The most common fear among students is that of entering the exam room and suddenly having the sensation that the mind is emptied of all the notions studied. To overcome this fear and remember what you have learned, you could use numerous tips and tricks. Once you have acquired an effective study method, used tips that allow you to memorize information in an active way, and applied systems that facilitate mnemonic learning, you will be surprised to see how easy it is to remember difficult concepts and a myriad of dates.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Organizing for Good Results
Step 1. Approach the study in a positive way
If you open books when you don't have the right spirit to apply yourself, you won't study well. However, if you are thrilled to learn, you will have less difficulty learning and remembering the topics that make up the exam subject.
- Don't think, "I'll never be able to learn it."
- Be patient with yourself as you try to learn a new concept.
Step 2. Establish an effective study program and stick to it
Think about trying to identify the times when you are most alert and able to concentrate. For some people, the best time is right after school. Others perform better if they take a break and relax a bit before opening their books. Regardless of when you choose to study, you will be more productive if you apply yourself every day (for 30-60 minutes at a time) rather than killing yourself at the last minute of work.
- Remember to include breaks in your schedule. They will allow the brain to assimilate what you have just studied.
- During a break, you may want to go for a walk or get some fresh air to clear your mind.
Step 3. Choose the right place to study
You need to find a quiet, distraction-free space, such as a library or a secluded area of the house. A study area will allow the mind to easily assimilate concepts.
- Once you have chosen your seat, take everything you need with you. When you're ready, you don't have to get distracted looking for a book or a note.
- If you need a computer to search the Internet, activate an application that allows you to temporarily block certain websites. That way, you won't be tempted to browse social networks or read the news when you need to study.
Step 4. Get organized
Chaotic and rambling notes or clutter in the room are detrimental to memory. By arranging the environment in which you study, you will promote mental order and you will be able to better memorize concepts and remember them for a long time.
Step 5. Get enough sleep
During sleep, the brain transforms information contained in short-term memory into data managed by long-term memory. Even a nap can help with this process.
- If you study in the afternoon and don't have time for a nap, review your notes or flashcards the night before bed.
- Try to get 9 hours of sleep every night, which is the ideal time for teenagers. Adults, on the other hand, are advised to sleep for 7-9 hours.
Part 2 of 3: Active Learning
Step 1. Read aloud
By using the stimuli produced by certain sensory organs, you will more easily remember a lot of information, so even just saying the words out loud and hearing them can be helpful. Don't feel stupid while reading your dog's biology notes. You will be satisfied if this method helps you pass the next exam.
Step 2. Discuss what you are learning or teach it to someone else
In addition to reading aloud, you can better memorize concepts and information by also explaining what you are studying. Try involving a friend and questioning each other, or teaching your study topics to a parent or your little brother.
- By applying yourself to understand how you can teach what you are learning, you will focus on the subject with greater analysis and dedication.
- If you have difficulty explaining a concept, it will be easier to understand what topics you need to explore.
Step 3. Write the information to memorize
You could really improve your memory skills if you summarize what you read in writing or rewrite the formulas or concepts you are trying to learn over and over.
- You could also outline the topic you are studying. The simple visual organization process can help the brain remember information in order.
- Also, try making flashcards with the most important facts, dates and formulas. This method is useful for two reasons: by writing, you will help the mind to remember and you will have a tool that will allow you to review the topics of an exam anywhere, while traveling by bus or waiting in the waiting room.
- As you read, summarize each paragraph along the edges of the pages. In this way, you will force the mind to analyze and learn the content.
Step 4. Simulate an exam
If you can take a practice test or find the questions from the last exam, you will have the opportunity to understand what you have learned and which topics you still need to explore.
- Once the simulation is done, review the topics you didn't know and take another test after a few days.
- Remember not to just study the topics encountered in the practice test. It is very likely that the actual exam will include all the concepts stated in the syllabus, not just the questions asked in your simulation or a previous exam.
Part 3 of 3: Using Tools That Aid Memory
Step 1. Learn to use mnemonic techniques
These are strategies that help you remember names, dates and events, turning this information into catchy rhymes, acronyms or phrases. For example, "Ma con gran pena them brings down" is a mnemonics used in elementary schools to teach children about the chains of the Italian Alps (the MA designates the Maritime Alps, the CO the Cottian Alps, the GRA the Graian Alps, PE for the Pennine Alps, LE means Lepontine Alps, RE Rhaetian Alps, CA Carnic Alps, NO Noric Alps and GIU Giulie Alps). The first letters of each name are used to create the words contained in the sentence.
- Another example is RAGVAIV, or also RoAranGiVerTurInVio, an acronym used to remember the sequence of the seven colors that form the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue (to simplify the pronunciation, blue has been replaced with blue), indigo, Viola.
- Use your creativity. Use the first letter of a group of words you are trying to remember and compose a silly sentence with words that begin with the same letters.
Step 2. Create rhymes
They can be used as a phonological mnemonic technique to remember information. In other words, you have to form rhymes by combining the sounds of the words. Think of the classic nursery rhyme used by everyone to remember the number of days in a month: "Thirty days have November, with April, June and September. Of twenty-eight there is one, all the others have thirty-one".
Try composing a rhyme with the information or words you want to memorize
Step 3. Develop a mind map
It involves creating an outline or image that allows you to visually organize the content to be studied. In this way, you will be able to see the relationships that exist between various information and better understand the links that exist between different concepts. By having a clear idea of how one piece of data is linked to another, you will be able to memorize and remember it during the exam.
- Place the main idea in the center of the map and draw lines to connect it to the various information.
- You can compose a mind map on a sheet of paper or use your computer to create it in digital format.
Step 4. Chew gum while you study
Some researchers argue that chewing increases the oxygen supply to the brain and, consequently, promotes concentration. Also, if you study while chewing on a gum that has a certain taste, such as peppermint, and do the same during the exam, you will more easily remember the concepts you have learned.
Step 5. Use your sense of smell
Smells are often associated with memories, so you can use them to remember what you are studying.
