Knowledge Mapping for Success

In my earlier post I have discussed the importance of ensuring that you are fully aware of the higher levels of the syllabus and the interrelationships between each section of the syllabus. This is a key examinable skill that sets apart the fit from the weak. You need to have this in your repertoire to put yourself in the position to succeed.

Unfortunately, I find that the key revision materials that are being published don't necessarily put you in the position to visually connect areas of a syllabus together easily. A set of ring binded index cards are not going to give you what is needed to visually conceptualize the different areas. Monotone text organised in undifferentiated pages within a endless text book is not going to really help you out too much either. Especially as the exams draw in closer, many will tend to just 'get through the material' rather than invoke learning. Remember that this is the wrong approach. If you need to find more time to make sure the information sticks, do it. However, I suggest an alternative approach... 

I find that right after you read a chapter in the book, you have enough retained knowledge to answer a few basic questions over what you've just read. But as soon as you move on to the next chapter, the knowledge that you have seemingly obtained dissipates. This short termism can be counteracted by a technique I have picked up - knowledge mapping:

* Finish reading the chapter and recap the information by briefly flicking through the pages and looking at the headings. 

* Have a quick look at the related syllabus learning outcome statements

* Get a blank sheet of paper and put the chapter title on the top and highlight it in your favourite colour. 

* Start working through the chapter, and plotting the different elements that you think are important. Start linking them together. Use things like diagrams and charts as much as possible to visually represent the material. 

* Only use one side of the paper, leave the other side blank. 

* After you are done with a book, you will have anywhere from 11 to 26 pieces of paper with the key important elements. 

* During the revision phase you can lay them out in front of you in an open space and start flicking through them, and you will find that the related topics just tend to flow. You can organise the papers to put two of these topics together and compare and contrast them, find linkages and further your investigation as necessary. 

* You can use the blank sides of the papers to now enter in any additional notes (maybe as a result from practice questions, or a review of the syllabus) and key concepts that you want to drill in to create a comprehensive set of visual aids. 

I think you will find that you start to think of these areas quite visually and these images (of your notes) will start coming to you when you are doing your exams. Part of this method's effectiveness is that you are approaching something with a new method which challenges your mind in ways that you might not ordinarily be inclined to do.

Procrastination

The drag is really setting in heavy and it's starting to get to me. The sun's out, the kids are kicking the football around in the garden and the mojitos are flowing. I'm inside, rocking my 5 o'clock three-days-later shadow. I think that I am studying but really the information is not sticking.

I'm sure that most of you will feel my plight, the pressure is not at its highest and the work week is long. So how am I going to get through this make-me-or-break-me hump. I figure I'll go do what I like for a while, listen to some music, make a nice meal, watch a movie. What's the point in studying if you don't absorb the information.

So for all the nine-to-fivers, people with kids and workaholics with long commutes - remember what the end game is. Don't force it.

Work Smart

Dear ACCA Minions, 

The key to passing the ACCA exams is to work smart. This does not dismiss the notion that you have to work hard to get through these exams - we all know that they are tough. But it wouldn't be worth being an accountant if everyone were able to cruise through these exams. It's simple supply and demand - and the ACCA does a good job in ensuring that the ones that make it show they are capable of meeting a rigorous level of competence. That being said, working hard exclusively will not get you a pass. 

I've known too many people that feel guilty about every minute that passes in which they do not study as they think only of the opportunity cost of marks lost in this passage of time. I say its nonsense. My concept is much different - I think a balanced approach increases the retention of material you read. Taking a break could actually help you pass. So make sure to factor them in and have a balanced diet of studying and relaxing. This holds more true for those, like me, who are distance learning while holding a full time job. 

So what is the secret then? Working smart! I know it sounds cliche but I will elaborate a little more. Follow these tips to get better marks:

1) Prepare a timetable of the material you want to get through and by when. Try not to be too aggressive. Allow yourself ample time to absorb the information. I'd say anything more than a chapter a day (on a workday) or two chapters (on a weekend/holiday) is enough.

2) Follow the timetable. Implement a system of reward and punishments for adherence to the timetable set. This will encourage you to keep up.

3) Get your Z's in. It's really important to have a fresh mind when you approach the material. So I would not jeopardize missing key parts of the syllabus because you're zombied out. Get your 8 hours.

4) Take interest in the material. All professional exams emphasize the practical element of the material contained. Therefore, I say fake it till you make it. When you study think of real life situations that people face. For example, I tend to always think of how the accountants/auditors/tax advisors at Apple Computers must think about their business. It makes things a little more interesting. 

5) Use a top down approach. The number one mistake people make is getting involved with the details without understanding the bigger picture. Examiners love to test how different parts of the syllabus interact with each other and therefore framing the bigger picture is the key part of any syllabus. 

a. Keep an open mind about how you expect the syllabus to come together. 

b. Be skeptical about conflicting theories and views. This helps frame the classic advantage and disadvantages questions that keep coming up again and again. 

c. Make arguments for and against theories and play them out in your head. 

d. At the revision phase, start by sketching a roadmap of the main syllabus areas and how they interact with each other. Something like a flowchart really helped me understand the whole audit process for F8. Something like a bubble chart helped me understand the three main areas of the F9 syllabus. 

e. After you have got your roadmap all sketched out (from your head) start filling in the little details of everything you can remember. You will surely identify that you've left things out and you will get a sense of where to focus your efforts. 

6) Practice makes perfect. They tell you to practice past exams in exam conditions for a reason. Get as many under your belt as you can. Time management is the most cited reason for failing and this is probably the best way to get rid of it. You start to learn the ropes of what the examiner is asking of you, the verbs that are included in question prompts, and what dictates a reasonable answer. This is the last step because once you get the passing mark and you have the stamina to go through a full length exam - answering questions concisely and with precision - you will greatly increase your confidence going into the exams. 

By this point you will be ready. Anything extra will be extra credit. :)

Remember the big picture!