The exam is an acid test in which you must prove that you have mastered the subject. Do you have the habit of studying? Do you know how to prepare for the exam depending on the type of test: multiple-choice, oral, questions, and developments? Follow our techniques and tips, and you’ll be successful in your exams and to Prepare for an Exam.
Effective study tips for college students
Start studying early
The first thing to keep in mind when preparing for the exam is that you need to start early. Attending class, getting recommended books and supplementary materials from the beginning, taking notes and working through them when you get home, completing assignments given by the teacher.
All of this will help you keep up with the subject, and when the exam date arrives, you won’t have to “drop out” of your studies in the days leading up to the exam. If this does happen, you can ask to write my essays online to take time only to prepare for the exam.
A place to study
To make it easier for you to study, it’s a good idea to have a suitable space. You should have a permanent place to study – it may be your bedroom, another room in your house or the library, but preferably it should always be the same place – where you have all the materials you need at hand (books, notes, notebooks, markers…), which is well lit and comfortable and quiet, without noise or other distractions such as TV, computer or cell phone.
If you have any of these devices in your office, keep them turned off while you study, as well as your cell phone: checking social media or listening to WhatsApp messages and chatting with a friend can take up a lot of your study time.
Order of study
It is good to make a study schedule for yourself (every day at the same time, x hours a day, x days a week), as this will help you concentrate and develop a habit of studying. The schedule should be realistic so that you can stick to it: it is not the same if you have to prepare for one subject as if you have to study seven or eight at the same time; it is not as important if you are preparing for a thesis or a competitive exam, or if you have to combine study with work.
To choose your study schedule, consider your biorhythms. If you like morning hours, get up early and use the early hours of the day to study; if you don’t like to get up early and are more active in the late afternoon, you can study until late afternoon. Either way, stick to at least eight hours of sleep a night.
Take breaks
In addition to your study time, you should plan to take small breaks from time to time to rest. This is time to stretch your legs, go get a coffee, or, now, pick up your cell phone and respond to your pending WhatsApp. Of course, just as you set time for class, you should set time for breaks; 5 to 10 minutes will suffice. (Zolpidem)
If the complexity of the exam you’re studying for means you spend many hours a day working your elbows off, set aside at least one day a week for total rest, and a couple of times a week include an activity or exercise routine to “clear your head.”
There are times when you realize that studying is no longer paying off: if, after hours spent between books, you find yourself reviewing a topic but can’t grasp what you’re studying, no matter how many times you reread it over and over, then it’s time to take a break.
Exam Preparation Techniques
To pass an exam, you need a desire. No one said studying was easy, you have to be motivated, know your goal: to pass your diploma, to get a spot in the competition…, and you have to have a method. There are different methods of learning; today we present you with one of them: the method that includes pre-reading – reading – synthesis – memorization – reviewing – self-assessment. Here are its phases:
Pre-reading
Research the topic before studying it. Read quickly, don’t stop, or don’t go back. The goal is to familiarize yourself with the topic you are about to study and try to uncover the structure of the topic and identify the main ideas.
Reading
The reading should be done slowly, in a reflective way. The goal is to understand what is written to select what is fundamental (the most important ideas of the text and their logical connection) and to prioritize since not all ideas are equally important. This requires underlining, highlighting keywords, adding notes in the margins, and highlighting ideas in different colors and symbols.
Synthesizing
Beginning with the previous underlining, it’s time to develop a synthesis of the topic, converting what you’ve read into learned knowledge and summarizing it in your own words. You can make diagrams, concept maps, timelines, summaries… But in any case, they must meet these characteristics: be concise, be visual, be accurate, and be complete.
Memorizing
This is the stage in which you try to fix the content in your head so that it sticks in your memory. You have to make sense of the material you are learning (understand it) to better remember it. How do you do this? Draw your notes, highlighting information, relating concepts, repeating and revising until you can explain the topic in your own words.
Review
Reviewing serves to reinforce in your memory all that you have learned. It involves retelling the topic you learned in your own words (to show that you understood it), using the notes you have prepared, and checking to see if you have forgotten anything important.
You should schedule several reviews: first, 24 hours after you review the topic; intermediate, three days after the first review; weekly, until you have learned the topic; and monthly, when you have learned it well. Add a final review of the entire subject before the exam date.
Self-Assessment
This step will allow you to objectively check your level of knowledge by taking tests and practice exams. This way you can check if you have gaps, where you failed, what you need to review, etc. This is a way to revisit what you have learned and consolidate your knowledge.
Do you use any of these methods in your studying routine? Tell us about your most effective way to prepare for the exam!
