Oops, Studying!
“Exams time is approaching!”, how we all get stressful and uncomfortable upon hearing this phrase! For most of us, exams mean lengthy times of studying, spending the whole night on last minute revision, and the tension that take over us in the morning of the exam day. Let’s admit it; some of our study techniques need extensive improvement. Now is the right time to develop the right, efficient plan for proper studying, in order to achieve our ultimate goals.
Everyone is different, different methods work for different people. The following are only suggestions on improving upon your current studying techniques. Their effect is guaranteed.
- The road of preparedness starts long before the exams, rather from the starting of the year. You need to be standing on a strong ground academically, and you should exert maximum effort to be on track with your studied material throughout the academic year. It is best to review the material right after class when it’s still fresh in your memory.
- Time management is your key to success in your whole life, not just in exams. It’s a challenge, however it’s necessary. Organize your tasks, prioritize them, and set study goals which you insist on reaching. Avoid urgent tasks, and make sure you’re doing the right thing in the right time, and leave procrastination out of your life (don’t delay duties until they accumulate). Everyone has a time of the day which suits them the best, just know yours.
- Don’t try to do all your studying the night before the test, instead space out your studying, review class materials at least several times a week, focusing on one topic at a time.
- Have all of your study material in front of you: lecture notes, course textbooks, study guides and any other relevant material.
- Find a comfortable and quiet place to study with good lighting and little distraction (try avoiding your own bed; it is very tempting to just lie down and take a nap).
- Start out by studying the most important information.
- Learn the general concepts first; don’t worry about learning the details until you have learned the main ideas.
- Take notes and write down a summary of the important ideas as you read through your study material.
- Take short breaks frequently, you memory retains the information that you study at the beginning and the end better than what you study in the middle.
- Space out your studying, you’ll learn more by studying a little every day instead of waiting to cram at the last minute. By studying every day, the material will stay in your long-term memory but if you try to study at the last moment, the material will only reside in your short-term memory that you’ll easily forget.
- Make sure that you understand the material well, don’t just read through the material and try to memorize everything.
- If you choose to study in a group, only study with others who are serious about the test.
- Test yourself or have someone test you on the material to find out what your weak and strong areas are. You can use the review questions at the end of each chapter or practice tests the teacher may give out as well as other materials.
- Listening to relaxing music on a low volume can relieve some of the boredom of studying.
- Don’t study later than the time you usually go to sleep, you may fall asleep or be tempted to go to sleep, instead try studying in the afternoon or early evening. If you are a morning person try studying in the morning.
- This might sound weird, but your health is also a tool to utilize during studying. Your body will function better if you take good care of it. Eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet and devote time for exercise. Getting plenty of sleep refreshes your mind and relaxes your body. Believe it or not, laughter is positively the best medicine for stress. Moreover, choose an activity for some personal time. All this help you maintain memory and concentration, in addition to help you relief stress.
- Reward yourself!
- Nothing is perfect! Remember this all the time. Perfectionists never get things the way they want, try the best you can not to be a perfectionist.
- Whenever you fall into a trap of stress don’t force yourself to go on while your stressful, you will end up in a panic attack. You can’t focus while being under stress. Under pressure, the results are opposite to what people want, so have a stress relief plan (some examples were mentioned above).
- Be self-confident. You made a great effort, so there’s no need for the fear. You’ll do great and you are just an exam away from your goals.
Good luck is not the right expression for this occasion; apparently, luck has nothing to do with it. It’s all about persistence, time-management and how serious you are about studying.