Studying for final exams is stressful, especially if you don't have the time or the inclination. However, by managing stress and finding the right technique and routine for you, you will be able to study effectively and effectively.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Prepare to Study
Step 1. Identify your goals before starting to study
Determine a target for each exam and think about what you will need to get there.
- Be realistic; consider how you did the academic year in general, how well you understood the study material and how much time you have available.
- Don't fly too low though. Commit and do everything you can to use your full potential.
Step 2. Prepare a study plan, a vital component for success and for understanding what to study and when
You will minimize stress and maximize productivity. Here's what to consider:
- Create a timeline of your current activities: lessons, work, time spent with your family and friends, etc. This way, you will be able to see how much time you have to study.
- Develop a study program with your day in mind. Use the time between classes and other downtime to study a little more. Remember that one hour of study a day will be more productive than five in a row once a week.
- Determine your study goals. Don't write vague guidelines, like "study biology", be specific. Break study materials into different topics and tasks to do and use this information to fill the syllabus. Spend 20 minutes on small information and commit to learning it very well in this time frame.
- Respect the schedule, otherwise it will be useless to do so. And that's why you have to be realistic. When you realize this, you also include breaks and potential distractions, so you will have no excuse when they occur. If it helps, think of the study plan as a job: you have no option but to finish it.
Step 3. Start studying well in advance
The sooner you start, the more prepared you will be, even if you miss the exam a lot. Starting early ensures that you can study everything, practice and even add extra reading, which will make you look good on exam day. In addition, you will be less stressed and anxious and will have more self-confidence.
- Ideally, you should study during the week from the beginning of the school or academic year, not a month or week before exams. You should read after each lesson and delve into the topics covered in class. Go see your professors during office hours, ask them questions about what you don't understand, take complete notes. All of these things will be invaluable once you find yourself studying. As if this weren't enough, you will absorb information better, more naturally.
- Don't procrastinate. Everyone feels guilty for putting it off, so don't let this moment come. Your study plan should be part of your days. By studying at scheduled times, you will minimize the risk of doing the whole week or night before. Try to put it off, but studying when time is short is not effective, as you will soon forget what you have learned and suffer from stress at dramatically high levels. Don't procrastinate!
Step 4. Obtain and organize study materials and resources
Collect class notes, old tests and works, teachers' handouts, past exams, and relevant textbooks.
- Use folders, highlighters, and sticky notes to organize materials and make important information accessible.
- Read the notes taken in class and underline the keywords, formulas, themes and concepts. Notes are an enormously valuable source of study: they are shorter than textbooks and allow you to understand what the professor will ask you on the exam.
- Borrow them to compare with yours and see if you are missing any.
- Find textbooks other than the ones you are using. You will be able to get extra information, stand out in the exam and read definitions expressed differently, so you can learn them better and understand if everything is clear to you.
Step 5. Choose the place to study:
this is also fundamental. The ideal study corner is not the same for everyone. Some prefer to study at home, have a coffee or a snack when they feel like it, others prefer to do it in the library, where other people are busy and distractions are minimal. Find out what works for you. You may make a few mistakes before finding the right place, or you may realize that studying in different environments makes the process less monotonous and easier.
Step 6. Go see the professors during office hours
Many students don't go there out of laziness or fear of asking or looking like a licker. However, many teachers are happy to talk to students interested in their subject and have no problem answering their questions and concerns.
- Thanks to this small step, you will make a good impression on the teacher, which can help you on the exam.
- Discussing the course material with the professor will also make you understand what is most important to learn and what may be asked for on the exam. The teacher may also give you some advice to study and tell you what he wants students to understand about his subject.
Step 7. Organize a study group, a great idea for those who have trouble motivating themselves to study alone
Choose people you like and organize a weekly two to three hour session. In a group, it is possible to exchange advice and clarify doubts, especially if you are afraid (but shouldn't) to ask the teacher. In addition, you can lighten the work by dividing it between you.
- For example, if you are studying a textbook with long and complicated chapters but you only need to get the key information, everyone can read one and summarize the content for the rest of the group. This way, you will get more information in less time.
- Members should all be on a similar level and have the same work ethic, otherwise, only one person will do it all and the others will be left behind. Don't feel bad if you need to exclude a mate who isn't right for you. In this case, you need to focus on the exams.
Method 2 of 4: Study Efficiently
Step 1. Study for 20-50 minute blocks
If you do it longer, you will tire easily and your performance will drop. In 20-50 minutes, you can fully concentrate and maximize the amount of information absorbed.
