How much time to spend preparing for an exam? How to distribute the study from a temporal point of view? A student who studies for two hours a day from Monday to Friday is in a rather different situation than one who studies for ten straight hours the night before an exam. Still, they both spent the same amount of time studying. What is the difference? The second student finds himself facing a certain sense of fatigue, overload and stress more easily; among other things, he will not have the opportunity to consult a professor in case of doubts. Splitting the work into manageable study sessions spread over several days is essential.
Steps
Step 1. Choose an ideal place to study
This space should be clean, quiet, well-lit, cool, and free of distractions, such as friends, television, or computers.
- Studying in a place similar to the exam venue may make you feel calmer during the test itself - the sense of familiarity will help reduce anxiety.
- Make sure you have everything you need to study, such as books, class notes, previous exercises, pens and pencils.
Step 2. Stick to a set plan
If a problem gets you bogged down, fix it (maybe you'll need the help of a professor). You may exceed the schedule time and need to schedule longer study sessions later. There is nothing wrong with that: the plan only offers guidelines, it is not absolute. Catch up as soon as possible and continue as planned.
Step 3. Review previous lessons
Rework past and illustrative exercises from the textbook; observe how the techniques are implemented. If you are unable to explain the reasoning behind a mathematical procedure, then you will hardly understand it fully.
Step 4. Memorize the main concepts
As you study, list the topics to learn and try to always have the list available. Review them while you are in line or in the free moments between lessons.
Step 5. Selectively review the books
Don't re-read them completely - you've done it once already, so one repetition would only overload you. Review the parts you highlighted or underlined, the notes written in the margins, the formulas, the definitions and the summaries of the chapters.
Step 6. Study in chronological order
Start with the contents of the first lesson and move on in chronological order, just taking a look at the less important parts. Instead, dwell on the fundamental concepts. This review will give you a stronger foundation, on which you can build the pillars of the main content - it will be easier to master them. If you decide to follow this method, be careful to establish a pace that does not postpone the study of critical topics until the night before the test.
Advice
- While studying, it's also a good idea to have some notes available, so if you think of a commitment you need to make next, you can write it down, get it out of your mind, and continue learning.
- Before you get down to business, prepare a schedule that meets your needs.
- Planning more than a week in advance is ideal, especially when you have to find your way between various exams.
