Eight Study Tips

Here come the exams! It’s about that time in the semester. All the teachers decide to give the first tests and they always seem to fall right in the same week. This can be more than frustrating and the epitome of stressful. There’s not a whole lot we can do to prevent or avoid this, but there’s a few tips we can practice to make the studying a bit easier…

1. First off, schedule in a time to actually do the studying. In my experience, students are expert procrastinators. So, plan it out, write it down, and abide by the schedule so that you are sure to get plenty of study time in to start with.
2. For me, it’s all about the environment. If I’m in my dorm, it’s straight to facebook, email, phone, or naps all prioritized before the studying. So I recommend the library. The individual study rooms are great, distraction-free zones. It stays fairly quiet, and most of the people there are in the same boat as you, needing to study, so you won’t be as tempted to go off and start chatting.
3. It can also be really helpful to listen to music while studying. A low background noise can keep you from going completely crazy or just keep you focused in the midst of distraction. Plus, the familiar tunes can be soothing when the learning is becoming stressful.
4. Sometimes it can be really beneficial to adopt a study partner or even a small group. Admittedly, this can get distracting and become more hanging out than studying, but if focused on the task at hand, it can be a huge help to have someone there to ask you questions or help you understand the material.
5. Some good tools to use are flash cards and study guides. If your test requires memorization, try out those flash cards! They are so helpful and effective. And as for other general studying, I recommend using some sort of study guide. Either provided by the instructor, or one you’ve created from notes or the book yourself, this is such an efficient way to get that material from the paper and into your brain.
6.Be sure to take breaks! I’m sure this one won’t take too much convincing. Every couple of hours, spend 15 or 20 doing something else. Get away from the desk or screen and walk around or go grab a bite to eat and get some air. Then, back to work!
7.Speaking of eating, snacks are one of my favorite parts of studying. It’s a good excuse to munch late at night too. Also…coffee! This one is a lifesaver. Both give that little necessary burst of energy when your cram session starts becoming a nice bedtime story.
8.Quiz yourself! Once you’ve gotten all the information generally stored away in your mind, use a bland study guide or something to ask yourself some of the anticipated test questions. Plus, if you pass your own quiz you can free yourself from the confined studying without fear of failing the exam once your in class.

So repeat steps 1-8 as needed and study hard! …..Or at least enough to pass.