Let’s face it, you probably haven’t been studying as much as you should have been for your upcoming exams. Whether you have 2 weeks of content to learn or an entire semester’s worth, developing a study method that works for you and helps you practice the skills you need to take the test is the key to success. As a fourth-year student, test-taking is kind of my thing. I’ve taken online finals, in-person finals, open and closed book exams, and seen questions from short answers, to essay-style, to multiple choice. Below is a list of tips and tricks that have worked for me over the years (and when I say worked, I mean scoring an A or above). So dive in and get some study inspiration to unlock your academic weapon era!
- Make a plan
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If you’re like me, right now you have your final dates locked in your head, or scattered across your class notes. Before you start studying for any exam, it’s important to chart out the next couple weeks in whatever organization form works for you. Whether it’s an app, a whiteboard calendar, a spreadsheet or an agenda, put all your finals down on paper and look at the spread. Do you have two close together or even back to back? Once you’ve got a layout it is way easier to draw out a timeline of when you can realistically start studying for each exam. I like to roughly mark out what class I’ll tackle in the mornings/afternoons of each day. The cliche of ‘the earlier the better’ is all good and well, but sometimes it can be counterproductive to cram too much into your brain at one time–everything gets all jumbled up! My personal rule is to study for no more than 3 exams in the same time period if you can help it.
- Match the method to the format
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Now that you’ve made a plan, it’s time to jump in. But how do you know how to study for each exam? The key is to pay attention to the format and practice questions or skills that will show up during the test. While flashcards are always a good starting point (see below), there are other exercises and techniques. For example, for essay questions try a free write! I like to use a large whiteboard, put away my notebooks and just write out everything I can remember about a topic or concept. It’s almost like rewriting your notes except you aren’t simply copying from one page to the next. This method is even better if your professor provides questions in advance. You can also try making a mind map or web of connecting ideas, or recreate a diagram from memory. For the short answers, go through your slides, notes and powerpoints to make sure you’ve collected a list of key terms and concepts or people and start from there! Write out between 3-5 sentences explaining each thing and why it is relevant to course themes. You can also record a voice note of yourself reading out questions and then answering them to listen back to later and test yourself! Check your textbook at the end of each chapter for practice questions. If you have open book exams, studying can look like preparing and organizing your materials in advance. Download any slides, make sure to complete all the readings, and put tabs into your textbook to mark important pages that you might need to refer to. Ideally, put sticky notes into your textbook or annotate the professor’s slides with connecting information from other class materials and your lecture notes–and always include page numbers! That way, when you go to reference information in your exam, it’s quick and easy to find and you won’t waste time searching across different platforms.
- Memorization is part of every exam – sorry
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This might be a tough pill to swallow for some of you. Even if the exam has no multiple choice questions, if it is a closed book test you’re going to have to do some memorization. Creating flashcards can be a great first entry into reviewing the material and picking out key concepts. Then, flipping through the cards and testing yourself will help you gain a handle on basic concepts. It will be awfully difficult to write a strong essay that demonstrates critical thinking and connections across course themes and class materials if you don’t master the vocab! Crucially, you can put whatever you want on your flashcards so feel free to make them detailed enough to get all the main information and make sure to cover the slides, readings and other materials! I’ve used flashcards a fair amount throughout my degree (both handwritten and digital) and it is much easier to free write, verbally recite, and do group studying after a couple rounds through flashcards. For my artsy folks out there, this is a great opportunity to break out the coloured pens and highlighters. Luckily, if handwriting is not your style, there are tons of programs like Quizlet, Anki, Knowt, and Brainscape to make digital flashcards.
- Make cheat sheets that are actually useful
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If you are allowed a cheat sheet into the exam, ensure that it is actually going to be helpful within the exam. Focus on things you have trouble with or things that will be the most generalizable across questions. For processes, lists of concepts, scholar’s names or other things in sets, try to create acronyms to help you save space on the sheet and then write it out in your exam booklet as soon as you can. If you don’t like acronyms, think about keywords that could trigger you to remember a case study or specific concept. Similarly to above, don’t just build your cheat sheet off the professor’s slides. Look at readings, your lecture notes, tutorial materials or any other course content that you can. If you draw from multiple sources in the cheat sheet, it is more likely that your answers will reflect that. If your exam is open book, it can still be useful to create a cheat sheet. For example, list key concepts or scholars and include page numbers, slide show numbers (Week 3, slide 4), or citations of readings that discuss that topic in addition to the main point. That way you can speed up your searching and, if your instructor requires it, your referencing. I’ve made one like this for an open book exam and the time that it saved me I used to proofread my answer, catching grammar and wording mistakes that would have impacted my grade!
- Group studY can be helpful
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I’m going to be candid here, I’ve never liked group studying. Working with others can sometimes be a bit of a drag and not a productive use of my (very limited) time. However, I have had a handful of experiences studying with a partner or a group of 3 – 4 that were pleasantly surprising. So, group studying can be a useful addition, but it should absolutely not make up the entirety of your study plan. After all, you are not writing the exam in a group. Working with others can provide you with other understandings of the course material, different insights into the readings, or an opportunity to brainstorm new connections. Additionally, if you’re like me, one of the best ways to test your own knowledge is by teaching it to someone else. You can use the group session as a space to inform your peers if they didn’t do the readings or missed class. If you are not like me, you can use the group session to better gauge where your understanding needs to be on certain concepts. I like structured brainstorming–going week by week in the course and as a group identifying key terms or concepts from that week and then defining and connecting them. If your professor posts the questions in advance this is also a great place to start. Studying with a partner is a great place to pull out the flashcards again and test each other, or try making a joint mind map. Lastly, while it’s great to have friends in your study group, try to invite a couple of people from your class that are more cordial acquaintances – that way, it’s easier to stay on topic and not start gossiping.
Whatever you do, remember that any studying is better than no studying. Some methods that might work for your friends won’t work for you and that is totally normal! If you need further help check out the Learning Commons on the first floor of the McPherson Library.
Rest assured that whatever you get on your exams this semester will not detrimentally impact your future. And chances are, you will probably forget by next December anyways. Stay hydrated, well rested, and don’t forget to move your body between study sessions. You’ve got this!