If you spend the night before a major exam sitting in the library until they kick you out, you’re in the right place. Midterm season seems like it is always upon us, and the workload that comes with it is stressful. While cramming last minute is completely normal, it can be hard to fit weeks’ worth of content into a couple of days. In best case scenario, you get a head start on reviewing material and it’s not as overwhelming. The worst-case scenario involves a lot of coffee and a late night. Spend your time wisely by learning how to study effectively and efficiently. Follow the methods below to ace your midterms and get back to doing what you love!
- Become the Teacher
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The Zoom classroom makes it easy to zone out sometimes. It is one thing to just listen to your professor’s lecture and another to retain the content. A simple mindset shift can help you to pay attention and remember more. The Washington University in St. Louis performed a study where they told participants they would have to teach the information to their peers the next day and found that everybody engaged more with the material. While you might not get paid a professor’s salary, finding a couple of friends to teach the content to or studying like you must present goes a long way.
- Start with a Blank Page
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There is a difference between understanding the content and knowing it. Even if you follow along during the lectures, you might not have registered everything. Instead of just going over notes or replaying the recordings, begin studying without the information. Take a blank page and write down the major concepts that you have learned. By doing so, you will be practicing a retrieval method instead of a recognition one. Anytime you must pull from your memory without reference, you are working extra hard. Flashcards also work!
- Toss the Highlighters
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Colorful pages of notes do look pretty, but if your goal is mastery of the material, they aren’t going to cut it. It’s important to always be engaged while studying and highlighting every other sentence can harm your focus. Instead, type or write your notes separately. If you’re reading, writing little annotations here and there can improve your understanding. Save the highlighters for doodles.
- Make Connections
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If you care about the class, you’re going to do well. Find material that you can relate to or that means something to you. By making it personal, you are more likely to remember and understand the content. If you’re studying for something like quantum physics, it might be harder to do this tip. Instead, discover the significance of what you are studying. Ask yourself why it matters.
None of these tips are magic. Remember to make space in your schedule to study and be in an environment where you can focus. Hopefully, these techniques can help maximize your time. Exams can be stressful, but you have everything you need to succeed. Just take a deep breath, get a coffee and study!