse you're going to get a bad grade you're going to dislike studying even more because you can't study and you get always get a bad grade and it always stresses you out. So stop. Yeah stop it does not matter yeah and I think that like to have an adult say no a done you're not doing this right now.

SPEAKER_02 35:04

Because it takes a while to I think I've only started to learn this about myself in the past year is like also when prepping for work the moment I feel like I don't think I'm being productive anymore. Yeah you gotta like I go you gotta step away yeah I and I'm way more productive I spend less hours at work and I don't do less yeah I think that the whole like yeah you gotta grind you got to you know kind of spend the hours yes you have to spend the time but if you realize um that you're not that you're getting frustrated or you're not learning then don't just sit in front of the piece of paper to feel better.

SPEAKER_01 35:43

Yeah I do think there are moments when it is worth it. Like I remember also another time when we went to Nona's and her partner Ryodi was a math teacher and I was just sitting at the windowsill and I was like I don't get it I don't get it I don't get it and I was just sitting there saying I don't understand I don't understand and he was like it's okay let's look at it again it's okay let's look at it again and that was like his mantra was like okay then I haven't explained it right and I haven't explained it right and I haven't explained it right and it was absolutely no blame on me. It was like that's fine. Do you understand this part? And I was like yeah I guess and he was like that's so good and like to he was able to break it down and he got me out of my head while studying which I also think is a really cool capability to like see that that's also possible like you you can get out of it without removing yourself from the situation and that's also a really valuable lesson. But sometimes you really just got to step away and to learn the difference and to have someone I think to guide someone through learning that difference of knowing like they're so overwhelmed we need to we need to remove this of get out or they're overwhelmed and we can work through this.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

I think if you're at a place where a subject overwhelms you that much like math it does make sense to get a tutor. Yeah and to get a good tutor. If the tutor's making you feel stupid they're not a good tutor. No. And I also had a math tutor in high school and it was the best yeah I wouldn't have passed I mean I didn't pass but I wouldn't have passed the high school um so my funny story I kind of touched on this a little bit I went to a normal high school and then I did the exam for the matura and then I went to the matura and I studied for an economics exam and I studied how I usually studied which was the day before I looked at it for an hour and then I was ready to go and I had a such a good feeling after the exam I was like yeah I did well what do you think? I mean I did right and I think I got like a two something 2.8 oh well and I was shocked I was I thought I did well I did not I did not understand the concepts that was the first exam that I like failed that was the first failing grade that I had ever gotten in my life wow that's insane yeah was at 15 I think it's not the last it was not the last um yeah and then I struggled for a long time I struggled for another year barely made it through that year and that's when I was writing all those summaries and so for like for at least a year I was spending hours on these summaries. Yeah and then only after then did I was I taught how to study.

SPEAKER_01 38:28

Yeah there was I mean also the last year of mature I was studying oh yeah basically an entire year like yeah that was super stressful yeah but that was I wanted to pass.

SPEAKER_02 38:39

I remember um our aunt Layla I hope you're listening to this she came to visit us do you know the story?

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Yes she brought it up when I went to go visit her she was like I remember sitting in the kitchen with Lydia trying to figure out her grades and you were both like there's there's no way there's no more way to pass you're gonna fail this year. And then I came in and I had already gone through the ringer and I was barely passing and I was like y'all are doing the calculations wrong. You have this which compensates this and this which compensates this and if you go up in this one because you're already good at that then you can actually drop down in this one and your overall average will be like 0.5. So actually you're passing okay and you can fail a little bit more and they were both like okay so mom was away and it was Layla kind of taking care of me at that time.

SPEAKER_02 39:28

And the school is built on this system where you make plus or minus points depending on what grade you get if you get a passing grade and it's well above passing you get plus points but you make for a not pass yeah you make double the minus for a not passing grade. And so I was bawling doing the calculations I was like there's no way I'm gonna pass this year. And Amy walked in like a baller full mic drop like you can so pass.

SPEAKER_01 39:52

I was way worse but it was like I had figured out where exactly I could drop and where I had to gain in order to pass and I saw Lydia's and I was like no this is we can work this out.

SPEAKER_02 40:04

It was so good.

SPEAKER_01 40:05

Yeah it was a hold my beer moment I was quite proud of myself I didn't realize actually how cool it was until like both you and Megala were like you came in and we're just like we've got this that was really cool.

SPEAKER_02 40:16

We'd been struggling for about probably almost an hour. Yeah and you were you were in tears and she was trying to console you of like you're gonna fail this year and you're gonna have to repeat she was so nice she's like yeah you will you'll fail this year but that's okay but you're definitely gonna fail yeah and and then and then we're both like oh shit um what's your funny story?

SPEAKER_01 40:40

My funny story goes back to the the question the math final exam in Motura yeah um so for the final exam we had the written exam and then we had the oral exam oral exam and you have three people take the same question the first person to go in the person who's studying and then the next person so you can't actually trade out any questions because the people are always occupied. And I already saw the group I was going to be in which were two of two guys who were in the math advance group. Okay. And they were going before me. Yeah and I was not in the math advance group so I was always I was already like great they're gonna go in ace it and then I'm gonna come in with my basic math knowledge there were always two questions and you could pick out one and I knew one topic was off for me because I just did not understand that topic so I was like if that came up I was going to pick the other one. That topic came up unlucky so I picked the other one which was very difficult. It was uh vector geometry and I was I was in the room for 15 minutes or 30 minutes preparing and then I came into the the the room with my math teacher and the expert and I started talking but I like it was a really difficult question and and then I looked at them and it just everything left like everything. A full blackout a full blackout five minutes into the exam and I just went I don't know and both of them looked at me with so much compassion as a teacher that's heartbreaking yeah and I was and because I wasn't a good math student but he really liked me because I always really tried yeah and he was like okay let's break it down can you explain this vector to me and it was a vector geometry that is the most basic level you can break it down to and I went I I don't I I I don't understand and he was like we've been through this what does this point mean and I was like I I I I don't know I don't know and he he had to like go back to very very basic math and then we got out of the room I was basically crying because I knew I failed like we all knew I failed and we got out of the room and he walked out of the room with me and I was like I'm so sorry I I don't know what happened and he was like Amy the two guys before you took the same problem they also did not get it right it was a very difficult question. Oh that's so and I started crying and I was like but I just failed and like I know I can do better and he's like I know you probably should have picked the other question but I know this isn't your topic either and he was so understanding and I was just standing there trying so hard not to cry more and he was like it's okay it's okay it's okay and I went into the bathroom and cried and then a week later we got our report cards and I was walking out of the room and I was kind of shaking because I didn't want to see my math exam. Yeah like I didn't want to see the grade because I was so scared and he walked out to me and he was like did you open the letter yet and I said no I'm scared of seeing math and he went what are you talking about? You passed Oh I'm gonna cry so cute. And I looked at him and I was like what and he's like you passed of course you passed oh my god I'm like lost and it was my written exam was good but they also just both realized that like it was an unfair moment. Oh that's adorable and I passed with a four Funny story, right? Funny story.

SPEAKER_02 44:02

No, but actually, like that's adorable. That's so cute.

SPEAKER_00 44:04

Yeah, he was it was such a sweet moment, also to just see both of those men like fuck she is like it's it's not that she can't do math, she can't do math right now. Yeah. Which was nice to see.

SPEAKER_02 44:16

So study hard, don't be an asshole.

SPEAKER_00 44:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:21

Bye.