【University】 EJU and its countermeasure ② （The subjects requiring memorizing）

In order to study some subjects that require lots of memorizing, such as “Japanese Language” or “EJU総合科目 (EJU, Japan and the World),” please try the two learning methods written below.

【Learning Methods】

・Practice Repeatedly

One of the keywords when you study “subjects requiring memorizing” is “repeat”. It is ok to spend only 30 minutes, but please open the textbooks everyday, regularly study, and make this routine as an everyday habit.

Open the textbook everyday and “Memorize the new things”→ Regularly “check if your memory (just learned knowledge) is correct or not”→ “Store this knowledge in the brain,” the repetition of this workload is necessary.

・The Link Method of Memory

As we have introduced in the previous article of “Tip of Taking Note (Be aware of enhancing the quality of “Output”,) we had better to make the habit of stimulating our brain as much as possible when we learn the new thing. Concretely speaking, just stop memorizing blindly, but try to associate it with the other information we already know or remember. That is to say, when we learn the new things, always keep this in your mind that “In addition, I will spare a few more minutes to study one more thing which is related to the thing I have just learned… “

【Japanese Language】

Supposed that we will learn the new Chinese Character (漢字), 「善」　today.

① Let’s look up in a dictionary, understand its meaning by your mother tongue, and memorize “onyomi” and “kunyomi.” （❶【音】ぜん／【訓】よい）

② Again try to find the new word (vocabulary), which includes this Chinese Character.（❷偽善、善悪、善良）

③ Let’s make a composition. （❸彼は善良な人だ）　

→ Through this practice, you can improve your writing skill.

→ Although you come across with the abstract, very difficult Chinese Characters or vocabulary, it will be easier for you to understand and remember these.

④ If you can work more, then please look up “antonym (an opposite word)” or “synonym (a similar word),” and make a sentence. （❹【antonym】善⇔悪、【antonym】善良⇔邪悪）

This learning method can be introduced and applied when you learn “syntax” or “sentence structure (grammar)” or “adverb.”

For example, supposed that we will learn the new adverb, 「とうとう (≒finally)」.

❶ meaning （usage）：For the one situation or result, you have been waiting for a long time , and it happens, then use 「とうとう」when you express your feeling of this moment. One important notification： you can use this word in a good situation and a bad situation, both occasions.

❸ composition： “My long-held dream, “want to be an actor” has just come true, and I got an offer. (happy)”

“I had been waiting for his contact for the long time, but he did not reply to me. (sad)”

“My uncle had been fighting against a disease, and showed the sign of recovery at one time, but at last passed away last night (feel sorry).”

❹ synonym：やっと、ついに、いよいよ

There are lots of patterns, and the meanings of each words are slightly different. When you learn the new thing, try to learn more other things (which has the link or relationship).

【EJU, Japan and the World】

EJU, Japan and the World, the contents of this subject is “Sociology” in a word, but accurately speaking it is the mix of Politics, Economics, Geography, History regarding Japan and the World. You had better study this directly by Japanese version of EJU textbooks. If you come across with something you do not know, look it up on the web, and understand it by your mother tongue.

For example, supposed that we will learn about the “New Deal” conducted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), the former president of the United States.

❶Abstracts：

The “New Deal” was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and several regulations enacted by FDR when the United States was confronted with the Great Depression in 1929, as am attempt to recover its economy. One biggest specialties of its policies is accelerating the transition of the economical policy, from the “free market” to the “government – controlled market,” and implemented several regulations or the safeguards.

Some of major strategies or actions are these： Banking Act (Glass-Steagall Act) of 1933, it is the separation of commercial and investment banking, preventing securities firms and investment banks from taking the deposits of the commercial banks.

The National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) of 1935,  which guarantees the right of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining, and take collective action such as strikes.

In addition to these, the control of amount and price control of crop by the government, and the launch of the public work projects.

❸ What kind of influence has the “New Deal” brought about to the United States afterwards?

❹ Let’s look it up and study more!

― How about the location of the big cities of the United States? The characteristics of each place’s industry? Climate?

― What happened in the other places of the world in 1930’s? Great Depression in 1929 had spread through all over the capitalist countries, and militarism and fascism emerged in order to breakthrough the economic recession. (For example： Mukden Incident of 1931, the Invasion of Nazis Germany.)

【Summary】

It is useful for memorizing the related items when we study, and make this as an everyday habit, because in this situation although we forget one thing, but we could be able to remember another thing, and in that case we still have a possibility to recollect the whole information by the link in the sub-conscious brain.

Furthermore, the biggest characteristic of the “subjects requiring memorizing” is that if you work hard, and then you can get the high score in a shorter time. It means, although after you enter EHLE Institute, start preparing for “EJU, Japan and the World,” it will not be too late.

In order to do so, first study hard to get the high Japanese ability.

We will introduce you another leaning methods (of another subjects ) in this blog article.