From time to time, we all have to study for a long period of time. It could be for school exams or work tests. Either way, it can be really stressful and overwhelming. But there are ways that you can make your study sessions more effective.
You have finally decided to go back to school. Yay! But now, you are faced with the challenge of how to study more effectively when your life is already so busy. You work full-time, have a family, and you don’t know if you can handle the stress of it all.
Well, it is going to take some effort on your part. However, it is not impossible. So, let’s talk about how to study for exams more effectively. These tips will not only help you study, but they will also help you understand and remember the material better.
In this article, I will be giving you 10 tips on how to study more effectively for your exams.
Table of contents
- 1) Always study in a quiet place with no distractions
- 2) Give yourself breaks every hour or so
- 3) Use flashcards
- 4) Try using different learning techniques such as visual and audio
- 5) Make sure you are well rested before studying
- 6) Take good notes during class/lectures
- 7) Don’t study too late at night
- 8) Eat well before studying
- 9) Don’t cram everything into one session
- 10) Reward yourself once you have finished studying for the day/week
1) Always study in a quiet place with no distractions
Always study in a quiet place with no distractions. You will get distracted easily if you study while watching TV or listening to music. You should always try to study in the same place that you do your homework. Studying in the same place will help you associate that place with studying and make it easier for you to focus when you are there.
- Find a comfortable place where you can sit down, relax, and concentrate on what you’re learning. If you have a desk, use it! If you don’t have a desk, find a place that is comfortable for you and free from distraction (like the kitchen table).
- Create a quiet environment for yourself. Shut off your phone, television, and music. If possible, find a room with a door so that others cannot disturb you while you study.
Many students try to study in a place where there is background noise or activity. This can include places like coffee shops, libraries and other busy areas.
The problem with this is that it can be really difficult to concentrate when you’re surrounded by lots of sound and movement. This means that your brain has to work much harder to take in information and remember it later on.
It’s much easier if you find a quiet space where you can focus entirely on your studies.
2) Give yourself breaks every hour or so
When you’re studying, it is good to take short breaks every hour. These breaks give you a chance to relax and let your brain process the information that you just studied. During these breaks, try moving around and doing something different. This can help keep your mind focused.
If you’re taking a break from studying and doing something active, try jogging in place or jumping rope for a few minutes. If you prefer to sit down, stretch while seated or do some basic yoga poses, such as the cat-cow or child’s pose. You could also try walking around the room or going outside for a little bit.
If you take longer breaks of 20-30 minutes between studying, do something completely different from what you were doing before. For example, if you were reading for an hour, walk around outside for a half hour instead of sitting down and watching television.
If you are having trouble staying alert while studying, stand up or walk around for a few minutes instead of sitting still. This will help keep your mind awake and refreshed!
3) Use flashcards
If you are preparing for a test, make flashcards to help you learn the material. It will help you memorize the material and be able to remember it during the test. You can use these flashcards for any subject or class, including Biology, Maths, Chemistry, History and many more!
This method of studying is very common among college students. You may have already heard about it or even tried it yourself. The purpose of making flash cards is to help you memorize all kinds of different things, like facts and formulas. However, there are other benefits as well:
You can use them in many ways that will benefit your study habits as well as your exam results. You may already know that they’re great tools for memorizing information quickly and easily; but did you know they could also help improve your memory?
Flashcards can be used as an easy way to refresh your memory on subjects that you haven’t looked at in a while. They’re also useful when reviewing past exams because they allow you to quickly recall everything without having to go through every single question again. This saves valuable time during exam season when there are so many other things going on in life besides studying!
4) Try using different learning techniques such as visual and audio
The best way to prepare for any exam is to try using different learning techniques such as visual and audio. This will allow you to prepare for the exam in ways that are more familiar with your learning style, and also allow you to practice different study techniques.
You can also prepare for your exams by taking practice exams and then reviewing them after you have completed the exam. This is a great way to see how well you do on the exam, and also see if there are any questions or areas of the test that you need to improve on.
The last thing that you can do is to make sure that you get plenty of rest before the exam. This will ensure that you are not tired during the exam, and it will also help you remember what was on the test.
Most students tend to cram for their exams, but this does not always work out well for them. If you have time during your day, it would be a good idea to take a break from school and go do something fun with your friends or family such as go swimming or hiking, then come back home and relax and then spend some time doing homework before going back to school.
5) Make sure you are well rested before studying
The human mind is not designed to remember things for long periods of time. It can only handle so much information at a time. You want to make sure that you are in the tip-top shape, mentally and physically, when it comes time to study. Make sure you get enough sleep and take care of your body so that you can be at your best.
