7 Things to Help You Study for Your College Exams
Do you feel like you are stuck in a rut of just constantly getting bad grades on your exams? Do you feel like you can’t remember anything you study? Well, you are not alone. You probably haven’t tried the 7 tips below. These tips will ensure that you will get a good grade on your next college exam! Not every technique works for every student, so try several of them to see which works best for you. Also, remember to not stress out because that doesn’t help you in any way.
1. Create a study schedule
Do you have a busy schedule and don’t know how to study? If you struggle with studying regularly, a study schedule could be the answer to your problem. If you consistently study something, your mind will be able to remember it so much better. Your concentration, mental stamina, and actual ability to study will drastically improve with a study schedule. Educators advise to study at least two hours a week. Consistently study at the same time every week. A study schedule is beneficial because you can see if you are spending unnecessary time on things you shouldn’t be. Maybe you spend too much time gaming and could be more productive during the usual time you spend gaming! You don’t have to completely cut out these things but choose to spend your time more wisely.
2. Study early for short periods
It is a horrible idea to study just the day before all day. I am a huge offender of this. I would get bad grades all the time when I only studied the day before. There was no way that my memory could take in all that information in such a short time. When I found out that studying much earlier and for short periods would help me, I tried it on my next college exam and I did extremely better. You should start studying right when you learn the material for a little. This means you won’t have to cram. Also, this technique is a lot less stressful. Another option is to study the 5 days before everyday for 1 hour each. You may find that you need more time or less time (it just depends on the person).
3. Get rid of distractions around you
When you are studying (especially for a class you don’t enjoy), don’t have your phone next to you or the TV on. You will definitely struggle concentrating and won’t be able to fully dive into the material. Studying will also take much longer. If you pick up your phone, you may pull up TikTok for 1 minute but then that 1 minute turns into 15 minutes then 1 hour. If you study on your computer, turn off your Wifi, so you don’t search random things up. Long story short, keep technology away from you. Another distraction is hunger. Eat before you study, so you have the fuel to study as well as you won’t be thinking about food.
4. Rewrite the material
When you are learning a ton of new material, it can be hard to pay attention. In order to help you remember all this new information for you college exam, you should rewrite the material whether it is from a lecture or from the textbook you are reading from. Write down things you find may be very important. For example, when you read, you should stop periodically and think about what you just read. Then, turn it into your own words. Finally, jot down bullet points. Rewriting material reinforces the information in your brain. Also, the organization helps you study. When you are in a lecture, it keeps you engaged and you won’t zone out for an hour and a half.
5. Make a quizlet or flashcards
Flashcards are easy to make and a great study tool. They are much better than just reading through notes. Flashcards are great because not only are you writing (or typing) the information, you will rehearse the information and engage in active recall. Active recall is where someone works at learning by stimulating memory and creating lasting connections. If you don’t want to waste paper or money, make a quizlet. Also, you will never lose that study set, so you can always go back to it. You don’t have to worry about where you put all of your paper flashcards.
6. Teach the materials to others
If you need a check on how much information you know, teach the material to someone else. Then, you can see if you can explain it or not. Act like the person knows absolutely nothing. Usually, I would do this after you studied quite a bit. Studies have found that people who do this have a better understanding and retain the information more than students who spent the exact same time restudying. This is why teachers have no problem recalling information long ago because they constantly teach all the stuff that they have learned over and over.
7. Get at least 8 hours of sleep
Studying doesn’t mean anything if you are not taking good care of yourself. You can’t expect to do well on a college exam if you are pulling all nighters or partying the whole weekend before your exam. You need to get a good night’s sleep especially the night before the exam. Although you would think cramming instead of sleeping would help you on the exam, it actually does the opposite. If you actually did the opposite, you would do better on the test. Even when you are in class and are running under 8 hours of sleep, it is hard to pay attention. When you are trying to study, it is distracting to be tired because you will just keep thinking about how tired you are. Your mine won’t be able to process clearly. So get your 8 hours of sleep if you want to do well on your next college exam!
