How to get hooked onto science

 As a student nears the culmination of middle school, a prevailing concern amongst parents, acquaintances and teachers is the choice of stream that the person is likely to opt for in the senior school. It is somehow a common perception that science is hard work and you get off easier in other streams. Although, any adult would know, and likewise advice, that one of the ingredients to excel in anything is hard work, it is important to inculcate a scientific temper in the child. This implies that the child learns to include questioning, observing physical reality, testing, hypothesizing, analysing, and communicating as a part of his or her way of life.

Middle school provides a reasonable exposure to scientific subjects at a basic level. The curriculum designed by the state takes into account the needs and the state of mental development of the child and introduces topics gradually. It is therefore advisable to begin middle school with resources that make things easy for you initially. CBSE science study material for class 8 may be easily acquired from numerous websites to learn science. However, in order to really get hooked onto science you should follow some tips:

Elaborative interrogation: – after reading few paragraphs of your textbook, quiz yourself or think about the topic that you just read. Use your answer to form notes. Ask someone or browse the Internet looking for answers to anything that you don’t know. This method is very useful for students because it allows them to apply their prior knowledge effectively to process new information.

Learn mnemonics: a method for memorizing information involving linking words to meanings through associations based on how a word sounds and creating imagery for specific words. This method is useful in for memorizing information of formulae, scientific terms and series.

Learn the graphical way: when students interact with science words in different ways, they are able to approach words and meanings in more effective way. Graphical learning can help to learn things in easier manner. Transform abstract ideas by coming up with bright pictures, images that will relate the information together. Make graphs while doing physics and chemistry. A graph gives us a better idea of dependence of two variables on each other.

Highlight the information with colors: – The information or content that you think is important must be highlighted with a colorful highlighter and write the information down on a matching color post. This will help you to cement this color-coded information in your mind. Once jotted down, the information can be posted at a place where you frequently visit. Highlighting the document also helps in fast recovery of information when searching through the important key points again.

Good Study Habits: – Keep up with your work. If you attend class regularly, keep up with reading, and take notes conscientiously; studying can then be a relatively pain-free process. Make sure to review and expand upon class notes regularly throughout the semester. Consider developing a glossary or collection of note cards for vocabulary review in every class.

Experimenting in labs: Science is a subject that encourages lab-based learning. Performing experiments in laboratories can enhance the knowledge of Science, which also helps in building a stronger understanding of the subject.

If one gets to follow these steps, it is easy to develop an interest in science and then one can develop a scientific temper in life. This not only keeps you agile and informed but also encourages you to experiment with various situations, which in turn contributes to your growth.