Summary
Highlights
Many students struggle with NCERTs because they simply read the books, find the language difficult, get bored, and give up. This common approach is ineffective. Toppers stress the importance of NCERTs for good grades in subjects like SST, Science, and Math, but they often don't explain how to read them effectively. Simply reading and underlining isn't enough for long-term retention. This video addresses this problem by introducing two highly effective methods.
It's crucial not to read NCERTs before understanding the concepts. 'Over-smart' students who try to pre-read NCERTs before lectures often fail to grasp anything due to the complex language. The correct approach is to first attend lectures (online, tuition, or YouTube) to understand the concepts. Once a chapter is completed in lectures, then pick up the NCERT to read it. This way, the information will make sense and be easier to remember. After reading, make sure to solve NCERT exercises, especially for Math and Science.
The first method is the 'Question Technique'. After reading a page or a section of the NCERT, identify important points (often highlighted during lectures) and frame questions around them directly in the textbook. For example, after reading about the Human Respiratory System and finding 'The alveoli provides a surface where exchange of gases take place' important, formulate a question like 'Why are alveoli important?' or 'What is the function of alveoli?'. This way, when reviewing, instead of re-reading the entire section, you just answer the questions you created. This method is particularly useful for subjects like Science. The video also mentions a pre-made 'NCERT Hack' with questions for science chapters.
The second and preferred method is the 'WWW Method' (What, Why, How). After reading an entire paragraph or topic, ask yourself three questions: 'What is this topic about?', 'Why is this important or why does it happen?', and 'How does this work?'. For example, for the Human Respiratory System, ask 'What is the respiratory system?', 'Why is it needed?', and 'How does it work?'. Write down the answers to these three questions in point form directly in your NCERT. This condenses the entire section into a few key points, making revision incredibly easy as you only need to read these points. This method is effective for both Science and Social Science (e.g., 'The Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement').
The video concludes by emphasizing that NCERTs are crucial for scoring high marks (99%), as 80-90% of exam papers are based on them. Reference books should only be used for question practice, not for theory. Theory should be learned from NCERTs and your notes. Combine this with solving sample papers for excellent results. The speaker encourages students to put in the hard work, as education is the key to a better future.