Ace that test with these steps..

by: Cheska Alcantara BSPT-1

Exams are near! We have to say sayonara to our gala’s and gadgets and say hello to our textbooks, notebooks and etc. But, do you have the will to carry on?

Worry no more! You just have to follow these study tips to ace your exams!

Study Tip#1: Plan out your exam schedule.

List out all your exams in all of your classes for the current month. This will help you gain a better perspective on when to start studying and what days might be a problem (e.g. if you have 2 major subjects’ exam on the same day)

Study Tip#2. Knowing your limits.

You have to make an honest and accurate evaluation of what you know and what you do not know. Knowing your limits also looks at the scope and limitations of your resources (textbooks or notebooks), so that you can work with what you have at the current and look for ways to cope with other necessities.

Study Tip#3. Modifying your approach.

It begins with the recognition that your strategy is not appropriate the task and/or that you do not comprehend the learning experience successfully. Recognizing, for example, that you do not understand what you are reading, you should learn to modify your strategy in comprehending your textbooks or notes. You might want to read and reread a page in five-minute intervals instead of trying to finish the material in one seating. Or you may want to make a summary or code for yourself instead of using keywords or highlighting sections of what you are reading.

Study Tip#4. Get focused on studying with time tracking apps.

Use Forest to help with concentration

Forest is an app that helps students stay away from their phones and focus on their work.

Here’s how it works: when you want to concentrate, you can plant a seed in Forest. Over the next half hour, this small seed will grow into a large tree; however, if you can’t resist the temptation to watch a YouTube video or play a game on your phone, your lovely little tree will wither away.

Every day you will tend to a forest filled with trees (hopefully not too many withered branches). Each tree represents 30 minutes that you have been focused on homework and not playing on your phone. It’s a novel way to help kids beat phone addiction, often a real problem for those with ADHD.

Use Self Control to prevent distractions

Self Control is a desktop app that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, email, and anything else on the Internet. All you need to do is set a period of time for which to block, add the sites to your blacklist, and click “start.” This app doesn’t mess around. By blacklisting sites students know will distract them from their school work, they can get those mundane assignments done by working diligently until the time expires. Even if they restart their computer or delete the application, they are still unable to access the blacklisted sites

Study Tip#5. Skimming.

This is basically browsing over your textbooks or notes and keeping an eye on keywords, phrases, or sentences. It is also about knowing where to search for such key terms. For example, you might want to look at the Introduction first or the Abstract. The Table of Contents can also provide you with a quick guide to the contents of the book. Introductory paragraphs, headings or subheadings, and conclusions can also provide you with an overview of the whole material. This technique works best when you want to get an idea about the contents of a reading material.

Study Tip#6. Don’t just read, watch, or type instead, write it out.

Writing out notes, study guides, essays, practice problems, etc., by hand helps with memory and learning because it is more encouraging to interact and interpret your notes more than typing, watching or reading does.

Study Tips#7. Use abbreviations.

Abbreviations and acronyms are shorter and easier to use and memorize.

Study Tip#8. Rehearsing.

This is not just about repeatedly talking, writing, and, or doing what you have learned, but also trying to make a personal interpretation or summary of the learning experience. One of the fun ways to do this is by imagining yourself being interviewed about your task. As you try to convey what you have learned from the resources, you can also insert opinions or other personal take on the matter. Just be sure that the key concepts are well understood and are still in-line with the source material even with multiple rehearsals.

Study Tip#9. Move around.

Research suggests studying the same stuff in a different place every day makes us less likely to forget that information.  Every time we move around (from the library to the coffee shop or the coffee shop to the toilet seat), we force the brain to form new associations with the same material so it becomes a stronger memory.

Study Tip#10. Test yourself.

As the name implies, this is trying to test your comprehension of your learning experience or the skills you have acquired during learning. While some materials already come with the tests, you can still create tests for yourself. You can make essay questions or definition of terms while you are reading or watching a material. You can challenge yourself in completing a task successfully, maybe in a given period of time-for example doing 50 free throws with at least 90% success rate. Testing yourself does bot only focus on what you  have learned but also on how you learned it. After the experience, you should also ask questions like, “What strategies did I use?”, “How successful were my learning strategies?”, “ How can I further improve my learning skills?”.

 

Study Tip#11. Use classmates for accountability

Many who struggle with motivation have found that having an “appointment” to study with their peers via Skype or Facetime can provide much-needed accountability. Whether students study with one another online or in person, having a scheduled time to connect with someone else provides accountability they don’t get from studying alone.

Study Tip 12: Drink up.

Sorry, not that kind of drink. Instead, hit the local coffee shop for something caffeine-filled; there’s lots of research suggesting coffee (and tea) keeps us alert, especially when nothing seems more exciting than the shiny gum wrapper on the library floor.

Study Tip# 13. Gimme a break.

The KitKat guys said it, and so does science: Taking regular breaks can boost productivity and improve our ability to focus on a single task.  For a real productivity boost, step away from the screen and break a sweat during a midday gym sesh.

Study Tip#14. Doze off.

When there’s a textbook full of equations to memorize, it can be tempting to stay up all night committing them to memory (or trying to). But all-nighters rarely lead to an automatic. In fact, they’ve been linked to impaired cognitive performance and greater sensitivity to stress.  In the days leading up to a big exam, aim to get those seven to nine hours a night so sleep deprivation doesn’t undo all the hard work you’ve put in.

Study Tip#15. Learn what works.

Some people are early birds, some are night owls; some prefer to study with a pal, others need complete and total silence. Experiment to find what’s most effective for you, and then stick with it!