Welcome to the second part of the School Survival series, brought to you by Help Young Minds! Each month, we share a dedicated blog post filled with tips and advice to help you through your academic journey. As we approach midterm season and possibly major deadlines, it is important to ensure you try your best to stay organized and keep up with the content that is presented to you everyday in your different classes.
In the weeks leading up to a major exam that could significantly impact your final grade, it is essential to study, review your notes, meet with classmates for group study sessions, and reach out to your instructor for help when you need it. These steps will set you up for success! In this blog, I will share effective strategies that will help you prepare for your exams, so that you can stay organized during your academic career! These strategies will work for anyone whether you are a high school or university student.
1. Develop Effective Study Habits
Developing strong study habits is key to managing the different tasks and topics that you need to cover before an exam. Effective study habits will ensure that you are prepared for upcoming lessons. Therefore, it is essential to ensure you develop techniques that work for you, allowing you to study efficiently and effectively. Below are some strategies to help you improve and build effective study habits:
a. Be Consistent and Set a Good Study Schedule
Make it a habit to regularly study the material you learned during class to reinforce your learning. By setting aside dedicated study times each day, it will help you develop a consistent routine that becomes second nature. This will help you be prepared for future exams since you will be up to date with the course material!
b. Know the Course Expectations
At the start of a new class, the first step is to go through the syllabus and understand your instructor’s expectations. Take note of major deadlines and exams, so that you can incorporate them into your study schedule. This way, you will be able to plan ahead and give yourself enough time to study and review the material before the exam.
c. Choose a Good Study Location
A good study environment can significantly boost your motivation to study and engage with the material you are learning. When you study in a place that feels comfortable, it allows you to focus better. Personally, I find that switching up my study locations makes me stay refreshed and avoid feeling stuck in the same place. Therefore, I like to alternate between studying at my desk, the kitchen island, or a nearby quiet coffee shop while enjoying a croissant!
d. Network With Your Classmates
If it suits you, study with your classmates and friends! That way, you can help each other out, bounce ideas off each other, and have a support group during stressful exam times!
2. Stay Organized
Staying organized is crucial to ensure you get deadlines, assignments, and class materials done on time. It will help you manage the workload efficiently and avoid last-minute cramming, which can negatively impact your mood and mental health. Below are some strategies to help you stay organized:
a. Track Assignments and Deadlines
You can use online planners, calendars or even a to-do list so that you can systematically tackle each task you have without falling behind or cramming at the last minute.
b. Avoid Procrastination
We have all done it! But let us try to avoid it! You can avoid procrastination by ensuring you physically cross off items from your calendars or to-do list. This simple act gives you a sense of accomplishment to prevent things from piling up.
c. Break Tasks Into Smaller Sections
Break major projects into smaller and manageable sections that you can tackle each day to avoid the stress of cramming everything on the deadline! This approach ensures you have ample time to complete each part of the task. Additionally, it will give you the opportunity to identify and fix any mistakes that you did and still submit the project on time!
3. Prepare for Exams
And last but not least, thorough preparation for your exams is essential for achieving success in your courses! By combining the above strategies, you will be able to study efficiently and effectively, avoiding the stress of cramming the night before the exam. Below are some strategies to help you prepare for exams:
a. Start Early
Never leave all your studying for the day before your exam! Understating and retaining the information takes time, so starting early is key. I recommend reviewing your notes and materials at least three times before the exam. During your first read, go through everything from beginning to end, highlighting any areas you do not understand. During your second read, focus on those highlighted sections and do any further readings or research to clarify your understanding and make connections within the material. And during your third read, review your notes again to ensure you fully retain the concepts. Feel free to repeat this process more or less than three times as you need!
b. Use Active Learning Techniques
Rereading textbooks or quickly going through your notes can become boring and repetitive, making it difficult to retain the information if you are not actively engaged with the material. While reading your notes, you can explore creative ways to interact with the material. For example, in a biology class, creating flashcards for the terminologies can help in memorization. In a mathematics class, focusing on solving lots of practice questions rather than just reading the notes will help reinforce your understanding of how you reached an answer to a particular question. Studying does not have to feel like a chore! Review Past Exams and Do Practice Questions One of the best strategies you can do for exam preparation is to feel the exam conditions by doing lots of practice questions and timing yourself! By timing yourself answering questions, you can assess how much time you spend on each particular question and identify areas of improvement before the exam. As well, the practice will also familiarize you with the types of questions that may actually appear on the exam. Some instructors might release previous exams they used in previous years, so make sure you do them! And remember: always make sure to always put your mental and physical health first!
