It's called a test/exam that thrives like weeds, right? You take one exam and there's another exam waiting around the corner. It's time to show those exams who's in charge: you're sure to get a lot of "A" and "B" marks soon.
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Method 1 of 3: Follow a Study Routine that Brings Results
Step 1. Create a study schedule
Time management is key in studying for exams. When you set the time, you won't feel rushed or rushed and can avoid SKS (Overnight Speeding System) until 3am. Plan a week before the exam so you can use your time more effectively.
Try studying for a week, not just overnight. Rereading will cause the information to move from short-term memory (memory that disappears quickly) to long-term, which you can recall at a later time. Ideally, read the lesson little by little each day
Step 2. Start as early as possible
If you put learning ahead of other things, you'll never worry about falling behind. Read assignments from books, do homework, and don't skip class. Learning activities carried out on time should be very easy for you later.
Prepare a notebook and folder for the lesson. Keep all your files there, so you can just retrieve them when you need them three months later. Make sure your lesson outline/summary is easily accessible so you can use it as a rough outline of the lesson. Don't forget to study every day, not just learning at the last minute
Step 3. Ask the teacher what you need to learn
Remember, even the smallest detail has a chance to be a question in the exam!
Step 4. Sleep
Alright, so now you know you need to go to bed instead of changing your routine to getting up early to study; this can damage your REM (Rapid Eye Movement) cycle. Get as much as possible 8 hours of sleep. Your grades (and your parents) will thank you for it.
Before you go to bed, learn the hardest concepts. Then when you learn the hard ones, your brain has hours to absorb them. The easy ones can be learned during the day – let the hard ones in first
Step 5. Have breakfast
Studies show that students who eat breakfast before study perform consistently better. But what you eat should be healthy and light – otherwise eggs, dried meat and cheese in your stomach won't help anything. Eat fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and milk.
In fact, research says your diet "the week before" the exam matters, too! Students on a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet performed worse than students who ate fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Help yourself, your body and your mind by eating the right foods
Step 6. Avoid the Overnight System
Studying all night before an exam makes it even more difficult – you'll be sleep deprived, nervous, and your mind will not be optimal. You don't want to gather piles of information overnight; impossible to absorb them all at once. Frankly, the results will be worse.
If you don't catch the logic, just believe in science. Studies show that students who study speeding overnight only get average grades. If you want a C grade, go ahead. However if you want slightly better value, avoid it
Step 7. Start studying immediately after waking up and before going to bed
In the morning, your mind is fresher and clearer. Even if you don't think this will work (because it's too simple!), your mind will have more room to absorb information when you wake up. At night, your brain releases chemicals to cement the information in your memory; so studying right before bed (and after waking) is a safe bet. When you know your brain patterns, you can take advantage of them!
Research shows that the more information is absorbed near bedtime, the easier it is to stay in your brain. So do a lesson review right before bed! What's more, it's also been shown that getting a healthy night's sleep leads to better memory. Remember when we said don't stay up late? This is why
Method 2 of 3: Study Effectively
Step 1. Form a study group
According to Duke University, study groups of 3 to 4 people are the most effective. One person should be the leader, or organizer – his job is to keep the group on track. Bring snacks, music, and agree on the lessons you want to learn. Discussing lesson content encourages you to read, see, hear, and talk about it – a great way to remember.
It's a good idea to start your study session with a concept. Often this method is neglected. Discuss the concept of the week's material or its main points. When you discuss concepts, learning becomes more interesting (and memorable). Then move on to specific questions. When you have mastered the concept, it will be easier for you to work on the problem
Step 2. Choose a few different places to study
Recent studies show that your memory will improve when you absorb information in many places. Scientists don't know for sure why, but it has to do with enriching information and making associations with many sets of stimuli. At home, in the library, all good!
If you are allowed to study in the room where the exam will be held, do so. If you've ever heard of "context-dependent memory," you'll understand. Your brain will remember information better in the environment in which it was learned. So if you can get your group to study in the exam room, do it
Step 3. Take breaks between studies
Whether you're studying at home or at school, don't forget to leave your notebook behind once in a while. Drink water, go for a walk, or eat a light snack. But make sure you only take a few minutes of rest, about 5-10 minutes. Don't take too long, or you'll forget your responsibilities and not study!
Remember, you are only resting because your brain needs to process the information it has already digested. Your attention will improve, and your memory will be much better. You're not lingering – just learning the best way for your brain
Step 4. Eat energy foods
Recent research has shown that chocolate is a superfood for the brain. Dark chocolate has a similar effect, but make sure it's 70% cocoa. So eat a bar of chocolate and feel the sensation!
- Coffee and tea – containing caffeine – are fine too. Staying in shape is an important part of absorbing information. Just don't overdo it!
