For the entirety of the last school year, many of our quizzes and exams have been given online. Through taking these tests online, we have been able to take them from the comfort of our own home, and many times, professors have given us the ability to use our textbooks and notes. Having permission and access to the notes we took greatly reduced both stress and the time constraint when it came to crunch time.
While the return of in person classes is amazing for students to reconnect with their professors and one another, many are coming to realize that they will have to make changes when it comes to studying for exams. Unlike last year, many of our professors will be administering exams either in class or at a testing center. Instead of reading over and bringing our notes with us, memorization and more intense studying will need to take place in order for students to be successful with these exams.
Many students, including myself, have forgotten how to study and memorize this material after over a year of not necessarily needing to. Below, I have included a list of tips and tricks to get reacclimated to studying for in person exams!
- Start with a full read-through
- To kick off studying and to get a basic understanding of the material at hand, starting by simply reading through your textbook pages and notes will help you get a basic understanding of what it is you need to go over!
- Highlight the topics and problems you need the most practice on
- As you read through the material, take note of the topics that you do not remember and/or could not do without your notes.
- Vocabulary
- Many exams include basic definition questions to ensure that the student understands the main points of the reading or chapter. Through studying these vocabulary terms and their definitions, you will be prepared for any questions that include these terms and have a greater understanding of the topics at hand.
- Practice Practice Practice
- Many professors (hopefully yours) will provide practice chapter quizzes and even previous exams for students to use for practice. Although these materials are usually optional, it is in your best interest to complete these materials. First, go through the practice exam questions without your notes to test your own knowledge. Evaluate how you did and what you missed, then keep going through the questions until you become more and more familiar with the questions. As time goes by and you continue to practice these problems, use your notes less and less.
- Stimulate the Exam Environment
- As the exam date approaches, begin quizzing yourself in an environment similar to that of your exam. This means practice in a space without distractions, without your phone, and without your textbooks or notes.