How to Study During the Semester to Get the Best Grades
Below is a detailed (and very extra) study plan that has taken me years to perfect to ensure I get good grades when exams arrive. Admittedly, I don’t do all of these things at the same time or in the same order, but I find that when I do all of these, I have the best resources and I am far more prepared.
#1 Get Organised
Knowing what you need to do and when you need to do it is extremely important. Noting down class times, assignment and assessment due dates, and any important events will help you prioritise your tasks.
I write everything that I need to do in my journal, but simply making a record in your phone or in another type of planner will help to clear your head and get you organised.
#2 Read
Every member of the university teaching staff will tell you time and time again to read what is on the course guide, and I have to agree with them. I often pick the most interesting titles and read them more thoroughly, and if I have time, I will skim read the others.
While Sir Duncan Rice and Primo have a great selection of materials, make sure to check out JSTOR (https://www.jstor.org/) and Google Scholar if you can’t find what you are looking for.
TIP: For each of my subjects I have a separate A4 book that I keep all notes on reading material. This makes sure that all my notes are organised and separate.
#3 Go to the Lectures
Again, everyone says this but it is important, sometimes professors don’t put PowerPoint slides and recordings online, and it is useful to get the information directly from a lecturer rather than just online.
#4 Write Up the Lectures
Whether you do this online or actually write lectures down by hand, this is one of the easiest yet most important ways to revise. I often go over my notes and redo them so they are clearer, prettier and easier to revise from; especially as my handwriting in lectures is awful.
#5 Create Definitions/ Create a Booklet
Using my notes from the lecture and the reading, I will make small revision booklets (using A5 paper) of the main points within the topic. Also, if there is a word I discovered and think would be useful to remember I add it to my definition’s booklet. If I think it is extremely important, I will create a revision card just for that one word.
#6 Create Flashcards
I then like to create online flashcards using Quizlet (https://quizlet.com/) as it is another type of revision that can be used closer to exams. I use both lecture notes and readings to create questions that test my knowledge of the subject.
#7 Question/ Essay Plans
Depending on the type of course you are taking the type of examination will differ, but regardless you should be preparing for your exam using mock and past papers. In order to do so, I like to take exam questions and plan how I would answer to them. I usually do this in the style of both mind maps and bullet points.
#8 Memorise these Essays/ Questions
It is the simple (or not so simple) task of learning these answers for the topics you choose to revise in the exam.
Good Luck!
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