- Fish, nuts, and olive oil (all high in omega-3s) are also brain superfoods. Eat these foods before the test and your brain will be very ready and energized.
Step 5. Make it fun
Write information on note cards and decorate them. Don't let the card contain all the written information or it will be impossible to decipher it. You can test yourself, others, and be with them while waiting for the bus, on the way to class, or just to pass the time.
- You'll also find it easier to remember things if you associate them with fun stories. Try to remember the war that occurred during one presidency, namely World War I (World War I) and the president at that time was Woodrow Wilson. His initials are WW, so imagine he's on top of the world with a globe, hopping from America to Germany.
- Graphics and pictures are easier to remember than boring sentences. If you can make it attractive and pleasing to the eye, do it. This effort will pay off.
- Also use the donkey bridge technique! Your brain can remember so much, so if you can sum up so much information in one word, you will be able to maximize your memory.
Step 6. Split the lesson content into sections
The easiest way to do this is to use stabilizer. Use yellow for vocabulary, pink for calendars, blue for statistics, etc. When studying, try to read all the different pieces of information, so your brain doesn't get bored with just numbers, calendars, or other difficult-to-digest information. Of course you don't practice basketball with just lay-ups all day, right?
- That way, when studying, it should be easier to grasp the big concepts than the small details. When you skim, focus only on the big picture. When you have mastered the big picture, study the details.
- It is proven that studying different materials in one session can leave a deeper, and longer lasting impression on the brain. It's the same reason musicians learn scales, pieces, and rhythms; and athletes practice power, speed, and skill. So in one day, gobble up all these variations!
Method 3 of 3: Reducing Anxiety
Step 1. Take a preliminary exam
This is useful for two reasons: A) you won't be nervous when the actual exam starts (nervous can be bad for your grades) and B) you'll do better. A recent study from UC Berkeley showed that students who tested the information they had just learned tended to do “better” than students who simply read or took notes.
So, make a preliminary exam question and invite your friends to do it too! Then you can test each other and reap the benefits. Even better if you can get your study group to do it together. The more real the exam feels, the more you'll feel ready "and" when exam day comes
Step 2. Review in the morning – if this calms you down
This is good for the two reasons previously stated. Of course, you want to be as calm and relaxed as possible, and this can be done by reviewing the lesson right before the exam. What's more, you'll retain information (remember that your brain is clearer when you wake up?). So all the way to class, read the notecard one last time.
Just take a look at the light stuff. Trying to wrap your brain in heavy, difficult material is pointless if you only have 10 minutes left. You will not be mentally prepared – the opposite effect of what you want! Just stuff your brain with important material
Step 3. Make yourself happy and excited before class
Some people go very far with meditation before class. Yoga helps too! Anything that calms your breathing and makes you comfortable will help. What do you think is right for you?
Consider listening to classical music. While classical music doesn't make you smarter as people (formerly) believed, it can improve your memory. Specifically, listen to music with a tempo of 60 bpm. With it you will get the highest benefit
Step 4. Arrive early
If you rush, run, you will be stressed, even though you have mastered the material. Arrive early, pick up your course material, ask a friend a question (and have them ask you too), chew gum, and calm down. It's time to teach this exam a lesson.
Step 5. Put the easy questions first
An easy way to stress and panic is to focus on questions you don't know the answer to. You start to worry about running out of time and feel like you're not learning enough. Don't fall into the trap – move on to the questions you know first. You can work on difficult problems later.
The longer you dwell on one question, the more risky you are to correct your answer choices later. You want to trust your intuition. You've worked hard! Don't doubt yourself. Put it off for a while and come back when your mind is clearer
Tips
- Make note cards and make it a fun game. Learning doesn't always have to be boring!
- At the end of each week make a summary for each subject for the week. When it's exam time, you'll be one step ahead with those notes.
- Drink plenty of water, eat a lot, and get enough sleep so you'll have more energy throughout the exam. A rumbling stomach can be very annoying.
- As you read your notes, mark them with 3 different colors. You can use highlighters, pens, markers, colored pencils, etc. Easiest to use stabillo. Mark titles with one color, important vocabulary or terms in another, and other important information in one color. This will help you focus on the things you need to know.
- Study one material at a time, learn from the hardest. Then, test yourself. Try asking questions that are more difficult than the actual exam.
- Put your least favorite subject first, then the rest will be easy.
- When revising, read aloud.
- Every night, when you've learned enough, reward yourself. Play video games or treat yourself special.
- Date your notes. Being able to find information from last week's lessons can easily save you time.
Warning
- If you are nervous, you will be less confident about the exam. Try not to stress; this is just a test. One of many!
- Don't put off studying until the last minute. Studying everything overnight will tire your brain and during exams, you'll forget every bit of information you've gathered during your studies.
