5 Study Tips for Better Exam Results
For many students, exam week is when stress levels hit an all-time high. It seemingly deserves the moniker “hell week” as everyone struggles to study for tests while cramming for paper submissions at the same time. Tired and possibly sleep-deprived, you may feel tempted to get “a little extra help.” Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin are popular among students because they help you to stay focused and alert, but it’s important to know that abusing these ADHD medications can damage your health. Because the effect of the drugs is fairly short, you may find yourself wanting more pills than you originally planned to take and developing addictive behavior. Some may even resort to drinking rubbing alcohol just to feel something.
While there is no easy way to get ace grades without studying, you can study smarter instead of studying harder. Try these tips so that the next time hell week comes around, you can get through it confidently and with less stress.
Schedule Regular Study Time and Make It a Habit
The number one tip to prepping for exams is to start studying before the schedule is even announced. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to review the day’s lessons while they are still fresh in your memory. This exercise will help you better understand the material and correct any misconceptions early.
Student life is a busy one, especially if you have other after-school activities. It’s helpful to keep a daily planner so you can schedule everything you have to do. Block off a segment of time every day to just sit and study. If your schedule is tightly packed, it may be helpful just to review notes during breaks.
Keep Study Sessions Short but Intense
Speaking of breaks, the best way to study is through short but intense bursts. A 2009 UCLA experiment found that students were more likely to retain information from short and frequent study sessions better than spending an entire day studying. Thirty to forty-five minutes of intense study allows students to examine lesson concepts more thoroughly and allows the information to be absorbed by the mind gradually. The smaller blocks of time are also more manageable for staying focused, as prolonged concentration can add to mental fatigue.
Pick the Right Environment
Libraries may be the default environment for study, but you might find that a different sort of setting works better for you. Some people prefer the din of a coffee shop as the hustle and bustle give them a sense of energy. Others find it easier to focus at night when study halls are already closed. You may also want to have several study spot options as being in a new environment can make you feel refreshed mentally.
However, one place that you should probably avoid studying in is your bed. Not only will it be tempting to take, but it can also affect the quality of your sleep because the mind begins to associate the bed with work.
Turn Off Your Phone
Chances are that the notification alerts compel you to immediately check your phone. This is especially distracting when your chat groups light up with some hot gossip. To help you resist the temptation to pick up your device, try using focus and productivity apps that reward you for staying off your phone. If that fails, switch the device off or put it on airplane mode while you focus on studying. Remember, you only have 30 to 45 minutes of intensive study before taking a break, so you won’t actually be offline for very long.
Try Different Learning Strategies
Just re-reading your notes and textbooks isn’t a productive way to study. A 2010 study published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied found that study subjects who answered questions after re-reading passages performed poorly compared to those who either asked questions or answered them. Learning to question that material is a great way to test your comprehension of the subject matter as it encourages you to look at it from different angles.
Another great way to review is to use visual learning aids. You create graphs, charts, and tables or even draw if you have a more creative bent. If making those is too time-intensive, even color-coded flashcards can be helpful. This exercise strengthens your mental image and understanding of the subject matter by applying your comprehension using a different medium.
Most subjects have applicable exercise books to aid learning. This allows you to apply what you learned by answering questions as you would in most exams. If you feel pressured by the time constraints of test-taking, this is also a good way to practice your stress management and improve your test-taking skills.
If you spend a lot of time commuting, you might also try asking for permission to record lessons so you can listen to the audio while in transit. This may be especially helpful if there are extensive discussions to follow that are difficult to transcribe while note-taking.
Studying for your exams shouldn’t equate to cramming everything that night before. In fact, there are many ways for you to integrate study as part of your daily schedule. It may seem like a chore when all you want is to relax after school, but it will pay off in better performance and less stress when exam time comes.
