The flying by of each day brings us closer and closer to the dreaded End Of Year Examinations.
No need to panic though- we’ve got tips for you!
1. Create your own study guide.
While many teachers kindly provide students with a study guide, creating your own can help you grasp the material better. Outlining the important information you need to learn is extremely helpful, both when you’re creating the guide and when you’re referring to it during your studies.
2. Ask questions.
Your teachers are there to help!
Do not hesitate to ask about the material and the exam if you’ve got doubts so that you’re calm and well-prepared when exam time arrives.
4. Start early.
If you start ahead of schedule, you won’t find yourself cramming in information during an all-nighter the night prior your exam. It’s always best to be well-prepared and start as soon as you can!
But if you’re still in that ‘lost boy’ phase, I recommend getting up and starting now: trust me, it’s better than starting late and it will make all the difference.
5. Organize a group study session.
It can be helpful to study in groups – sometimes (and not the night before the exam!)
Evaluate whether or not studying with others will be beneficial to your learning- and be honest. If you know that you’ll end up having a chat with your mates or be unproductive, it’s best to remain within the modest confines of your own room in solitude…
6. Study things not on the study guide.
Study guides aren’t always comprehensive, nor are they detailed – they’re just suggestions of the main concepts you should learn. Use your study guide for its intended purpose: a guide that’s not set in stone. Be sure to fill in the blanks with related information.
7. Take breaks.
Before you get too excited, just know that breaks should be brief and phone-free for them to be effective.
You won’t be able to memorize or comprehend all the material at once. Balance is key – ensure that you reward learning with break times to recharge and relax.
8. Be well-rested.
There’s a lot to be said about a good night’s sleep. In short, it really does make all the difference. Make sure you’re well-rested to ensure that you are fully focused during your study sessions and exams.
9. Create a study schedule – and follow it.
Splitting the material into manageable, daily chunks can be very beneficial. By doing this, you can keep track of what you’ve accomplished instead of looking at the big picture and getting overwhelmed. It’ll also keep you more productive on a daily scale because you have a precise image of what you are to do per day.
10. Prioritize your study time.
Some exams will be more difficult than others, and some you may find easier to study for. Some may need more time than others, especially if you want to do especially well in a particular subject.
Make sure to evaluate all of your exams to consider all of the above factors so you can plan and study accordingly.
11. Study for the style of exam.
If it’s multiple choice, you’ll usually need to know definitions and concepts.
For essay exams, focus on your understanding of all the concepts presented, with examples in mind.
12. Quiz yourself.
If you think about, find and even write your own exam questions, you will likely become more familiar with what you need to study as well as familiarize yourself with the type of language that will be on the exam. Draft potential exam questions and quiz yourself so that you can set expectations of what you need to focus on.
This will also help you with time management if you struggle with it in exams!
13. Reorganize your notes.
Evaluate and organize your notes into what’s important, outlining important concepts, formulas, dates and definitions so they’re easy to understand.
Update them if you need to. We learn new things about various topics everyday- maybe your teacher gave you extra information on a topic you’ve done before and have notes for. Add the new information, but make sure to remember the order in which you were taught these things because remembering the rough order of what you have learnt may help refresh your memory the next time you flick through your notes.
14. Pace yourself.
Make sure you stay focused- and don’t burn yourself out. Do this by ‘pacing yourself’ rather than opting for the dreaded all-nighter. You can easily pace yourself by following the tips above like starting early, creating a study schedule and taking breaks when necessary!
15. Teach classmates.
Learning by teaching is a method that really works!
If you work with a study buddy and explain concepts to one another, you’re re-learning the material all over again. It’s a great way to reinforce what you’ve learned and help someone in the meantime! Studies have shown that students are more likely to remember information said by a peer rather than a teacher- so keep your ears wide open!
Besides, you know the old saying- “If you can’t explain it simply enough, then you don’t understand it well enough.”
16. Shift your focus.
Switching up your subjects is a helpful way to learn everything for your exams while preventing burnout on one topic- but make sure to switch it up before your eyes glaze over!
That way, you can keep studying for longer periods of time while maintaining your interest and your focus.
17. Colour-code it.
This is one of my favourites!
Create a system that allows you to colour-code material that’s going to be on the exam in order of most important to least important, etc.
This will help you focus on the most challenging information and prioritize the material.
18. Visualize.
If you’re a visual learner, it may help to create mind maps or diagrams to visualize how the concepts you’re learning relate to one another. This is especially beneficial when learning concepts that build upon the understanding of one another, as is the case with the sciences.
19. Make it fun.
It’s easier to focus if you adapt to studying by quizzing yourself, creating acronyms or rewarding yourself for a job well done- unless you want to have that same-old staring match with the textbook…
Create a game plan that allows you to accomplish tasks and be rewarded for each.
For example, why not reward yourself with a piece of chocolate or a sip of your coffee after you’ve accomplished a new chapter or allow yourself five minutes of free time for every chunk of material you digest?
Another idea would be to create a tally chart (like your own, secret house-points) and tell yourself that if you get a certain number of tallies, you’ll treat yourself to something you’ve always wanted- like a day out or a new pair of sneakers.
20. Try something new, such as the Pomodoro technique.
If you need help with structuring your time and focus, the Pomodoro technique might be worth a try!
It consists of (traditionally) 25 minutes of heightened concentration and work followed by 5 minute breaks (and repeat!). You can reward yourself after the third or fourth cycle with a longer break of about 15 to 20 minutes.
The main aim of the Pomodoro technique is to build discipline and focus on a task without interruption, increasing your attention span in the process and reducing the time it takes for you to become fully immersed in a task. It is also really useful if you want to record the exact amount of time that you’ve spent studying.
For more information, check out this page: https://collegeinfogeek.com/pomorodo-technique/ by Thomas Frank, who runs an excellent channel on productivity. You’ll find all the study techniques you’ll ever need there!