When it is time to study, do not try to cram all the information in at once. Study for short periods of time throughout the day rather than trying to cram everything into one session. This will allow your brain to process the information better and make it easier for you to remember what you have learned.
You should also avoid using any kind of stimulant, such as coffee or energy drinks, when studying for exams. The stimulants may give you a temporary boost of energy, but could actually cause you more harm than good. They have been known to increase anxiety and nervousness, which will not help while taking an exam.
You should also stay away from anything that might distract you while studying for exams. This includes television, music and other forms of entertainment.
6) Take good notes during class/lectures
Taking good notes during class/lectures can help you keep track of what is said, especially in subjects that require memorization. Taking notes will also help you stay focused on the lecture and not drift off into other thoughts or activities.
- Taking notes does take some practice, though. Here are a few tips for taking good notes:
- Take notes on both sides of the page and leave the margins clear for later additions.
- Use your own system of abbreviations and symbols. Symbols may be helpful if you are taking notes on a laptop computer, which often has an autocorrect feature that may change your intended spelling of a word or phrase.
- Leave spaces between different ideas. This is important when it comes to studying your notes later on. You can write down keywords in the left-hand margin and fill in the blanks with detailed information as soon as possible after class/lecture.
Be sure you understand what your teacher is saying before writing anything down. It’s not necessary to write down everything your teacher says word-for-word. Instead, fill in any gaps later by adding additional words or details from the textbook.
7) Don’t study too late at night
You want to study for your exams, but you end up procrastinating and putting it off until the last minute. You try studying at night, but it is not working;instead, you fall asleep halfway through.
The solution to this problem is simple:
- Don’t study too late at night! It is better to study earlier in the day when you are more alert.
- When studying for your exams, it is best to study in the morning, afternoons, or early evenings. If you are a student that takes classes during those times, then you should schedule time after class to study for upcoming exams.
- Studying late at night can be counterproductive because your body will be ready for bed instead of being focused on preparing for tests!
By changing your schedule around so that you are studying during appropriate times of day (i.e., when your body isn’t already exhausted), you’ll find yourself getting better grades on tests than if you were trying to cram everything into one long session right before bedtime.
8) Eat well before studying
For students, the days leading up to exams can be stressful. Not only must they complete assignments and study for finals, but they also have to worry about what they’re going to eat.
To help students make healthy food choices during this busy time of year, the Canadian government created Canada’s Food Guide.
Christine Taylor, a registered dietitian in Vancouver, says Canada’s Food Guide is a great resource for young people and is based on current nutrition research. “The recommendations are rooted in science, and several studies have been done to support the information provided,” she says.
According to Taylor, there are many reasons why it’s important for students to eat healthy foods before exams. “Eating well provides your brain with enough energy and nutrients to function properly so that you can perform at your best while studying and writing exams,” she says.
She adds that when students don’t eat healthy foods before exams it can lead to irritability and poor concentration.
9) Don’t cram everything into one session
When it comes to studying for a test, there are two basic methods: cramming and spacing.
Both of these methods have their pros and cons. If you cram, yes, you’re going to get all the information in but it’s also going to be harder to remember. If you space out your studying more gradually, then it’ll be easier to recall the information.
It’s up to you which method you choose to do but I personally recommend spacing out your studying over several days/weeks so that it is more manageable and not as stressful.
If you find that you just can’t study for longer periods of time then I would suggest breaking up your study sessions into smaller chunks throughout the day.
For example, if you are taking an exam in two weeks then start studying now! Don’t cram everything into one session, spread out your studying over several days/weeks so that it is more manageable for Your Exams.
10) Reward yourself once you have finished studying for the day/week
Make sure you have a reward once you’ve finished studying for the day or week. That way, you have something to work toward and it’ll make it easier to do your work. Make sure your rewards are suitable. Some examples are:
- Watching a movie or television show
- Going out with friends
- Having a snack or meal
- Playing a game (video game, board game, etc.)
It doesn’t matter if you don’t get through everything – it’s much better to do that in short bursts than to try and cram in the whole course over one night!
Conclusion
It takes a lot of work to make it through today’s educational system. But by using these 10 tips, you will dramatically increase your chances of an excellent final grade. We believe that studying should be as efficient as possible, without taking too much of your time and energy. Remember, this is what you are working towards, which is an interesting conversation with the professor after class, or even getting a job in your field of study one day.
