This truly is the age-old question for all academics and students. It seems a little vague but the question encourages you to reflect and think about why you are studying. Generally the question divides people into two broad schools of thought study for marks and study to learn. Most students will actually elect to study for marks, while most teachers will encourage you to study to learn. Of course, in Year 12 things can become so hectic and goal oriented between HSC® Exam and
UCAT Exam preparation, which makes the question even more difficult to answer. Is either side really completely right?
When I was at school, I was in favor of studying to learn, I never really felt that marks meant more than a few numbers on a page. In the past, it made very little sense to me why others were so obsessed with these numbers, but going through year 12 and Uni really opens your eyes as to why people feel this way. So let’s have a look at both way of studying:
Studying to learn
To be fair, this is a very idealistic answer concept. It follows the theoretical goals of school and teaching. You are studying to learn things that will be useful in life. If you don’t learn these things, it doesn’t matter what your marks are; life will be a struggle. Furthermore, it stands to reason that if you study to learn, then there is no reason the marks won’t follow. You will gain a deeper, more useful understanding of concepts that extend beyond school and Uni and provide you with valuable insight into the “real world”.
It is undeniable that this method of study sounds very promising. It sounds quite like what the ancient philosophers and scholars would have thrived for. It is also a motivating way to study if your goals are not in terms of academics but more global or existential.
Studying for Marks
If studying to learn is a somehow idealistic approach, then studying for marks is the pragmatic and practical approach. In that mindset, students operate on a goal-oriented mode. This technique may seem pointless, however it is easily justified by the thought that without good grades and academic advancement, a student can never advance and get the opportunity to practice life-skills anyway. You won’t get into Uni with poor grades or get a job without an impressive academic transcript.
Studying for marks can also be very motivating, as it breaks down the work-load into finite and well-defined tasks with clear objectives, that are assessed by exams. It also encourages huge amount of competition, which can be a real performance-drive for competitive people.
The Truth
At high school-level, studying for marks is commonplace and doesn’t disadvantage you greatly. In fact it can in lots of situations it can be a strength. When it gets to Med School however it is important that you change your methods. It doesn’t need to be drastic and I am certainly not suggesting you ignore marks - these are also really important in Med School. However, at that stage, you should realise that the skills you are learning are directly related to what you will be doing for the rest of your life, so if you don’t study to learn, you will be hindered in your performance. Small things like going the extra mile, reading things that aren’t part of your core curriculum or evening volunteering for extra opportunities all add up. While these may not reflect in your marks immediately they will all serve to make you into a better doctor in the future.
Understandably, when it comes to things like UMAT® Exam preparation however, it may seem that the goal-oriented, score-driven approach is the only possible tactic. Indeed, it can be hard to find a greater purpose to learning how to solve strange puzzles at neck breaking speeds. However, remember that the UMAT® Exam is not just an arbitrary test used to thin out the herd and bar the doors to medical school. It has been designed to select qualities useful in a future doctor. Practicing speed, endurance, problem-solving or attention to detail in the UMAT® Exam? It might help you to think of it as sharpening your mind and building stamina that will be invaluable when handling multiple critical patients in a busy ED. Trying to improve your “understanding people scores”? This will surely help you when dealing with patients at a later stage.
Personally I believe I study to learn, however I can see the benefits of studying for marks. Ultimately the real difference between the schools of thought is the motivation behind success. Some find it more motivating to think of what they achieving through learning skills, while other find it more motivating to think about the marks they will achieve and how that will help them in future academics. Regardless of why you should study, both forms of thinking require you to study intelligently and that is really the most important thing.