- At the end of the 20-50 minutes dedicated to one topic, take a quick break of 5-10 minutes and move on to another topic. Thus, you will keep yourself fresh and the material will not bore you.
- To use this study method, you will need to break the material into smaller, easily digestible pieces. If you force yourself to study too much in a short time, you will not learn well.
Step 2. Take frequent breaks:
do not underestimate the value of pauses, which allow the brain to process all the information it has just absorbed and to cool off before starting over. Take a 5-10 minute break every 20-50 minutes of study and a 30 minute break after four hours.
- Going through all the social media posts and watching television, you won't be making good use of the break. Better to eat a healthy snack to fuel your brain, which consumes glucose when you study. Almonds, fruit, and yogurt are good options.
- You should also go for a stroll in the fresh air. Oxygen stimulates blood flow, which keeps the brain fit. If you can't get out, stretch.
Step 3. Break big tasks into smaller, more manageable ones
Studying will discourage you if your aim is to learn everything that has been explained in class during an extended study session. This assignment will be much more doable if you break it down into several small but intense parts.
- For example, if you are studying a Shakespeare text and have set out to learn all of The Tempest in one day, this task will be insurmountable. But if you break up the study into specific tasks, everything will be easier. Study the character of Caliban for 40 minutes, the main themes of the work for 40 minutes and some of the most important quotes for 40 minutes.
- If you are studying a scientific subject such as biology, don't try to absorb an entire chapter in one go. Break it up into smaller pieces and take 20 minutes to learn key definitions or to memorize an important diagram or experiment.
Step 4. Take useful and personalized notes to study better
Well-structured and organized notes will make you learn much faster and will be your point of reference when you have a doubt. You will be able to highlight important information and eliminate unnecessary materials from the book.
- When taking notes, combine reworked notes from textbooks with lecture notes and handouts. By varying the sources, you will create more extensive notes: not only will you emerge among your peers, but you will pass the exams without any difficulty.
- Find a way to take notes easily. Some students make flashcards, others use colored pens, while still others write in a simplified way. Do what you think is best for you and write legible and well-organized notes.
Step 5. Use books strategically
Most college students are bombarded with texts and hate reading them all. However, doing this isn't difficult and doesn't waste your time. The key is to know how to read.
- Before reading everything in depth, take a minute to see the material by taking a quick look at the chapters you intend to read. Read the title and see if there are any parts that summarize the content. Read the titles, subtitles and words in bold. Get an idea of the theme before reading it in full.
- Ask yourself what are the most important themes or concepts in the chapter. You might ask yourself the following questions about each chapter: Who? Thing? Where is it? When? Because? Like? Answer these questions as you read.
- Once you are familiar with the topic of the chapter, start reading. Try to recognize important terms or concepts. It is also a good idea to underline or highlight information that you find useful and that you would like to review later.
- When you have finished reading, repeat the information acquired. Try to answer the questions developed before without looking at the book to see if you have really absorbed the material. Once you feel you have mastered it, repeat the main themes and terms to yourself. Explain concepts in your own words to improve memorization.
- Take notes on the information you have just read, including titles, definitions, key terms, and anything else you consider important. While the notes should be short, they should also be detailed to allow you to refresh your memory when you need to pick up on the most important concepts.
- Now that you've read the books and taken notes, review everything you've learned. Review the notes to recall the important topics covered by the chapter. Try predicting exam questions and practice answering them. Make sure you have a very good command of what you have learned. If you feel confused or don't understand a concept, go back to review it.
Step 6. Explain what you have learned to someone else
Once you feel confident, ask a friend or family member if you can repeat a theme. You can explain it so that the other person, who has not studied the subject, understands it; if you can do it, that means you will have absorbed it well.
- Explaining the information in your own words and talking about the topic without the help of notes indicates that you are memorizing everything.
- Being able to explain what you have studied to someone means that you really master the subject.
Step 7. Test yourself
After studying, do some tests to see if you can answer.
- Use the old exams and quizzes they gave you in class or ask your teacher to provide you with some samples. Thus, you will feel confident about the structure and format of the exam, which will help you to feel comfortable on the day of the test.
- Don't worry if the exam practice doesn't meet your expectations. Remember that the point of challenging yourself is to identify the things you don't know well, take a step back, and study them better.
Method 3 of 4: Study Techniques
Step 1. Use associations between images and words
Some people memorize better when they can visualize a word or concept in their mind. Students using this method associate an unknown term or concept with something they already know.
For example, if a word you read in the book reminds you of an object you know, imagine that object in your head every time you say or read that word. Linking unfamiliar words to familiar images will help you remember more easily
Step 2. Use acronyms
An acronym is a combination of letters that can be used to help you memorize a term or concept. You can combine the first letter of each word in a compound idea to make a word that is easy to remember.
