You know what time it is, collegiettes! As much as we dread them, midterms are indeed upon us for this semester and studying is the last thing anyone wants to do when the weather is finally starting to warm up. However, it is a necessity, and with these tips, you’ll know exactly how to study best for your upcoming tests.
1. Have a good study space
It’s important to have a clean space intended only for studying. It will make you feel more organized and calm, and it will get rid of any possible distractions.
2. If you listen to music, listen without lyrics
It has been scientifically proven that it is harder for the brain to take in knowledge if it’s reading and listening to other words at the same time. But studying with music does make the task more engaging, so if you choose to listen to music, try to find some without lyrics!
3. Avoid cramming
Cramming is always better than nothing at all, but it really is better to study in increments. That way, the brain has time to process it all. Study over a couple of days. Space your review sessions out so you can slowly learn all the information you need. Then, the night before the test, you can get a full night’s sleep and be refreshed in the morning.
4. Set goals
Set study goals so that you always have a certain doable amount to accomplish. This will make you feel better as you complete the goals, and the studying will go by faster. Instead of having one giant chunk of work that seems insurmountable, you will have little, broken up bits of work.
5. Form study groups
Studying is always better when you have people to do it with. This keeps you focused on your task. Plus, if you have people around you, you can test each other on the information you’ve been studying.
6. Take breaks
It’s important to take study breaks. It’s not good for your brain to study for a long time without taking some sort of hiatus. Make sure you pick your head up every 20-30 minutes and relax for about 5 minutes. Make sure the break time doesn’t outweigh the study time, though!
7. Reward yourself
Studying is hard! You deserve a reward every so often. Set little rewards to give yourself after you complete your goals, and it will make studying that much easier to get through.
With these study tips, you will be acing your midterms with no problem! Good luck!