Exam Study Tips
I want to start off this article by giving away the best tip to do well in any exam or test, to succeed in any course, and get that A that you so desperately want, and here it is: keep up with your course! It’s that simple. Well, not really. Even though it is the best tip I can give, it is also the most difficult at times. However, nothing beats keeping up with your courses, staying up to date, and constantly reviewing the material even if there is no test coming up. If you are able to do that, then exam studying will seem just like a review and refresher of what you already know. However, I completely understand that sometimes “life happens” and sometimes you fall behind and will need to do a good bit of pure studying for exams. Not to worry, it is perfectly possible to still do well in your course! As a student doing his second degree, and someone who has attended university more than most people ever will, and taken more tests and exams than anyone should ever have too, here are my best study tips!
- Give yourself enough time to learn the material. It is crucial that you recognize how much material you have to learn and how much time you will need to do it. For example, if you have 500 slides to study and you barely know the material, you should know that you will not be able to sufficiently cram that amount of information the day before the test! Also, it is important to know yourself! Just because your friend is waiting till the last couple of days to study for the test does not mean you should. Everyone is different and everyone has their own pace at which they learn and are able to absorb information, thus know who you are and your capabilities! All of this brings me to my second tip…
- Make a schedule. Organize yourself, know what you will be studying, when you will be studying, and for how long you expect it to take you. This way, you are organized, efficient, and reduce the possibility of “surprises” like finding out you just don’t have enough time to get ready for an exam. It took me years before I started employing this tip and it was a great help, so try it out!
- Study with friends or study group. This may not work out for everybody since people are different and some prefer and possibly even do better by learning alone, however, for the rest of us, study groups help a ton! Getting together a group of people who are studying for the same exam can be extremely beneficial. You will have a chance to explain concepts to each other that you were struggling before, be able to quiz each other’s knowledge, keep yourself on track (pick your study partners carefully), motivate each other, and overall make the process of studying much more bearable and enjoyable!
- Eat healthy food. Your body is made out of what you put in it, thus, treat your body well. Do not just be snacking on junk food the entire time you are studying for your test because you will not be able to concentrate and learn the material as well as if when you are eating fruits, vegetables, and the like. Give your body the energy and resources it needs to succeed on your exams. Oh, and make sure to drink plenty of water!
- Be able to explain the material. This is a personal favourite of mine. I learned over the years that the best way to know if you truly grasp and understand the material is when you are able to explain the material to someone else without hiccups or confusion. This tip not only reinforces your knowledge of the material but also benefits the person who was struggling with the concept in the first place (another bonus of forming study groups).
Well, there you go; my top five study tips to do well on any exam (and do not forget the most important one mentioned at the beginning). I wish you happy studying, good luck on your exams, and hope you all do well. After your exams, reward yourself for the hard work you put in!
~Maxim Jitnikovitch
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