Are the exams approaching? Are you worried? Read this article and you will be reassured!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Before the Study Session
Step 1. Organize your agenda with all your exams according to their dates and read their schedules
- Time is precious, especially when a date approaches. This is why planning ahead is essential. Start doing this months or weeks in advance and allow time for breaks. Plan your time by thinking about the exams with the highest study volume.
- Always try to have the schedule close at hand so you know what you need to study.
Step 2. Begin to emphasize and assimilate the arguments
Do you only have to learn words? If so, make a list in Word and print it. Avoid entering the ones you already know, but be sure to remember them.
Review your notes and underline the most important words and concepts in different colors. Create tables and diagrams to study better. Create educational cards for each category: terms and / or concepts, formulas, specific quotes from a book, and so on
Step 3. Get a friend to study with you, especially if they are a college colleague of yours
However, make sure they are interested in learning and that your meetings are productive for both of you.
Explain the terms and concepts in turn to understand if you have grasped the meaning of what you have studied
Step 4. Study in the place that suits you, which can be quiet or noisy
You can move to change and not make learning monotonous.
Trying out different areas of study doesn't make you bored and allows you to surround your brain with new stimuli to make the information more interesting and easier to remember. Follow your mood to decide where you will study today
Step 5. Gather all study materials before leaving home:
notebooks, folders, pencil case and books. Don't forget to bring along a bottle of water, some money, your mp3 player and some snacks.
Chocolate must not be demonized! It is rich in antioxidants and is good for the mood. So don't feel guilty if you feel like buying a tablet. If you like, go for the dark one
Method 2 of 3: During the Study Session
Step 1. Start writing
There are dozens of study techniques - find the one that suits you by experimenting.
- Write the summary of each chapter you read and learn it.
- Use mnemonic strategies, such as acronyms and the creation of sentences in which the first letter of each word represents the initial of the words you need to learn.
- If you make instructional cards, read them aloud to better remember them. Always carry them with you and take them out as soon as you have a free minute.
Step 2. Take frequent breaks
You won't need to study for five straight hours. The body and the brain need a break. Eat something and drink a glass of milk or water. Study for 20-30 minutes, take a five-minute break, and then resume studying for another 20-30 minutes. You will learn much more efficiently.
According to the Dartmouth Academic Skills Center, you should study for 20-50 minutes and then take a 5-10 minute break. For best results, study less, but do it every day
Step 3. Listen to the music
You may have heard of the "Mozart effect".
A study of a group of young adults (just like you) tried to show that listening to Mozart makes you smarter. Although this has not been proven, an increase in mental clarity has been found for approximately 15 minutes after listening to music. As the study extended, it was shown that any genre of music can stimulate the brain, not just Mozart's (https://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130107-can-mozart-boost-brainpower/2). Exercise also helps you focus - running and jumping jacks are helpful for this, so opt for these methods to awaken your brain
Step 4. Mix the various activities
This will not only benefit your attention span, your brain will absorb information better.
Do you know the secret of musicians and athletes? They do what you should do too: they use multiple skills in the same practice or training session, doing different and non-repetitive things. If you imitate them, your brain will work much better
Step 5. Study in a group to motivate yourself when you can't do it alone
In addition to being able to explain the concepts out loud and understand them better, you will be able to discuss your doubts and share the work with your peers. In addition, the breaks will be more fun, especially if you agree on what snack to bring!
Ask each other questions and reflect together on the concepts that confuse you the most. However, try to study alone as well. Remember that in the end you will have to take the exam, so get together with people similar to you, both from the point of view of the study method and as regards the level of knowledge. Studying with someone who is perpetually distracted or who knows a lot less than you will make you fall behind
Method 3 of 3: Before the Test
Step 1. Sleep well
Better to avoid spending the night in white as so many other university students do in order to recover what they have not been able to study when they should have. Exhausted students cannot concentrate and do not absorb information well; those who are well rested, on the other hand, are much more relaxed and awake.
In short, lack of sleep is not the answer and it is not good for either the body or the mind
Step 2. Have breakfast:
it will benefit both body and mind. It will be difficult for you to concentrate if you are hungry. However, don't eat foods that can hurt your stomach.
Avoid giving in to the temptation to drink too much coffee - it will make you more anxious. A cup will be enough
Step 3. Be confident
If you stay calm and visualize positive results, everything will be better. Cold sweat and fidgeting is useless: what really matters is the work done during the semester.
