My Top 10 Study Tips

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(Originally Published October 2017)

I've written in the past about how I'm working through the study materials, both online and textbook. I realized it was kind of a general approach, and that there were some additional, specific, tips I have for successful studying.

Just a caveat that I used Rockwell online for my clock hours. I don’t know whether all online clock hour courses have the supplemental materials I reference below.

Don’t Make Your Own Study Guide. As I worked through the first four lessons, I was copying and pasting information from the Rockwell slides into a Word document and making my own study guide. But I stopped for a couple of reasons. One is that I noticed that I was having to refer to my study guide for answers quiz questions. I wasn't retaining much of the information. Second, my textbooks arrived. So, I knew I could refer to printed materials for review time that way. And finally, Rebecca told me about the "Cram" course on Rockwell. It's part of the test prep and sample exam feature and it walks you through the crucial concepts. So, I essentially had an electronic study guide at my fingertips. In the end I did just as well, or better, on the quizzes when I didn't have the study guide to refer to than when I did.

Teach it to Someone Else. I found that having to explain concepts or terms to someone else, helped cement those things into my memory. And the people I "taught" weren't aspiring real estate agents. They were my mom, or my best friend or my brother--anyone I could get to sit still and listen to me.

Take Breaks. I'd limit the number of hours you devote to studying at one sitting. I set mine at 1 hour before I took a break to rest my eyes, get up and walk around, breathe some fresh air.

Get Some Context. I work part-time for Rebecca in her real estate office, and I do some work for her from home. The time I spend doing those things and talking to Rebecca about some element of her business, have given me context for the things I'm learning about as I study. If you don't work for a real estate agent, maybe there are ways you can get a similar experience. Chances are someone you know, knows an agent. Could you call them and ask some questions? Or do an inventory of your skills. Are you a great writer? If so, maybe a local agent would love some help with content for their website, or writing a blog, or managing social media. Offer your help for free a couple of hours per week in exchange for getting some experience in the industry. There are legal limitations on the kinds of activities you're allowed to do without a real estate license though. So, make sure whatever you propose or whatever they suggest, complies with applicable laws.

Pay Attention to Your Study Space. Give yourself the gift of a comfortable space that's conducive to studying. Make sure you have enough light to see properly. Get yourself a comfortable chair and a desk with enough space for your computer, notebook and whatever else you need close at hand. Have some water nearby, turn your phone off (or switch it to silent).

Conduct Periodic Reviews. I didn't wait until I finished working through all of the material before reviewing it. After completing 2 or 3 lessons, I'd look through those slides again and make sure I could pass the lesson quizzes. It reinforced the material and didn't take much extra time.

Take ALL of the Pop Quizzes. I took every single pop quiz in Rockwell. And because I did, I spotted the areas where I missed little details that made huge differences in my understanding of the concepts. When I got a question wrong, I made sure I understood where my thinking went off track, so that I could pass the final lesson quizzes. I learned that reading the questions is really important. One word can change the whole meaning, so you have to pay attention to what the question is actually asking. The quizzes also helped me get comfortable with how the exam questions would be structured.

Get Out. I used to do this when I worked full-time in an office and noticed fatigue and/or lack of focus setting in. Go outside for 5 minutes and stand on your deck, walk around the neighborhood. Breathe in fresh air. Get your eyes away from the computer screen. It makes all the difference when you come back. You need a variety of sensory stimulation in order for your brain to work properly and for you to feel your best.

Prioritize Sleep. This is good advice for all of life, but is especially true when you're trying to learn something new and/or when you're preparing for a big test. There is also some evidence that if you study for a few minutes before you go to sleep, your brain will retain that information better than if you'd studied it that morning. If you are going to try that, I'd recommend studying from your textbook or other notes rather than online. Screen time before bed is associated with a difficulty falling asleep and more restless sleep. I'd also recommend doing your reading somewhere other than bed. Read in the awesome study space you set up for yourself for a few minutes, and then hit the hay.

Take the Sample Exams. Take as many as you can. If you're going to fail or get something wrong, you'd rather do that on a practice exam than on the real deal. The practice exams often have the very questions you'll see on the real exam, or at least questions that are close enough that acing them will leave you in good shape for the big day. Also, I found that the more practice exams I did, the less anxious I got about the exam experience in general.

There you have it. The 10 or so studying rules I lived by. Feel free to share your tips or questions below!

 

 

Signs Online Studying Is Right for You

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Hi there everyone! I'm jumping on the blog again to talk study strategies for aspiring real estate agents. As you may remember, I chose to study for my real estate licensing exam entirely online. But you also have the option of taking a live class. Both are legitimate. Both have impressive exam pass rates to recommend them. So, how do you know which one is right for you? Here are a few signs that online is best choice for you.

You Know how to design an effective study schedule and you know you will stick to it without outside supervision/structure. You can break down the large amount of content into manageable pieces, without getting overwhelmed by the whole. You are confident that you can accurately estimate how long each piece will take and then extrapolate that to determine a realistic target exam date.

You will show up for your studying shifts even if no one else knows you did. You know how to dig deeper on concepts or terms that you don't understand, and find the information you need online or in your textbooks. But you also know when you need to ask for help from an expert, how to do that, and aren't afraid to do so.

You Want to Go at Your Own Pace. Which, by the way, could be quicker or more slowly than an in-person class is likely to go. You don't want to be rushed through lessons that challenge you (for me that was Real Estate Math!), and you don't want to be held back on sections that you find easier. It would frustrate you equally to sit in a class and have to listen to concepts you already understand explained multiple times; or to feel like the only person in the room who was struggling with a concept and have the instructor move on before you were ready.

You Have an Accountability Partner Already. You have someone who has agreed to check-in with you regularly. Someone who knows the study goals (hours and exam date) you've set for yourself. Someone to whom you will have to confess if you don't reach them. Someone who will call you on it if your target exam date comes and goes and you're still re-reading lesson 5 from the Fundamentals course.

You Need Flexibility. Whether it's because of your work schedule, family or other obligations, you can't commit to being in a classroom on the same night every week for an extended period of time.

You're Comfortable with Technology. You're comfortable with computers and navigating online course formats. You know how to pace yourself so that you give your eyes a break from the screen. The idea of sitting in front of a computer for 90 hours over the course of a couple of months studying this stuff doesn't make you shudder.

You Don't Need Face-to-Face Time. It doesn't help you to discuss concepts with classmates, and/or you have people in your life who are happy to listen to you talk about what you're learning so that you can cement the concepts in your brain. You are okay with hours of independent work and you don't crave a sense of camaraderie in this process.

There Aren't Any Live Courses Available/The Timeframe of Live Courses Isn't Convenient. This one is pretty self-explanatory.

I want to close by saying that none of the qualities I've listed above are objectively better or worse than their opposites. They're just different. Different people work best in different environments, but it's not a value judgement. The idea really is to be honest with yourself about yourself and then pick strategies that will set you up for success.

If you have study tips or if you have questions please share them in the space below and we'll do our best to respond. Thanks!