So, you’re a freshman in your second week of school. You’ve half-way mastered campus and by that I mean you know where all your classes are and you no longer get lost on your way to the dining hall. You had a fun first weekend with your new friends and are still meeting more people in your classes. Your homework load isn’t too crazy; you still have time for Netflix and tanning on the quad. All of a sudden, the second week of classes is almost over and you have something awful waiting for you in the distance: your first college exam.
While this may be terrifying, there are ways to make this process slightly easier and not-so-scary. Here are some tips on how to prepare for your first exam. I promise, it doesn’t have to be as hard as it seems.
1. Pick up, and hit the library. There is no way to get any intense studying done if you’re in the same familiar environment that you always are. I usually find that sitting in new place with new surroundings helps me stay focused on myself and what I truly am supposed to be doing; studying.
2. Bring your friends along. You just made new friends and this is part of the reason why studying sounds so unpleasasant. Why would I want to leave this dorm room of all my girlies watching Gossip Girl? Chances are, you aren’t the only one who has a huge exam coming up. Plan a time with your friends to get together, grab a bite to eat, and pack the books along. More studying the merrier!
3. Make a study guide. Throughout the course of the class, new information can get heavy, long, and hard to follow. A couple days before your exam, pull together all the pieces that you will be expected to know and combine it all into a study guide that you know will work for you. This makes studying much simpler and you won’t regret this when it’s time to take your final.
4. One word: Quizlet. Not a fan of taking hours to write notes or make note cards? Use your laptop and discover the wonderful world of Quizlet. Quizlet is a website where you can make online flashcards. So awesome and so 2015. If you’re lucky, someone has already created notecards for this course and made them available for you to use. Awesome, right?! Quizlet also has games and different ways to quiz you on the information you are learning.
5. Whatever you do, DON’T cram. Cramming every piece of information right before an exam is like wearing all of your favorite outfits at the same time. You wouldn’t do that, would you? You’re better off taking all of the course material and going over it for a couple of days over and over again before the exam. This will result in a much better test score.
See, there are ways to make this process less boring, more social and more useful. Use these tips and you are destined to have a successful semester!