During the school year it can sometimes feel as if you are in over your head. Most students have to juggle their life with school assignments, projects, and extracurricular activities. It can seem as if almost out of nowhere that a test is soon approaching. You know you need to do well on it, but with all of the other projects you have going on, how can you study efficiently and ace the test?
First of all, when you study for a test, you shouldn't be learning something completely new. It is faster and easier to recall something you have already learned than to learn something completely new. So, after each
day of classes, it is a good idea to review everything you have learned. It doesn't have to be a long review either! Keep in mind that this is simply something to help you jog your memory about the day's topics. That way, you give your brain another chance to soak up the information. Hopefully, doing this review will make future studying less time consuming and less of a learning process.
Where you study is important. Find a quiet, comfortable (but not too comfortable!) location where distractions and interruptions are minimal. A popular place for most students to study is at home. However, for some, home can be too distracting as it's easy to get side tracked. What may help is if you study in a place that's similar to the place where you're going to take the test. When you study, you might associate certain topics with the environment. So if you take the test in a similar environment, you can more easily retrieve these associations. For example, if you're going to write a test in a lecture room, it may help to study in a lecture room (if at all possible!)
The next item you need to determine is what kind of student are you? Do you work better in a group or by yourself? Some students find it easier to work in a study group. In this type of group you are allowed the opportunity to bounce ideas off of similar minds, gain valuable insight on something you may have overlooked, and focus on critical areas of the test. However, some students find it easier to work alone. They may find their studying skills don't match the others around them or possibly a group setting to be too distracting. Think about how you like to study, do you like to ask others questions or their thoughts on a topic? Or do you prefer to read and interpret the material yourself? Find which way which best fits your studying style and stick with it.
There are various methods you can use when studying. For example, when studying for a test you may like to read through your textbook, read through course notes, answer textbook questions, re-do past assignments, review previous tests, research online, or just talk to friends or teachers about it the topic. You can also use memory-improving techniques like mnemonics, visualization, and association to recall everything you need. Trying a combination of these different studying methods (and then tracking your results) will really assist you in doing well.
A method that works efficiently for most people is studying in small pieces instead of large chunks of time when possible. Studying in large chunks of time can be counterproductive as it increases the chance that you will overwhelm your brain with information and start forgetting things. If you study in small pieces of time, you aren't absorbing all of this information at once and it gives you a chance to rest. Take study breaks away from your desk or wherever you are studying. Let the break be a time to think about other things. Use some break time to reflect, not constantly review what you have just studied. Prioritize! Make a list of what you intend to study, prioritize the list and stick to it!
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