Preparing for Exams

Now that school is about a month in session, many classes are beginning their first round of exams. While studying may seem intimidating, learning how to study effectively will be extremely helpful and hopefully reduce the amount of stress you may be feeling. By properly preparing, you can learn to avoid stress and ace every single one of your exams. With that said, I’m here to give you some tips and tricks on how to succeed in your studying so you can get the grade(s) you are striving for.

1. Make sure you have all of your materials.

Before you even begin to study, you want to make sure you have all the materials necessary in order to study in the first place. Double check that you have your notes, syllabus, textbook, any review guides and/or practice tests. Utilize every accessible resource, having too much never hurt anybody!

2. Do not study EVERYTHING the night before the exam.

Trying to cram in all the information the night before is only going to make things worse for yourself. It is stressful, tiring and will ultimately wear you out mentally. It is important to space your studying out and to start as soon as possible. With a planned out approach, you will gradually learn the material and actually understand it by the time the test date rolls around.

3. Read over your notes.

Read, analyze, understand, repeat. It is vital to look over your notes more than once, but what is more important is to actually comprehend what is being read. Be interactive with your notes — highlight and underline key concepts, terms, people, dates, etc. Take even more notes while you study as well! Writing down information helps you retain it better. While you are at it, write down questions on a sticky note or a piece of paper when you don’t quite understand something. Go to a teacher or a trustworthy friend with any questions prior to the exam date so you can get a better understanding of the material.

4. Make Study groups.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get stuck in a rut when studying alone. Forming study groups take studying to the next level. Studying with one or more people enhances learning; it provides different insights to material and allows the opportunity to build off each other's ideas. There may also be a group member who understands a confusing concept and, in turn, can teach it to the rest of the group.

5. Take Breaks

Studies show that after an hour of studying your brain stops retaining information. With that said, take a 15-20 minute break in between each hour you study. It gives your brain a chance to relax and focus on something else. Watch a video, take a walk, play a game — anything to distract you for the time being. In result, you will end up retaining more information in greater quantities over time than if you continuously studied without any sort of break.

6. Don’t just memorize content, understand it.

Understanding is the key to learning effectively. Need I say more?

7. Minimize Distractions

Although you may prefer to study while listening to music, watching TV or Netflix, or engaging in social media, you are less likely to retain information. Turn off distractions, like your cell phone, to optimize your studying time. If you cannot study without some type of music, settle for an instrumental genre so you can stay focused.

8. Sleep

Be sure to get a good nights sleep the night before your big day. Being well rested is important if you want to optimize alertness and memory. Plan on getting between seven and nine hours of sleep.