1. Keep up with your work. If you go to class regularly, keep up with readings, and keep in mind diligently, studying can be a fairly pain-free procedure. Ensure to evaluate and broaden upon class notes routinely throughout the semester. Consider developing a glossary or collection of note cards for vocabulary evaluation in each class. Lots of trainees discover that preparing for a private class for 60-90 minutes each day, five or 6 days weekly, will leave them well-prepared at test time. To help students with organization at finals time, we have assembled a number of time management tools that are included with this page.
2. Don't cram at the last 2nd. Structure off our previous entry, try studying for 60-90 minutes per day for a week leading up to a test. All-nighters merely don't work for the majority of people, and trainees experience decreasing returns on their efforts when they attempt to study for 4 and 5 hours straight.
3. Total a mock test. Many social science, life sciences, and foreign language text books contain numerous concerns at the end of chapters that never get the answer. Why not set aside an hour, and attempt to answer these concerns on paper without using your notes? If you complete a mock test 3-4 days prior to an exam, you'll then understand where to focus your studying. You may also fight pre-test jitters by demonstrating to yourself what you understand. For the humanities, attempt responding to a number of prospective essay questions on a timed, closed book basis and see how you do. Another basic way to perform a mock test is to ask a buddy or schoolmate to provide you an oral test based on principles in the textbook or in either of your notes.
4. Do not multi-task while studying. Reserve time to study beforehand and then follow through. For most individuals, that means leaving your dormitory and shutting off visual/auditory distractions, including iPods, Facebook, and music with lyrics.
5. If you have impressive questions, go see your teacher or tutor a minimum of three days prior to the exam. If you've offered yourself a mock test in advance, you'll be able to go to workplace hours with an agenda.
6. Think about what written questions might be on the exam; Outline each potential essay as a form of pretesting and practice.
7. Find a group of dedicated students with whom to study. A group study session is an ideal time to review and compare notes, ask each other questions, explain ideas to one another, discuss the upcoming exam and difficult concepts, and, when appropriate, delegate study tasks. Do set an agenda and a specific time frame for your group study session, so that your work together doesn't veer off-topic.
8. Keep your ears open in class. Your professor will sometimes come right out and tell you about the exam or present study strategies. You need to be in class every day to receive such help. This is particularly true as tests and final exams approach. Use review sheets thoroughly.
9. Review your class notes every day. Add keywords, summaries, idea maps, graphs, charts, discussion points, and questions where applicable. Take the time to organize lecture notes after class, adding key examples from labs and course readings.
10. Take notes on the course readings. You should also review these notes on a regular basis. Again, create visual enhancements when possible (e.g., compare/contrast charts, timelines, etc.). Use both your course notebook and the text's margins to record valuable information. Please see our entries on reading for further information on this topic.
11. Make sure to get plenty of sleep. Sleeping hours are often the time when we completely synthesize information, especially topics we've covered in the couple of hours before bedtime. You want to be as fresh as possible and able to fully engage your working memory when you take the exam. Also, don't stop exercising or taking time for yourself, even at final exam time.
12. Find ways to apply materials from class. Think about how course topics relate to your personal interests, societal problems and controversies, issues raised in other classes, or different experiences in your life.
1. Develop a good 'morning-of' routine. Eat a healthy breakfast. If music gets you going, go ahead and play something upbeat. Get a bit of exercise, even if it's a brief stretch or brisk walk. If you're feeling nervous, record your fears on paper or use mental imagery to envision doing something that you enjoy and then apply those feelings towards the exam. Think about preparing like an athlete before a contest or a musician before a performance.
2. When you first receive the exam, glance over the entire test before you start. Create a plan of attack. Write down any key terms or formulas that you'll need before starting. Think about how you'll use the time allotted.
3. Read the directions carefully. If something doesn't make sense to you, ask the professor. Keep in mind that many questions at the college level have multiple queries or prompts.
4. Draw up a brief outline before beginning essay questions.
5. Use the process of elimination on multiple-choice and matching questions. Also, for multiple choice questions, you may wish to cover the options first and try to answer the question on your own. That way, you'll find the answer options less confusing. As you prepare for multiple choice exams, make sure to be familiar with context, relationships and positionality among concepts, and multiple definitions of terms. A deep understanding of vocabulary is a key to success on multiple-choice exams.
6. Leave the most time-consuming problems for the end, especially those with low point values.
7. Focus on the question at hand. If you complete the test one step at a time, you are much less likely to find it to be overwhelming.
8. If you are stuck on a question, bypass it. Mark the question off, so you can return to it at the end of the exam.
9. Show as much work as possible. This is particularly important for math exams. Make sure that you're answering each part of the question.
10. If you have time at the end of the exam, go back and proofread your work and look over multiple-choice questions again. Check to see that you have answered every question before you turn in the exam. But remember, your first answer is usually your best answer. Be extremely cautious about changing answers later on.
11. Some people benefit from conducting a memory dump when they first receive a test. That is, they take down a get more info comprehensive list of concepts, formulas, vocabulary, and details at the beginning and revisit these ideas as they're progressing through the test.
12. See if there is a way to draw a picture or otherwise create a visual description of the question you are trying to answer.
13. Strive to include course terms and concepts in written responses (correctly, of course).
1. If there was a part of the exam on which you struggled, go see your professor. This is likely not the last time you'll see the concept covered.
2. Hold onto your notebooks. You never know when the information you've learned will work in another situation. The same rule goes for a number of your books.
3. Take a moment to review your test preparation strategies. Take account of what worked and what needs improvement. In particular, take a moment to gauge whether your study group was helpful. If you feel like your test-preparation techniques need work, go see your professor or the Academic Advising Office. 4. Reward yourself. If you've studied conscientiously for a week or more, you should take a little time to unwind before getting going with your studies again.