We’ve all been there — it’s the night before a big exam, and suddenly it dawns on you that you’re way less prepared than you need to be. Fast forward through a night of hopeless cramming and frustration because you’ve literally known about this exam for a month in advance. In order to get the grade you want, it’s no secret that you need to have effective study strategies in place, but for most of us, establishing these habits is a lot easier said than done.
But never fear: effective study habits aren’t nearly as elusive as they may seem, and with a little motivation and self-discipline, you can make studying for even your most important or scary exams a not-so-terrible process.
One of the most important things to do before you start studying that is often put on the back burner is to figure out what kind of learner you are. Learning and recalling new information is not a “one-size-fits-all” process, so what works as a study strategy for your friends might not work as effectively for you. Using myself as an example, over the years I’ve determined that I am primarily an audio-visual learner. This means that I learn best when I can listen to my professors explain a new concept and then see an example of the concept either in a real-world application or in the form of a chart or diagram. Don’t know how to figure out what type of learner you are? Don’t worry! There are tons of quizzes and different websites available that can evaluate your learning style and categorize it as either audio, visual, kinesthetic or some combination of the three. Once you have an understanding of the learning style that is best suited to you, it will make it much easier to figure out how you can most effectively study. For example, an auditory learner may succeed by rewriting notes and speaking them aloud. A visual learner may benefit from using diagrams to display class concepts or by seeing many examples. Thirdly, a kinesthetic learner may prefer doing a quizlet, making flashcards or doing some other physically tangible activity to help them review information.
Once you’ve established what you’re preferred learning style is, it’s important to establish a routine for yourself and do your best to stick to it. This is especially important right after you find out about an upcoming exam. Take a moment to think about the following: How much time do I think I’ll need to study in order to be prepared for this test? When and how will I find time in my schedule to review? With these questions in mind, take a look at your schedule (if you use a planner, this would be the time to take it out!) and try to block small chunks of time each day prior to the exam during which you’ll review. I usually do 30-60 minute intervals, as typically I can’t focus for very much longer in one sitting. While sticking to a routine that you set for yourself is the hardest part, especially with so many other (way more fun) things you could be doing instead, once you force yourself to *actually* do a little work a few times, you’ll begin to see how rewarding it is to be productive and ultimately, you’ll be less nervous come exam day.
Another tip I’ve found to be particularly helpful in establishing good study habits is to re-write your class notes. While it may be a little tedious when compared with taking notes on a computer, for some reason, writing things down on paper generally helps people recall the information better later on. When I do this, I’ll typically go through my class lecture slides (assuming they are posted to canvas) and take notes on the concepts that I don’t feel very confident on. This spares you from having to re-write an entire chapter of notes and strengthens your overall comprehension of the information. I also don’t copy things word for word — abbreviation is your best friend when it comes to re-writing information, and it helps make your notes as cohesive and synthesized as possible. This helps if you go to review them later, because you’ve got all the information you need in one place. This strategy essentially creates a mini-review guide, which I find helpful in preventing me from feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information I need to memorize. By condensing things as much as I can without being too general, I can get a more complete understanding of the test material and strengthen any weak spots I may have.
This one may seem obvious, but many people avoid reaching out to professors or visiting them during office hours to ask questions and get extra help. The important thing to remember about a professor’s office hours is that they are literally in place to help you, so there’s really no reason not to take advantage of them. Going to office hours gives you time where you can meet with your professor and get one-on-one attention, which can be really difficult in a lecture hall-style class. Additionally, in a large lecture setting, it can be daunting sometimes to raise your hand and ask a question or respond to a question due to uncertainty and fear of being wrong. In a one-on-one setting, it creates a “safe space” where many students feel more comfortable expressing confusion or asking their professor for help with difficult concepts. Office hours also give your professor an opportunity to get to know you, and by going, you demonstrate that you clearly care about doing well in the class and are putting in the effort to succeed. This can be a huge factor, especially if you are teetering on passing or failing a class. Generally, a professor is going to be way less likely to fail someone they know has consistently been working hard and getting extra help, even if their test scores aren’t the best.
Finding study habits that work for you and your learning style is a huge factor in having healthy and effective study strategies. Don’t be afraid to try different methods when studying for a big exam — whether it be re-writing notes, making flashcards, doing/making quizlets or watching review videos online; all of it will work in your favor when it comes time to take the test. Just remember to block out your study time in advance, so you don’t end up cramming the night before, and take breaks when you need to in order to avoid burnout.