1. Time Management.
I know, I know we have all heard this plenty of times, either from our teachers in high school or our parents, and kind of brushed it over our shoulder. In collage, shit gets real. If you don't make a schedule and manage your time wisely you are screwed. In high school teachers were a little more considerate of the fact that you have other classes and you probably had no more than two tests in one day.... in collage teachers don't have anyway of knowing your other class schedules because there are literally hundreds of classes. Once they schedule a test the date doesn't move and you may find yourself in my situation and have a test in every class all in one day.
My advice to you is to take out your planner (which every student should have) or a piece of paper and write down times. Write down what day and the time frame your goals are for that particular study session. You don't have to study for several hours at once either. You can say from 3-4 you're going to study and then again from 9-10 before you go to bed. Writing down times becomes even more important when you have more than one test and will really help you stay on track.
2. Prioritize.
You need to prioritize the level of importance each class is. If you have a test tomorrow in Anatomy and then have a test in Psychology three days later, don't spend most of your time that day studying for the psychology test because that won't do you any good in anatomy. If you have two tests in the same day, the night before the tests study for the later test during the day and save the night for the test you have first. This way when you go to take your first test the information you studied is the most fresh.
3. Sleep.
Sleep is the most important step in studying. You can stay up until 3 a.m. studying for your 8 a.m. test, but if you aren't well rested your brain won't be able to focus or retain information. You will be better off going to bed at 9 and then waking up at 5 or 6 to study. At least this way you will be well rested and more likely to retain what you are studying.
4. Don't Cram.
We've all been there. Its an hour before your test and you are freaking out trying to retain as much information as you can. Don't. You will get very overwhelmed and may get your information all mixed up. This goes back to time management and making sure you have planned an adequate enough time to study and fully understand the information.
5. Find a Strategy.
Unless you have a photographic memory, simply reading your notes isn't enough to study. Try to find a method that you like and works for you. It doesn't have to be just one either. In fact, the more methods you use the better off you will be. I love flash cards and they work the best for me but they can be very time consuming. In order to avoid spending more time making the flash cards than actually studying them, I make them from lecture to lecture. At night, or whenever I have some free time, I'll look over my notes and make flash cards for that day. This way, when it gets to the week of the test you already have most of the information you need on the cards and can be studying. Also, your stack of flash cards can get pretty big..scary big. In order to avoid the overwhelming feeling of the stack try to study your flashcards you make at the end of every week so you aren't stuck trying to learn a stack of flash cards in a short amount of time.
6. Read your Textbook.
In classes like Anatomy and Physiology , your textbook can be a wonderful thing. Most of the information your teachers give you come from your textbook and, as crazy as it sounds, the textbook usually makes things a little more easy to understand. Make sure you take notes as you read also. You don't have to write down everything you read word for word but just make sure you get the main ideas down and anything else you feel is important. I take my reading notes in a journal that way I can carry it around with me in my bag or purse and look it over whenever I have some down time. Draw pictures too!!
7. Study in a Variety of settings.
Last semester my Biology teacher told me that it has been proven that if you study in more than one place you are more likely to remember what you are studying. If it's a pretty day, try and go study at the park or in a field. If noise doesn't bother you try going to Starbucks. My teacher also told me that your brain recognizes sent and sounds that can help trigger memory. This being said it would probably be a smart idea, if it's possible, would be to study in the building or room of your test.
8. Take Breaks
Try to take an hour break between study sessions. Your brain, just like your body, gets tired and needs a break. You can't study for 4 hours straight and expect your brain to retain the last 2 hours. Study for two hours and then for the next hour do something relaxing, like drawing or watching tv, and then go back to studying.
9. Use the Buddy System.
Lets face it. We all have subjects we find absolutely boring and find ourselves getting distracted when studying. This is one of those times when friends are actually useful. If you use each other to make studying more fun it will be easier to learn the information. You can turn it into a game or a contest and if there are enough people in your study group you can make it into a mini jeopardy.
10. Be Confident.
When it comes to the actual test all you can really do is just be confident. Remind yourself that you studied your ass off for this test and that you have been ready for it all week. If you get stumped on a question try not to let it discourage you because its just one question out of the 50 or more.
There are plenty of other ways to successfully study for your exams , but these are the 10 that my peers and I have found successful. For most freshman collage is a huge wake up call and unfortunately my first semester caught me off guard. However after using these steps I have eased in and now find myself at a 4.0 GPA and owning collage!
No comments:
Post a Comment