Midterms are coming up and it’s time to break into those study habits again! Studying can be a tedious task to do but sometimes we just have to do it if we want to succeed in a class. I can’t guarantee these tips will get you an A on your next exam, but hopefully this helps!
1. Review old material and new material
Sometimes, you may think you understand the old material, but then when it comes to the exam, you blank out. It’s important to review the old material and not just focus on the new material, try and look at old notes, practice problems (if applicable) and any quizzes you may have taken. This is a great way to try and get a better understanding of the old material if you are still struggling with it.
2. Prioritize what you need to study
Already know how to use a formula for those specific problems? Great! But don’t spend most of your time working on just those problems, because the odds of the test just being on one specific topic is very slim. If your professor gives you a study guide or even old exams they have given out in the past, use them! Test your knowledge first before you start reviewing material and see what you already know well, and what you don’t that’s what you should be working on to improve!
3. Take a 30 min break
Cramming on the day before an exam is not ideal, the odds of you remembering most of the things you tried to cram is very slim and if you do, teach me your ways. But when it comes to studying you need to take a breather and just relax for a bit to give your brain some resting time before working hard again. Some examples are watching cat videos, playing some mobile games, watching something on Netflix, social media, etc. However, this doesn’t mean you can take a nap, because we all know a taking a 30-minute nap doesn’t mean you’ll wake up in 30 minutes.
4. Pick locations where you study best
This is an important step when in comes to studying. It’s important to pick somewhere that will keep you from getting distracted and will help you be more productive. Places like your bedroom may not necessarily be ideal, because that comfy bed is a distraction. Noisy environments like Parks Library 3rd Floor can get distracting and might be a hard place to work in if you like quiet peaceful places. By knowing what environments and spaces you work best in, as well as times you study best, your productivity will be better than usual.
5. Take advantage of resources
One of the biggest things that you need to remember when studying is all the available resources you have! Study with a group of people who know the material that you may not know and that could help you out. Use the study guides and practice exams your professors hand out because most likely the conceptual concept is pretty much spot on. Go to those SI sessions where it is FREE for you to ask questions and learn more about the material. Another thing is some SI sessions have worksheets that are created by SI leaders that are all free and available for anyone
to use. Did I mention these are all free?
Sometimes we all just need a reminder of how to study and make sure we have time to study so we aren’t cramming. Hopefully some of these tips are way you can improve your own study habits. Good luck on your exams everyone! And remember if all else fails you can always get a tutor because this is my job.
Written by Mary "Vernaciinth" Le
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