Tomorrow's exam morning, but until tonight you haven't had time to open your textbook or read your notes. Many of us have experienced this. Research shows that sleep deprivation due to staying up late makes you get poor grades. This is contrary to the goal you want to achieve, even though you have studied all night. However, situations like this are sometimes unavoidable. You have to take an exam tomorrow morning, want to get good grades, and there's no other way. This article provides tips so you can take the exam calmly and get the best grades!
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Part 1 of 3: Before you stay up late
Step 1. Find a quiet place to study
Do not study in a place that is too comfortable because you can fall asleep, for example in bed or while lying on the sofa.
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Prepare a place with good lighting. A dark place makes your body give a signal for you to go to sleep. Prevent this by turning on bright lights to create an atmosphere like it's still day.
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Get rid of distractions, for example by turning off your phone ringer. If all this time you've been free to use your cell phone to send text messages while attending college, it's time to punish yourself by turning off your cell phone. Also keep other devices and laptops, unless the material you have to study is on your computer because Facebook, games and Pinterest are not needed at this time.
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Step 2. Eat healthy foods
You might think that drinking 16 bottles of energy drink and eating 5 chocolate bars is a good snack, but caffeinated drinks keep you awake for a moment and then sleepy when you have to take an exam.
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Prepare fruit as a snack. Eating apples makes it easier for you to concentrate and stay awake than drinking caffeine. Besides being rich in nutrients, apples contain natural sugars. In such a situation, sugar and nutrients should be considered as a source of energy.
Deal With a Mean Teacher Step 11 - You won't think about food anymore when you're full, so it's easier to focus.
Step 3. Set the alarm
If the worst happens because you eat too much apples to fall asleep while studying chemistry, you can still take the exam because you have set the alarm!
Do it now before you fall asleep. You will be grateful for doing this
Part 2 of 3: During the Night
Step 1. Try to calm yourself down
This may seem difficult, but you just need to breathe deeply and try to focus your mind! Prepare textbooks, notes, paper, and pens. You may also need markers and post-it notes to jot down the important stuff.
Read the syllabus and use the syllabus as an outline of the material you have to study. Topics that appear more than once are more likely to be asked in the exam
Step 2. Start learning from scratch and don't focus on details
Focus on the big picture by marking important information that is likely to be asked on the exam. If there are words you don't understand, look up their meanings in the dictionary so you can better understand the material being studied.
Read the summary of each chapter which usually contains the main points. If there is a chapter that has not been summarized, read the material and then write down the important ideas from the chapter
Step 3. Set priorities
Setting priorities is the most important aspect when you have to study all night long. Try to make the best use of your time because your time is very limited. Leave the material that is not important first and prioritize studying the material that is most likely to be asked in the exam.
- Focus on the main idea and learn important formulas. For the time being, skip the material that discusses the details. You can read them again later if you have time after you've learned the important points.
- Don't try to learn everything, but focus on the material that has the highest value. If the lecturer has said that the portion of the essay score is 75% of the final grade, prepare yourself as best as possible to study the answers to the essay questions and skip the multiple choice practice questions first.
Step 4. Write down important information or say it out loud
Learning techniques in this way help the brain process material well. The subject matter will be harder to remember if you just read silently!
If your roommate has insomnia, ask him to help you hear important concepts. Relying on others when learning a certain concept helps you understand it more deeply
Step 5. Make a note in the form of a card
These notes can serve as a means to test skills. Plus, it's easier for you to memorize material by writing on cards and reading them aloud! Use different colors to mark important topics or chapters.
- Look for similes, metaphors, and other memory triggers to make it easier for you to memorize complex concepts. Write down keywords from metaphors to activate memory skills while studying.
- Write information using “donkey bridge”, for example “mejikuhibiniu” stands for the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple.
Step 6. Take a break
Even if your time is very limited, resting and not pushing yourself makes the brain process more information. Studying all night long is not a good way and makes the mind too tired to retain more information. When you take a break, you remember more of the material, even if you learn less.
After 45 minutes of studying, take a break, stretch your muscles and walk around the room. Grab a drink, have a snack, then study again after a 5-10 minute rest. You will feel refreshed and ready to learn more
Part 3 of 3: After staying up late
Step 1. Make time for a night's sleep
You'll be too tired and eventually forget everything you've learned if you stay up all night! Get up 30-45 minutes early to reread the passage you have marked in your notes or textbook. If you take notes using cards, use them to study as well.
Sleep at least 3 hours without waking up. You'll have a hard time getting good grades if you can't sleep well
Step 2. Take time to eat breakfast
Many say that eating a nutritious breakfast before an exam makes the brain work better. Prepare breakfast as usual to keep your body healthy and don't eat too much if you feel anxious.
Keep this message in mind: the more food you eat before the test, the less likely you will be to think about hunger. So eat before the test so you can concentrate well
Step 3. Get in the habit of deep breathing
Read the exam material several times on the way to school. You will be fine if you have been paying attention in class all this time and can study well at night.
Step 4. Find a classmate to practice answering the questions
If you still have 5 minutes before the exam starts, make the most of it! Ask each other questions. Start with material that is difficult for you to memorize to refresh your memory.
Don't ask your friends during the exam because cheating will make your grades worse than the bad grades you would get if you didn't cheat
Tips
- Don't memorize word for word, but try to understand the material you are studying and get to the main points. Instead of memorizing everything you read, try to get the gist of it so that it's easier for you to answer exam questions.
- Make sure your body stays hydrated! Water is very beneficial for the body and keeps you fresh while studying. Drink coffee to get rid of sleepiness. If coffee makes you more anxious, exercise whenever you start to feel sleepy.
- If you're getting tired from studying too much late at night, taking a shower (using cold water, if possible) or eating a snack can make you feel more refreshed and awake.
- If the time available is very short, you don't need to learn everything. Choose the material that you think will give you the most value. Try to remember when the teacher explains: What is the most discussed material in class? Ask friends for advice on what materials you need to study.
- Do not feel confident that you have mastered all the material well. Learn as best you can. Research shows that stress before an exam is still better than saying you've mastered the material.
- If you've finished studying but can't sleep, read a book or article that has to do with the exam material. If you find things related to exam material in your reading, you can relate certain things if you study well! If not, maybe you still need to learn more.
- Do not panic. Breathe calmly and regularly if you start to feel anxious.
- If you are facing a final exam, use the university's website to find the material you need. You can save time if you already know what you have to learn. This method is also very helpful if you forget where to save your textbooks.
- Summarize notes in your own words and study them in a way that makes them easier to remember. Underline or red highlight important information to make it easier to remember.
- It will be easier for you to memorize exam material by inviting friends to discuss important points.
Warning
- Don't let the computer distract you. In conditions like this, music does not necessarily make you more excited to learn.
- If you can't answer an exam question, don't shout because the consequences will be severe. Giving up in order to maintain integrity is always better than winning by cheating.
- Remember that staying up late is not the only way to learn. You won't remember the material very well if you study it this way. Studying all night just once is okay, but don't make it a habit, especially when it comes to final exams. You will waste time just memorizing and trying to understand what is being asked in the exam.
- Don't drink too much coffee or energy drinks as they are harmful to your health and make you even more discouraged!
- If you want to learn on your way to school, don't drive because you have to concentrate on driving!
