How to Study For Exams – The Most Effective Way
Finals season is upon us and with limited time to prepare, it’s officially crunch time. It’s no secret that your study techniques can make or break your final result. You can, however, always improve your exam performance by ensuring you use the best study techniques and time management hacks in the weeks leading up to your exams to learn more efficiently and effectively. Use active studying to become fully engaged and focused on the material you’re learning. This can make a massive difference to improve understanding and retention, whereas passive studying (simply reading notes) leaves room for forgetfulness and subsequent error.
We’ve combined the best of active learning techniques with some solid practical advice from recent college graduates who’ve succeeded by putting these tricks into practice. Try these study tips and good luck with your exams!
Plan Your Study Sessions
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” – Benjamin Franklin
To study efficiently, it is important to plan. You should plan how long you will spend on each subject so that you can manage your time. Use a digital planner like My Study Life to block out focused study sessions for each subject and be disciplined by sticking to your timetable.
It’s tempting to spend longer on the subjects you love or find easier but that is not usually the most effective use of time. Don’t “overstudy” certain subjects, especially if you only need to get a certain percentage to pass or get your goal grade in the course. If all subjects are equally important, focus on those you are weakest at.
Sleep is Your Friend
“Your future depends on your dreams, so go to sleep”- Mesut Barazany
It’s tempting to stay up all night studying the night before a major test but don’t do it. You need to sleep to make sure you can effectively fire up all parts of your brain. This is because your brain processes and consolidates everything you learned during the day while you’re asleep (that’s why you sometimes dream about things you saw or read during the day), making it far easier to recall the information later. It’s no surprise then that sleep deprivation can have a huge negative impact on your studies. Typical university students should aim for at least 7.5 hours sleep a night and many even find 9 hours to be ideal. Sleep or study? Both! But don’t sacrifice too much sleep to cram.
Also, be sure to avoid your phone for a few hours before you sleep. You know this. I know this! Do we do it? Not so much…Blue light disrupts sleep. You need good quality sleep to perform at your best. You know what to do…
Coffee or tea are necessary for most students, but switch to herbal teas after 4 pm as caffeine has a seriously bad effect on sleep. As for alcohol; it ruins your sleep quality. Steer clear when studying for exams. Want an extra edge? Try eating focus-boosting brain foods to study like a pro.
Ask for Help
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day…it’s a sign of strength” – Barack Obama
Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher, other students, or parents for help. They can help you study, explain subjects you’re not sure about and or even just support you mentally with a cup of coffee and a hug. You’d be amazed how much people like to help. They may be shy about offering it, but most people love to be asked for assistance. Almost everyone older than you will have faced exams: they know what it’s like. Go on…ask for help.
Past Questions
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing”- Henry Ford
Reviewing old exam questions is an effective strategy to prepare for exams. This method could benefit you in identifying recurring themes or problems so that you can prioritize understanding them fully. This applies whether you’re taking college-level exams or need some last-minute GCSE study tips.
Answering old papers also allows you to put your knowledge and timing skills to the test, which is especially useful for longer essay problems. This will help you gain a sense of your strengths and weaknesses, which will help you focus your studies where you need it most. Use My Study Life to block off extra time to study for those subjects where past papers highlight the need to study more.
Don’t get disheartened if you struggle or make mistakes to begin with. This is why you’re practicing. Practice makes perfect!
Self-Testing
“I want to test myself, if you aren’t testing yourself, you aren’t living” – JJ Ambrose
Test yourself by stretching yourself academically and see how far you can go. When you feel ready, self-test. Self-testing is a powerful study technique that involves recalling everything you learned from your study materials. It’s important that you actually say it out loud or write it down and don’t just recall it in your mind, as speaking or writing will cement the information into your memory.
You can assess your exam readiness in this way by putting yourself to the test. Self-testing, according to research, is more efficient than simply reading the same material again or even taking notes. This technique can improve your memory and make it easier for you to recall assignments.
Keep A Journal
“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say”- Flannery O’Connor
Journals are a wonderful way to express your emotions and thoughts (positive and negative). You can also use a journal or a diary to track your goals and achievements, increasing your focus and celebrating your success. You might think you don’t have time to journal when you’re studying, but it only takes a few minutes a day and it’s really good for your mental health.
Use Flashcards
“Flash, ah-ah, Saviour of the Universe” Lyrics from a Song by Queen
Any strategy that strengthens your long-term memory can improve the effectiveness of your studying. Flash cards have been used for decades to help students and they’re just as effective today as when your parents and grandparents used them. The difference today is that you have fantastic online tools like Quizlet or Chegg to help you. Flashcards are an excellent way to review smaller pieces of knowledge. They’re simple to make (or find) and can be customized to suit your study needs.
