Helpful Study Tips
Hey guys it’s that time of year again when you need to sit down and study! I know there are some of you thinking how on earth am I supposed to study all this information for this test later this week or next week or even next month. I’ve prepared some helpful tips for all of you that I have heard other people use, what I use and just some generals that may in fact help you.
Everyone is different on their study habits and that is completely fine and normal. Not everyone can just sit down with a book and read and be good for the test the next day. That for sure isn’t me! Some of you can study the night before and do great which I have to say I’m exceptionally jealous of because I just always seem way too busy. Then there’s the others that can just study for weeks and do brilliantly and have no problem studying for weeks for an exam, which I am also jealous of too. A lot of you though may not have found that perfect balance yet that may or may not help you. So I have prepared a few ideas that may help you in your study plans for that crazy test coming up in your future.
1. First off plan ahead of time. One technique is take or make a calendar that shows when all your tests are, your projects, papers, or homework assignments so that you know when you’ll need to finish things so you can make that time to study (this technique also helped me out big time last year when I had three papers and 4 major exams and I passed all of them flawlessly and it kept my stress level down).
2. Pick a study spot. You need to be at your most comfortable to be studying because you will be sitting there for a while studying and you don’t want to be all cramped up after or uncomfortable because that can also be a major distraction.
3. Pick a spot where you can’t get distracted or bothered while studying also. This will make studying more effective and not be interrupted by things that’ll take you away from focus.
4. Some people like to listen to music, others don’t. My theory on this is if you are going to listen to music make sure it isn’t words because those words could be replacing the information in your head that you don’t need to learn.
5. Prepare your studying beforehand. What I mean by this is that every teacher gives you some type of homework and my recommendation is actually doing it. For this reason you can save time on studying because you’ll already know exactly what you should be studying as well as what you need to work on more than the other stuff. This will help wonders.
· Some ways to prepare is read the text and make flashcards. Teachers always test you on vocab whether they want the definition or a way to use that and if you have no idea what that word is it can affect your answer big time!
· Highlight key points of interest that were discussed in class! They are always going to be on the test!
· Look over past exams. This will help you get the feel for the test. As long as you are familiar you will be able to better understand what the teachers are asking for and it won’t scare you as much while you’re taking the exam.
· Bring water and snacks. Water will just keep you hydrated and give you a good break when you need to refill your water bottle. The snacks will keep you more energized and fuel your brain.
· Don’t dress to impress. Dress the way you feel comfortable and that won’t distract you from your work (always bring a sweater or jacket because you just never know!).
· Make sure there is someone close by that is either studying for the same exam or knows the information you are studying. This can help you out big time for last minute questions or help in trying to understand something. Also if your teacher gives you their number or email and they’re good about answering that can work too.
6. Last but not least don’t put it off to the last minute! This will never help you prepare or pass the exam without leveling you in a state of delusion and stress. From all my years of exams the times I have put off my studying made me fail or do poorly if I studied the night before my exam. Those of you that this works for that’s wonderful but you know you secretly were focusing extremely hard in class and on homework assignments.
So these are some of my helpful tips and ideas for you to help get your study on and help you pass those exams. A couple of fun things though that I can tell you is don’t drink an excessive amount of coffee you won’t sleep, make up fun games to help you remember things, or reward yourself on what you know with candy at the end of a chapter or problem. These will keep you motivated to do well. Even a good reward would be for girls if you pass the exam with an awesome grade reward yourself with a little shopping spree, or a day out at the beach, or even that ice cream trip to Twisty Treat you’ve been craving for weeks. For guys you can reward yourself with beer, or video games, or even a night out with that special girl you’ve been eyeing.
Hopefully these helpful hints are helpful on the beginning of exam season. Good luck with all your studies!