10 Suggestions For Productive Exam Preparation
It can be tempting to simply go through your exam material when you study for exams because of how much stuff there is to cover. But don’t worry; we’re here to assist.
We’ve included 10 suggestions in this blog post to help you prepare more productively and do better on tests.
1. Create A Study Schedule
Make a study plan before you begin your studies. Set aside some time to consider when you should study to be well-prepared for your various tests.
Before you write your examinations, review all of your modules, the exam dates, and the amount of material you need to learn. Put them on a calendar so that you can see exactly what needs to be studied and when.
Making all of this preparation in advance should assist reduce stress during the exam period and guarantee that you have the necessary preparation for the exam.
2. Take Breaks From Studying
When it comes to studying, the biggest temptation we all face is to cram the night before an exam, which is not a good idea.
Cramming the night before an exam will just make you more stressed out and may even affect how well you do on test day.
Make sure to set aside time for various subjects in your study schedule in the weeks leading up to the test. To ensure that all you need to do the day before the exam is review your notes and refresh your memory, make sure that you continuously studied in the weeks before the test.
3. Use Active Learning Strategies When Studying
Reading is a fantastic method to begin studying, or “pre-study,” but if you want to succeed, you must actively engage with the content.
Active learning is when you interact with the stuff you are learning by generating meaning from your lectures, notes, and textbooks using examples and other study techniques.
Making a topic-specific study guide, making your quiz, speaking concepts aloud in your terms, or drawing concept maps or diagrams are some instances of active learning.
Different active learning techniques will work well for certain subjects. For instance, understanding huge ideas and being able to explain them will be necessary for a psychology exam, so speaking out loud and using your own words should be helpful.
Being experientially involved in the learning process is the key to active learning; if all you are doing is rereading your notes and textbooks, you are not engaging in active learning.
4. Test Your Knowledge As You Study
Testing yourself while you study is a great technique to improve your study skills. Covering definitions in your notebook and then remembering what each phrase means is an illustration of this. Additionally, after studying, you can test your knowledge of the content by making your questions based on it.
Retrieval practice, a technique whereby you purposefully recollect information—forcing yourself to bring your knowledge out and assess what you know—is what this kind of testing oneself entails.
Studying with retrieval practice is successful because it improves and accelerates learning by bringing material to the forefront of your mind.
When you test yourself, make sure the test is difficult because if it’s too simple, you won’t learn enough.
5. Use Interleaving Techniques When Studying For Tests
Interleaving, which is the practice of testing yourself on various concepts while you learn, is a smart study strategy.
For instance, you would combine all the definitions from all the themes and arrange them together if you were learning words from diverse categories like food, animals, and clothing. Instead of learning the definitions from each topic separately and switching between them, do the opposite.
You can improve your memory retention by interleaving information, and this is typically how examinations are designed. It is better to study and practice a subject this way since you are less focused because you are anticipating what will come next.
It will be easier to understand how concepts differ from one another, develop trends, and fit together if you interleave and mix them.
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6. Produce Your Own Study Guides
Making your study resources, such as notes, recordings, sample tests, and visual aids, can ease the burden of the studying process. This is why it’s crucial to double-check your notes for accuracy and completeness and to have all other necessary supplies on hand, such as your books, pens, and paper.
The next step in reducing your notes is to underline essential phrases and organise your material using visual aids (mind maps, charts, and outlines). You’ll find it simpler to recall the job if you do this. Utilising sophisticated organisers, mnemonic devices, and quizzes may also be very beneficial for you.
7. Utilise Technology When Studying
Students now have it simpler to study for exams because of the growth of mobile learning technology. You may access much more with these mobile learning solutions than only printed versions of exam papers and the recommended textbooks. To make learning easier and save time, you can now use a variety of programmes and apps.
For instance, YouTube might be a particularly useful resource if you learn best visually because it selects instructional videos that are available on several platforms.
Another choice is to use online resources like Matric Live, which have been carefully created learning aids like brief video courses, supplemental practice tasks, games, and flashcards to help you master any subject.
Even note-taking apps exist to help you organise your notes more effectively and make it simpler for you to access them later. Exam preparation applications are even available that replicate the exam-taking process. Utilise the numerous alternatives that technology offers to aid in your academic pursuits.
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8. Set Clear Objectives For Each Study Session
Setting study-related goals decrease your procrastination and avoidance of subjects or topics that you might find difficult, which keeps you accountable for completing your academic milestones.
Following the S.M.A.R.T. method, which involves defining goals that are precise, quantifiable, attainable, realistic, and timely, is one way to achieve this. To follow the S.M.A.R.T method, be as specific as you can by accomplishing the following:
Specific: List your objectives in detail (e.g., “study for an hour on Mondays”).
Measurable: Determine your success by giving yourself goals and due dates.
Attainable: Give yourself the resources and direction you’ll need to achieve your objectives.
Relevant: Set realistic objectives that you can realistically achieve.
Timely: Set deadlines for your objectives to spur action and inspire you to squeeze in more study time.
Remember that you can tailor your objectives for each study session, which will make the process of achieving them easier.
9. Use The Facilities On Campus
There are academic resource centres available to students at the majority of tertiary institutions. These facilities are available to help with any academic pressure and exam and test preparation.
Attend any workshops on time management and efficient study techniques to ensure you make the most of this opportunity. Additionally, you can use the writing centres at your university to enhance your reading and writing skills and speak with your tutors about ways to raise your grade point average.
You can always speak with your professors and lecturers directly, but to avoid an unforeseen visit, set an appointment with them first. Asking a student who has taken and passed the course you’re having trouble with to tutor you is an alternative if none of these options feels comfortable to you.
10. Maintain A Healthy Diet As You Study For Tests
Eating well when you study for examinations has a significant impact on your brain activity and your capacity for concentration. For this reason, it’s crucial to eat foods that will boost your energy and alertness. Eating the correct foods will increase your memory capacity and enhance your general health.
Brain-boosting foods include dark chocolate, spinach, salmon, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, and green tea. Alternatives for unhealthy snacks include almonds, yoghurt, dried fruit, and oatmeal.
These foods have been shown to boost energy levels, memory retention, and mental sharpness.
It’s advisable to stay away from sugary foods because the transient energy boost is followed by a blood sugar drop that makes you tired and tempts you to stop working earlier than you intended.
Dehydration can also make you feel tired, so have a bottle of water close by at all times when you’re studying.
Happy Learning!
By modifying their current study habits, anyone can use the advice we’ve provided to overcome a lack of preparation. Simply follow these suggestions the next time you feel overburdened or want to study for a test, and you’ll do great. Good fortune!
You can still be experiencing financial stress related to your studies while you’re studying.