There are many ways to study effectively for exams and some of these include:
1. Maximize Your Class Time
Attend every class meeting, concentrate throughout lectures, and take notes the way that makes the most sense to you. The objective is to be able to comprehend your notes when you go back and read them.
Oliver, a University of Kansas student from China, asserts that “taking good notes means you pay better attention during class.” “It will be incredibly beneficial when you study for the test.” Make a note to follow up with your professor or teaching assistant (also known as a TA) after class if something doesn’t make sense to you. You can also raise your hand and ask a question.
2. Switch It Up
Spending too much time on one thing can cause you to lose focus. To avoid learning fatigue, switching topics every 30 minutes or so is one of the most crucial study strategies for college examinations. Re-visit difficult subjects after giving your brain a break.
3. Make flash cards.
One of the best study techniques for college students is to rewrite crucial definitions, concepts, and information on flashcards. You can test yourself using flashcards without anybody else’s assistance. Study applications and digital flashcards are additional tools for planning and reviewing the subject.
”TIP: Include whatever that is written on the board in your notes. It might be covered by the exam.
4. Find a Good Study Spot
While some people enjoy the total stillness of a library, others prefer the excitement of a bustling café. While some students prefer to study while seated at their desks, others prefer to choose a sunny outside study place.
Oliver, a top-performing student at KU, prefers a peaceful area without interruptions. You’ll want to go to sleep or play video games at home, he predicted. “I therefore visit the library to study.” Try out a few locations to determine which works best for you; the ideal study setting is the one that makes you feel the most productive.
5. Read and Review—Early and Often
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve principle states that we forget 70% of what we learn within a day. Making time for a brief review each evening will help you retain new information and improve your comprehension. Divide chapters into sections, then evaluate each section’s content before going on. Summarize the important parts of the reading in your notes so you can quickly revisit them without having to read the full chapter again. Make a note of challenging passages to return to later.
6. Visualize the Material
By summarizing the information and underlining or highlighting relevant phrases and topics, you can concentrate on the most crucial portions of your class notes. Traditional written notes not your thing? To make difficult ideas easier to understand, try reformatting them into charts, diagrams, mind maps, or outlines.
7. Focus on Understanding
Finding methods to repeat and memorize information is known as memorization. Understanding is a step further, and it implies you can use new information in a variety of contexts and understand how it relates to existing ideas. College examinations frequently measure comprehension rather than rote memory.
”TIP: Final examinations and midterms typically contribute far more to your final grade than coursework, papers, and quizzes. To learn how your college examinations will effect your final score, consult your syllabus.
8. Maintain Your Concentration
Keeping your mind on track can be as simple as taking a break from your phone and your friends. Put on some instrumental music or noise-canceling headphones and put your mobile on airplane mode to help you focus on your studies.
9. Have Fun with Words
Making acronyms, phrases, rhymes, or metaphors out of the content and breaking it down into manageable chunks can be a helpful—and enjoyable—way to memorize concepts. Students learning business tactics, for instance, will recall abbreviations like “POGO SQUINT”:
Performance targets
Outsourcing
global variables
overcoming a change’s opposition
Supply chain administration
quality control
inventory control
Design and development of novel products and services
Technology
No matter how ridiculous, using this technique can aid in your recall of crucial ideas for your tests. With the help of your study group, you can introduce other students to engaging and novel study strategies.
10. Test Your Knowledge
Create a practice exam based on the material you believe the test will cover once you are familiar with the format. This will direct what you should study and help you comprehend the subject matter more deeply. Then you can test yourself and your study group using the practice exam.