An example of an acronym is ASAP, which, in English, means As Soon As Possible, "as soon as possible"
Step 3. Use some memory tricks
To remember the order of the elements in a series, some students write sentences in which each word begins with the first letter of each element in the series. This strategy is personal and creative to study for an exam. Come up with something useful and easily memorable for you.
A simple example used by children to remember in what order the cardinal points appear on the compass is the phrase Never Eat Soggy Warms (North-North, East-East, South-South, West-West): each first letter of each term correlates in the order of the direction of the cardinal points on the compass
Step 4. Try the Hide-Write-Compare technique
After reading a chapter of a book and writing all the important terms, you can test your knowledge to see if you remember them. Cover the definition of each term and try to write it down by heart. When you finish, compare it to the exact definition. Repeatedly writing something helps to better fix a concept in mind.
This study method probably reminds you of when you learned to write as a child. You probably looked at every word, covered it up, tried to spell it correctly yourself, and then compared it to the right one. It's a simple but effective method, even in college
Step 5. Try to turn what you have studied into a story
Telling one is a useful way of absorbing information for many college students. Tell a story about an important character you need to study for an exam. For example, instead of memorizing boring facts, create a story with interesting details that will help you memorize better. Tell it aloud and to others if you think it helps. Many professors, in fact, teach just this way.
Step 6. Use analogies
An analogy is a comparison between two or more things. You can use them to compare and contrast specific ideas or terms. Although you can create your own analogies, one of the keys to a smarter study is recognizing the similarities already present in the content you are studying. With practice, you will become better at recognizing patterns and analogies will help you digest study materials.
There are several types of analogies; an example is the one that expresses the relationship between a part and the whole: a battery is to a flashlight as a keyboard is to a computer. Cause-and-effect analogies, such as smoking causes cancer as well as itching causes scratching, are also common
Step 7. Use repetition
This strategy is quite common among students. It involves going back over the information more than once until you get a grasp of the concept. It can be used in different ways. You should consider how you learn best to determine which repetition style to use.
For example, you can create flashcards to master materials that require mechanical memorization. Students who are learning a foreign language decide to repeat terms and concepts aloud or write information over and over
Step 8. Determine when to use each method
Each of these techniques has helped many students, but some strategies are better suited to certain types of people. Not to mention that your approach to the study of science will be different than that of a humanistic discipline.
- For example, you will find repetition useful for an anatomy class, while short stories will help you for the history class.
- The choice of methods to use also depends on your strengths and your learning style. There are people who learn best by looking at pictures and tables, while others benefit more from reading aloud what they have to study.
- Remember that nothing is right or wrong when it comes to choosing a study method.
Method 4 of 4: Manage Stress
Step 1. Eat well and exercise
It seems trivial, but there are many people who neglect these suggestions. Avoid sugars, which will get you down, and opt for snacks like granola bars, fruit and vegetables to keep blood sugars stable. If you study for a long time, also introduce some proteins. As for exercise, try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day to feel calmer and more focused.
Step 2. Sleep well, at least for eight hours a night during the study period
You may want to stay up late to study, but remember that you will have more energy and focus if you go to bed and then continue the next morning. If you fall asleep late, you will have trouble waking up. Rest adequately especially the night before the exam: your previous preparation could be nullified if you neglect this advice.
Step 3. Stay away from stressful people
Stress is actually contagious. During exam week, avoid studying with a super-tense friend, or it will make you anxious.
Step 4. Say no to distractions
It can be easy to give in while studying, but think about your long-term goals and be firm. If you let yourself get distracted, you'll be reduced to studying the week before the exam, causing your stress levels to skyrocket. Study in a disciplined and constant manner and you will feel much calmer and more relaxed when it comes time to take the test.
While studying, turn off your phone and download a program that blocks access to social networks. If your friend invites you for coffee in the middle of a productive study session, don't feel guilty about saying no
Step 5. A little fun never hurts
You will need to have a rigorous study schedule and stick to it as much as possible, but you will also need to allow yourself some free time on the weekend to relax. Go out with your friends, see a movie or hang out with your family. If you've been working hard over the week, you have no reason to feel guilty - you need to unwind.
Step 6. Think everything will be fine
Imagine yourself taking the exam and feeling confident about yourself and what you know. Try to keep this image in your mind and focus on your relaxation. Then, it displays a 30. When you adopt the positive view, you push yourself towards your goal by making the right decisions without even realizing it. Of course, this strategy doesn't work if you don't work hard to reach the finish line.
