Exam weeks used to be a constant source of anxiety for me, and to some extent, that still remains true. Everything important seems to pile into a singular week, with not enough hours in the day to properly manage it all. However, coming to college has taught me new, more effective ways to prepare myself for all that exam weeks ask of us. As midterms week came and went at Saint Louis University, here are some helpful tips and tricks I utilized for myself.
- Avoid cramming — space out your study sessions!
The vast majority of us are probably guilty of this one — cramming units of material into one study session the night before a big test. In full transparency, this was my only way of studying for anything throughout my years in high school. While it might sometimes appear to work, cramming is useless for any long-term retention of information.
In 2009, a study was performed at UCLA by Dr. Nate Kornell, a professor of psychology, which studied the results of cramming versus spaced-out studying. He found that following a long-term study plan was much more effective in earning higher scores. While studying weeks in advance is undoubtedly more work, it will help you in the long run — especially if you are interested in remembering the material that you are meant to comprehend.
For me, this habit was the hardest to begin unlearning, and I am still not quite there yet. However, when I do take the time to study for more than just a day or two, my results are almost always better, not to mention they are the ones I am most proud of.
- Teach it to others
In general, saying concepts out loud tends to improve focus and understanding of different ideas. This is why study groups are always popular, especially in college. Talking about concepts with other people can help the information solidify in your brain, as well as keep you interested in what you are talking about.
Grab a friend, sit them down and teach them the material that you already know. This method is referred to as The Feynman Technique. After teaching somebody else, reflect on how much you knew and fill in the gaps where needed. Then, simplify it. Try to get to the point where you could explain the topic to a 5-year-old. Being able to condense complex information into understandable terms and language is a clear sign of preparation and success in your learning.
So, as I studied for my own biology midterm exam this semester, I decided to incorporate the Feynman Technique into my test review. For starters, the class is all about intricate scientific processes, typically requiring an in-depth comprehension of each concept to earn an ideal grade. The difficulty was becoming too much for me and, truth be told, there is only so much re-reading of lecture notes I can take before everything begins to blend together in a confusing, fuzzy mess. Using this method gave my eyes a break from the strain and allowed me to vocalize my understanding of the material with another person.
- Get good sleep
I first heard this tip from my mother many years ago — usually when I had something important to do the next day. For example, the time I had wanted to pull an all-nighter to study for the ACT in my junior year of high school. She warned me that my lack of sleep would kill my score faster than being unprepared would, and of course, she was right.
College students should be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. In exam weeks especially, it can be rare for the majority of students to reach those numbers. Lack of alertness, worsened academic performance and loss of memory are all side effects of failing to get enough sleep. In fact, college students who stay up all night to study typically have worse GPAs than those who receive enough sleep every night.
If you are ever faced with the choice of going to sleep unprepared or staying up all night to cram, just go to bed. You can always study once you wake up, and you will have gotten the correct amount of sleep needed to fully retain the information.
On another note, increased hours of sleep can also reduce stress levels. Exam weeks can feel stressful enough on their own, but when you add lack of sleep to the mix? It is a recipe for disaster. Taking care of your mental health is arguably the most important thing you can do during weeks of high anxiety, so it is important to do what you can to manage it in a healthy way. When you stay up late and do not get enough sleep, your body becomes more tense and even produces higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. By simply going to bed, you automatically give yourself a better version of the week.
While exam weeks are likely always going to evoke a certain sense of dread in all of us, we should not let it get the best of us. Yes, it can be a lot, but there are ways to make it easier. Have study dates with your friends. Enjoy an early night in. Practice self-care. Work hard — while also remembering that we are not machines, and try to give yourself grace. As we start to near finals week in a few months, let us adapt new routines into our lives that benefit us and lose the ones that do not.