Keep calm and study smart

It takes real commitment to get through professional marketing qualifications, especially when you have a full-time job and other commitments. So wouldn’t it be good if you didn’t have to work any harder, just smarter? Jon Twomey of Student Support Group has provided this quick guide to holistic (smarter) learning. 

Holistic learning

Learn holistically to pass your CIM qualifications. Rather than just trying to remember what you heard in class or what you read, focus on connecting the new information to things you know already and then actually using the information you have to build something. This involves linking concepts together and compressing information so it fits in the bigger picture.

Read it, draw it, understand it, remember it, and then apply it!

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Simplify

Quickly organise information by comparing a complex idea to a simple one. When you find relationships between bits of information, identifying the similarities and differences will increase your understanding.

See it, smell it…

Abstract ideas, such as marketing audits, are often difficult to memorise because they are far removed from our senses. Shift them closer by creating with vivid pictures, feelings and images that relate information together. Mentally “walking around’ the parts of a marketing audit makes it much more memorable.

Collect gradually, don’t cram

Forcing information into your brain during the last few days before a CIM deadline is incredibly inefficient. Try to link topics and ideas together as they come to you so that studying becomes a quick recap, rather than a first attempt at learning.

Build your base knowledge

Reading widely and having a general understanding of many topics gives you much more chance to find patterns in new topics. The more you already know, the easier it is to slot in the newly learned stuff!

Learning is in your head 

Having beautiful notes and a perfectly highlighted textbook doesn’t help if you don’t understand the information in it. Learning should be in your head not on paper, tablet or smartphone.

Make links

When you read through a topic, every piece of information should connect with something else that you have already learned. If you leave ‘islands’ of information, you won’t be able to easily reach them when needed in a test, for example.

Test your mobility

A good way to check whether you have linked enough, is finding that you can move easily between concepts. Select a random CIM topic and start explaining the subject you are working with. If you can’t jump between syllabus sections, referencing one idea to help explain another, you won’t be able to think through and then demonstrate relevant connections during your assignment or exam.

Build models

Models are simple concepts that aren’t true by themselves, but are useful for describing abstract ideas. Crystallizing one particular mental image, e.g. the online customer journey or funnel, can create a model you can refer to when trying to understand something.

Teach it

Find someone who doesn’t understand the topic or model, for example, the Ansoff matrix, and teach it to them. This exercise forces you to organise your thoughts.  Encourage them to ask you questions and to press you for real-life examples.

Free revision helpline

As a CIM member in the London region, you have access to a free revision helpline with the Student Support Group, sponsored by the CIM London Board. You can call Caroline at SSG on 01784 463057 or email caroline@studentsupportgroup.co.uk.

Last chance

If you’re trying to complete any of the ‘old’ Certificate or Diploma subjects, realistically your last chance to do so is the June 2015 assignments & exams. After this summer you’ll need to begin the new syllabus afresh, so it might also be SMART to contact SSG for some personal study support to help you prepare to pass. Fees apply.