The Summer Study is finally here, so it’s time to get started on a summer journey that will take us through Scripture to grow closer to our Creator as we study this year’s theme: Created! Each year, participants receive a new Discovery Journal, which serves as a guide throughout the study.
Upon your first look at the Discovery Journal, you’ll notice the different units and days that not only take us through the study chapters, but also original language studies, Biblical definitions, cross-references, and more. It can definitely seem like a lot to study! Each unit, or week, of the Discovery Journal is broken up into five different days, which have several different focuses, keeping things organized and put in attainable sections, and making it easier to follow along and stay on track.
There are eight weeks total that are included as study weeks in the Discovery Journal. Units 1-7 uncover new material through days 1-4, while the fifth day in each week serves as a review for the unit. Once you reach unit 8, this is also a review that stretches over key points from all of the units. With that said, here’s some tips to help you navigate the Discovery Journal and plan out your study:
1. Continually Review
Once you finish a day or unit of your Discovery Journal, make sure to keep revisiting it to keep things fresh. This ensures that you deeply store what you learn, and eliminates some extra stress behind trying to remember everything or cram information toward the end of the study. As you go through your Discovery Journal, keep some highlighters, page markers, sticky notes, and note cards or a notebook to make a note of things as you go. Having things marked down is going to make reviewing so much more productive and efficient! Online flashcards and study systems are also great tools to quickly create matching cards, documents, and more. Find some time to read through your memory passages as well! Even if you haven’t memorized a passage yet, it will become so much easier once you do if you have spent some time reading and reviewing its content.
You may find that having a rotation for review is most helpful. For example, while you are actively moving forward in your study, perhaps choose a week or a day to review a specific unit, or categorize things (study Hebrew words one day, cross-references the next day, etc). Balancing multiple review methods may also be something that works for you–and multiple methods may need to be tried before you find something that works best for you!
2. Pacing, Pacing, Pacing
When you receive your Discovery Journal, it can be so easy to get so excited and fly through it! Be careful, though, to not get too burnt out and to keep a steady pace from early on in the study. If you are someone who loves to finish ahead of time, you can still finish “early” by doing just one lesson a day, since it is spread out across five days a week. There is no right or wrong way to schedule out your study; just make sure it is doable without tiring you or burning you out, and remember that more review over more new things is oftentimes so much more important and tends to have more solid results by the end of the Summer Study.
Something that might be helpful is to grab a calendar and write down when you want to complete certain days of the Discovery Journal, so that you can lay things out and see where different milestones fall.
Having a set pace also means that it’s no big deal if you happen to miss out on a day or a week of study, or if things don’t quite go as planned. If you plan ahead and have set goals, and give yourself some extra time to complete them, you’ll feel much more secure and encouraged by your progress!
3. Remembering the True Goal and Prize
Above all, keep in mind the mission of the National Bible Bee – “To know God’s Word and make Him known.” Set aside time to meditate on His Word, find application through the study passage and memory passages, and complete the devotional questions in the study guide as you work through it. Remember to give yourself some grace and lean on the Lord if you run into a roadblock or things don’t seem to go as planned! It’s amazing how much easier it is to retain knowledge if the subject is also understood in a spiritual way. Praying through memory passages and seeking to understand what the Lord is saying through the Scriptures is a peaceful and fulfilling way to start off a time of studying or memorization. No matter what happens, you are receiving the true blessing of the summer by growing closer in relationship with God!
If you are studying for the NBBC (National Bible Bee Competition) Qualifying Test, keep in mind that you will have some extra time after the completion of your Discovery Journal to continue to review and brush up on knowledge before the testing weekend in August! For more about the Qualifying Test and the National Bible Bee Competition/national season study, check out the guidebook and other materials that are included on your family dashboard. Also, remember that the National Bible Bee provides an exclusive social community to all registered families, where many are ready to give helpful tips and answer any questions you may have! It’s also an amazing resource for study materials and for connecting with many National Bible Bee families and participants across the nation!
May the Lord bless you through this year’s Summer Study!
Written by NBB Alumna: Emma Fernandez