Make sure you use them correctly. You shouldn’t fill them up with too much info; they’re best suited to short sharp facts or Q and A. Split up bigger concepts into separate flashcards and this will help improve retention and reduce study time. The less complex, the greater your chance of memorizing the fact.
Test yourself with your flashcards. Get friends and family to help out too. You could even write out facts you don’t always remember on larger sheets of paper and tape them to walls around the house. You’ll soon learn the facts if they’re staring at you every time you go to the kitchen.
Assign yourself flashcard study sessions using the MyStudyLife revision task option. This allows you to set a study due date for your upcoming exam so that you can better stay on track.
Use Highlighters and Color Coding
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way” – Georgia O’Keeffe
Sounds simple? It is, and oh so effective. Highlighters can be used to mark significant phrases or words. Take notes (actually write rather than type, if possible, as using your hands in writing seems more effective for recall than typing on a computer) and then don’t be scared of using some color.
Use red for urgent or bold information or for data you keep forgetting. Green is calming and will help with focus so use it for key terms you need to memorize. Blue is another calming color that’s believed to help with recall so is ideal for examples that you need to remember. Yellow is bright, it leaps from the page and is the perfect color for drawing your attention to key ideas. Try pink for highlighting important dates and names as it will grab your attention.
Teach Others
“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn” – Phil Collins
One of the best high school and college study tips is teaching. Teaching someone else helps you memorize information and also challenges you to think more deeply about the content, which can improve your reasoning and explanation skills. This is sometimes referred to as the “Protégé effect.”
Furthermore, when you prepare to teach someone else, prepare notes at the same time, as these can be very for you. You can teach anyone, try your parents, your friends, or even your dog.
Summarizing
“If you can’t summarize an issue on one page, you don’t understand the issue well enough” – Ronald Regan
Exams are designed to assess your comprehension of a subject, rather than just your capacity to memorize material. Summarizing is a brilliant approach to improve your understanding of the content. This technique forces you to focus on the most important elements, which should also help you memorize the most important data and information.
Take Breaks
“Disconnect to Reconnect”
Taking breaks from long study sessions is important because it can reenergize you, reduce stress levels, and help you return to work with greater focus. Understandably, you might feel guilty taking time out of your study, especially when you have a strict deadline, but mental breaks are key to productivity and preventing procrastination.
Keep in mind that breaks should be frequent and brief. The Pomodoro method, which involves splitting your work time up into 25-minute sessions, and taking breaks between five and ten minutes can help you maintain good flow when studying and is loved by many students. Or, try timing your study sessions with a certain focus-boosting playlist, like MyStudyLife’s electronic study playlist, to stay focused and to time your breaks properly.
Get Outside and Walk
“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking”- Friedrich Nietzsche
Going for a walk helps you to relax and refocus, even a 10-minute stroll around the block has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain which improves cognitive function and focus. Walking also reduces stress and boosts creativity and motivation. It also takes you out of the studying environment which will provide a fresh perspective and stop you from getting bored and stale.
Try Not To Cram (although everyone’s done it…)
“Slow and steady wins the race, not the person who wants to climb the whole stairs in one stride” – Michael Bassey Johnson
Cramming may seem like an effective way to learn information for a test or exam, but it’s one of the most ineffective study tips. The brain will struggle to remember information and it’s not possible to develop a deep understanding.
Plan so you have enough time for each topic. What happens if you’re not quite so perfect and you haven’t planned in time? Cram and learn as much as you can, try not to panic and remember to be more organized next time. Studying is like a marathon, but life doesn’t always go to plan and sometimes you’re going to have to sprint. You’ll get through it but learn and try not to put yourself through that again. Be kind to your future self by working and studying gradually.
Using MyStudyLife’s school calendar planner can help you keep track of upcoming exams and manage your schedule by providing an easy and organized view of your schedule, allowing you to plan your time effectively and stay on top of your deadlines.
Don’t Panic
“Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do”- Benjamin Spock
You’re sitting there working and it just doesn’t make sense. It didn’t make sense when you were taught it either. There will be days when you hit a wall and feel like you can’t get any further with your learning. This is when it is a good time for you to speak to someone who can help or even find a tutorial online.
Exam anxiety is completely normal. Don’t let your nerves get the better of you while studying or during the exam by learning techniques ahead of time that you know can calm you down. Meditation can help a lot with managing stress and anxiety, and it is recommended to start meditating regularly before your exams so that your brain has time to process meditation and you can get the most out of it. Try My Study Life’s sister app My Study Zen; there are some great meditations there to help you with focus and with exam confidence.
