Study For Exams

The day of the exam arrives. Hopefully, you have revised and prepared well. But are there exam tips and strategies that you can use even in the exam room to improve your grades? The good news is ‘yes!’ 1. Manage your mindset It is natural to feel anxious about exams but with good strategies, you can actually enjoy them! If you do feel anxious, then direct that nervous energy into positive channels. Remember that some stress has a beneficial effect. It can help you to stay alert, focused on the exam and energised. Don’t give your mind the time to drift into anxious thoughts. If it does, then gently guide it back to a concrete task, such as planning your time, jotting down useful facts and figures to use in later questions , proof-reading your work, thinking about ways to gain extra marks and remembering these exam tips! 2. Get to know your exam paper Don’t race to start writing before you have checked through the paper. Read the instructions and all questions slowly...

1. Knuckle down your weak points Due to studying at the 11 th  hour, you will not have enough time to go through all of your study material. It is better to identify topics you struggle with and focus on them so that you are better prepared to take your exams. 2. Last minute revision notes Since you have managed to single out your weak points, start preparing last minute review notes that focus on key study points that you struggle with. Prepare flashcards and review them once at night before bed and once in the morning before the exam. If you’re pursuing a correspondence course, you could always ask your family members or friends to help you revise formulas or theorems via flash card quizzes! Yes, it is as fun as it sounds. 3. Previous year test papers Get hold of previous year’s test papers and go through them. Try solving a few old exam papers, use the stopwatch and observe how long it takes you to answer the question. By practising in the exact sam...

Morning of your Midterm Breakfast is key. Brain-boosting meals will give you energy and you won’t be distracted during your test by a growling stomach. Be careful not to eat a heavy meal. It could make you groggy and zap your focus. Get comfy. Wear loose clothing, use the bathroom before the test starts, and bring a bottle of water, if allowed. That way you’ll be able to keep your distractions to a minimum once the midterm test begins. Last minute review. We don’t recommend cramming before a test , but it it's a smart idea to look over your study packet or notes in the hour or so before the midterm actually starts. A quick scan of dates or definitions will ensure that the material is still fresh in your mind as you head into your exam. Once the Midterm Exam Begins Slow down. Take your time reading over the directions and make sure you are clear on what you’re being asked to do. For example, you don’t want to lose points for defining a biology term inste...

Don’t stress! If you’re anything like me, you probably like to get all the revision  out of the way in one week, or if you’re also like me, you’re just a master procrastinator. Whatever the reason, it’s time to settle in with some coffee and 2-minute noodles. Here are some tips to ace your exam with some last-minute study. #1 Rhyme Time If you struggle with soaking up boring information straight from the textbook, another way to memorise is to make a song or rhyme out of it. You don’t have to be an accomplished poet, and it doesn’t have to be perfect , just easy and short enough for you to remember. If you need some inspo here is an example of a guy that went viral making a rap out of his biology notes. I promise you’ll be singing this all day! #2 Set A Priorities List So, it’s the week leading up to exams and there is so much study to do that you don’t even know where to start. It might sound really simple, but making a list of what y...

1. Same old, same old… The tips and techniques that have served you well up until this moment, especially the good study habits that you have built up, should not be discarded. For example, you still need to take regular breaks, and you still need to vary what you are doing, to keep your mind interested. This is, perhaps, even more important today than other days: falling asleep over your books is not going to improve your peace of mind. You also need to eat healthily, and not rely on caffeine to keep you going. 2. Get up early and get going It does not matter if you are not a morning person: getting going gives you more revision time. On the last day before your exam, every second doesn’t really count. But by the end of the day, you are likely to feel as if it does, so you may as well start early and make the best of it. You should aim to be working productively no later than the time that your exam will start the next day, so that you know you can do it. 3. Ask th...

1. Create your own study guide. While many teachers provide a study guide , creating your own can help you understand the material better. Outlining the important information you need to learn can be helpful, both in creation and to refer to during your studies. 2. Ask questions. Your professors and TA’s are there to help! Ask them questions regarding the material and the exam so that you’re prepared when exam time arrives. 3. Attend the review session. Review sessions offer vital information on exam format, what will be on the exam and key concepts you should be focusing your studies on. 4. Start early. If you always start ahead of schedule, you’ll never be cramming the night before an exam. You’ll almost always perform better in doing so! 5. Organize a group study session. It can be helpful to study in groups – sometimes. Evaluate whether or not studying with others will be beneficial to the subject as well at your learning process. 6. Study things not on the s...

1.  Study for the style of exam. If it’s multiple choice, you’ll need to know definitions and concepts. For essay exams, focus on your understanding of all the concepts presented, with examples in mind. 2.  Quiz yourself. If you think about and create actual exam questions , you will likely become more familiar with what you need to study and, in the meantime, familiarize yourself with the type of language that will be on the exam. Draft potential exam questions and quiz yourself so that you can set expectations of what you need to focus on. 3.  Meet with your professor or TA. Often times, meeting with an instructor, whether it’s a professor or a TA, can give you helpful hints for what to study and ways to prepare for the exam. 4.  Reorganize your notes. Evaluate and reorganize your notes into what’s important, outlining important concepts, formulas dates and definitions so they’re easy to understand. 5.  Pace yourself. Make sure you stay fo...

1.Master mnemonic devices.   These are memory tools that help you recall things such as names, dates, and facts through turning that information into a memorable rhyme, word, or sentence. For instance, you can remember the names of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior) by remembering the word HOMES. The first letter of the name of each lake is used to create that new word. Another example of a common mnemonic is the name “Roy G. Biv,” which correlates with the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Be creative. Use the first letter of a group of words you’re trying to remember and make a silly sentence or phrase with words that start with the same letters. 2.Create rhymes for what you are trying to remember.   Rhymes are a type of mnemonic device that use audio (sound) information to help remember things. In other words, the rhymes are easily linked together for us by their sound. Think about this class...

1.Read your materials out loud.   Using multiple senses can help you retain more information, so even just saying the words out loud and then hearing them can be helpful. Don’t worry about looking foolish reading your biology notes to your dog. You’ll be happy if it helps you ace your next exam . If you’re in the library or somewhere else you can’t speak aloud, try mouthing the information. 2.Discuss what you are learning or teach someone else.   Similar to reading your notes out loud, talking about what you are learning can also help you retain the information better. You can either study with a friend and quiz each other, or you can try to teach the material to a parent or younger sibling. Using your brain to figure out a way to teach the material to someone else causes you to think about the material more in-depth and analytically. You will be able to figure out which materials you need to further study if you have a difficult time teaching the concept to so...

1.Approach studying in a positive manner.   If you crack open the books while in a bad mood about having to study, you won’t have an effective study session. However, if you are motivated about what you are about to learn, you will have an easier time learning it and remembering it come test time. Don’t tell yourself, “I’m never going to learn this.” Be patient with yourself as you try to master new material. 2.Create and stick to a good study schedule.   Take the time to think about when you are most alert and able to concentrate. For some, this may be immediately after school. Others may be more productive if they take a break after school and relax a bit before opening the books. Regardless of when you choose to study, you will retain more information if you study a bit each day (for 30 to 60 minutes at a time) rather than cramming at the last minute. Remember to incorporate breaks into your study schedule. Breaks give your brain a chance to absorb wha...