People are constantly asking me “What is MASN?”, “What makes MASN different“, “What is the MASN way of studying?” and so on. Seemingly straightforward questions one would say. The funny thing is that even though MASN is a simple and unique system, answering these questions can be quite tricky because it’s just so much, and yet so straightforward.
So this is my attempt at a succinct two-liner: MASN is a one-stop summary and studying solution for all students, both young and ‘old’. It’s a workbook that contains everything a student needs to understand their study material and achieve their academic goals.
Not sure I nailed it. Maybe let’s try to answer those seemingly straightforward questions rather!
Firstly, what is MASN?
MASN is a studying system that uses a summarising workbook which incorporates flexible studying methods. Broken down into the physical, it is a ring-bound workbook divided up into various subject sections as determined by the student. Each subject section is further divided up into an overview page, new terms pages and then finally the summary pages (see below for more detailed explanations). These pages are all blank, waiting for the student to fill in as the term or semester progresses.
What makes MASN different?
MASN is different because it gives both the student and the parent (where applicable) a one-stop workbook to track and encourage regular studying and understanding. It is also easy to use and time-saving because the work is always in one place; no more hunting for lost pieces of paper. Another benefit of MASN is that if you, the student, when summarising, realize that you don’t understand what was taught that day, you are able to go to the teacher or lecturer as soon as possible to gain clarity, as opposed to realizing that you don’t understand something the night before an exam. No more night before panic stations!
What is the MASN way of studying?
It has been proven through various studies that summarising is a highly effective method of studying. Strangely enough, not many students use this method in its entirety. Yes, they may summarise as they’re preparing for exams, just before the exams. But MASN encourages summarising the day that the work is actually done. At the end of the day, once all homework is done, a quick summarising session is all that is needed. This involves reading over the work done, asking oneself questions about what was learnt for understanding purposes, writing the summarised info into the workbook in the form of mindmaps, bullet points, diagrams etc, quickly re-checking that you have everything, and then re-teaching the info (see the 7 step masn study method). It sounds like it takes forever, but it really is a quick process. Remember, you’re not summarising the entire term’s work, it’s just the day’s work which is WAY shorter. Will it be easy in the beginning? Possibly not, because this is a new way of doing things, but once the habit is formed, it’ll be easy-peasy!
I understand that there may be times that the summarising can’t be done on the day of the lesson/lecture due to whatever reasons. I do however encourage that all summarising should be caught up by the end of each week. That way, you’ll never fall behind!
Now that you have the basics of MASN, let’s dig into the actual composition of the workbook.
MASN is made up of the following:
- The PLEDGE
- The CALENDAR pages
- The GOAL list
- The SUBJECT list
- The SUBJECT SECTIONS
- Overview page
- New terms and definition pages
- Summary pages
- The PLEDGE
The pledge is the start of your MASN journey. Step 1 is always to read through the pledge at the beginning of the term/semester, and highlight any of the words that pop out at you. Whichever ones resonate with you, make sense, ring a bell; underline them, or draw a circle around them. Whatever helps you to remember these points. This is your book and your new mission. Take charge of your studies and own it like a boss. Remember, a pledge is a promise, an oath, an undertaking. But more importantly, this pledge is for you. Don’t forget to sign and date the pledge page as a sign of your commitment.
- The CALENDAR pages
Fill in details on the calendar pages like the month, the dates and anything else that might be relevant to helping you plan your summarising. This includes test dates, exam dates, revision times, other commitments and anything else that will help you better plan your time. Time management is an essential part of the studying process, and not only when it comes to exam time. These calendar pages will help you to plan and organize your summary and studying times, and still make time for other commitments.
3.The GOAL list
How can you aim for something if you don’t have anything to aim for? At the beginning of the term or semester, take a look at your previous report and decide where you’d like to improve and by how much. Each time you write a test, an exam or do a project, decide what mark you’d like and write it down in your goal list. This will give you something to aim for. Once you’ve received your mark back, write it against the goal and then comment on your results. If it was less than you were aiming for, write down why. If it’s more, give yourself some praise – you deserve it!
- The SUBJECT list
This list is where you put your subjects in the order that you’d like them to be in. You could choose alphabetically, or least favourite to most favourite or even the other way around. The choice is totally up to you.
- 10 (12) SUBJECT sections, made up of the following:
- The overview page
- 2 new terms and definitions pages
- 10 (14) summary pages; 5 (7) blank, 5 (7) lined
5A. The OVERVIEW page
This page provides a bird’s eye view of the work to be covered during the term. It can be filled in at the beginning of the term once you’ve chatted with your teacher about the term’s syllabus, or you can fill it in using the textbook, or you could even fill it in as you cover the work. Feel free to do mind maps, bullet points, lists – whatever works for you as it helps you get the picture of where you’re going. It’s a great tool to help you do a mental checklist of what you’ve studied and what you still need to work on for exams or tests.
5B. The new TERMS and DEFINITIONS pages
When you learn about new things, you’re invariably going to come across new terms and definitions and even formulae. This section is where you’re going to write them down so that they’re easy to find and in one place. A handy, quick-reference tool where all new terms and definitions are written. No more searching and digging for definitions of new and unknown terms as you revise for tests and exams.
5C. The SUMMARY pages
Your summary pages are where you’re going to put the diamonds that you’ve found in the dust. What do I mean? Well, when we study there’s a lot of information, but not all of it is necessary, or even relevant. This is where you’ll read through your work, search for the diamonds and put them down as your summary notes. There are blank pages and lined pages to do this on. Blank pages are for drawings, doing mind maps or even doodling (but only if that helps you to learn). The lined pages are for bullet points, short sentences, lists and the like. Why only 10 (14) pages? The keyword is SUMMARISE. You’re not supposed to rewrite the entire syllabus.
Now please remember:
Don’t give up if this doesn’t come naturally to you. This is a learned skill and can take time to develop and perfect. Just be patient with yourself, find a style that suits you best, and remember who you’re doing this for. That’s right, it’s you.
I hope that this overview of MASN has helped you to understand more of what MASN is and how it can help you (or your child) with your studies.
Got any questions? I’d love to hear them. Contact Me
Keep summarising,
Natalie
