Rockville High School Senior Diary: Ways to Study

For many students, a new semester is just beginning. New classes with new material to learn. While some classes may be a breeze, others are much harder. And when it comes to exam time, we really feel the pain when we sit in our study caves for weeks, cramming for an exam we know we probably won’t pass anyway.

Over the years, I have found some study tips and tricks that have personally helped me, and other that I just found that I want to try out to make this semester my best one yet.

Start Studying From Day One.

You want to be revising throughout the semester because it will help you retain a lot of information. When it does come time to revise for your exams, it doesn’t feel like you’ve forgotten everything and everything you’re looking at in your notes seems like new material.

One way to do this is to make a weekly summary of what you learned. Buy a journal or put it in the backs section of a notebook, but make sure it is somewhere that you can look back on during your studying and revisions during the week. It is important to include vocabulary; especially ones that you did not know before. Include things you struggled with, and important notes to remember or things that will most likely be on a test or exam.

Forgetting information happens in the first 24 hours of learning, so write down anything you know you will most likely forget so when the time comes, you can look back and recall all of the information.

Make The Information Meaningful

Based on your learning type, there are different ways to make studying and learning fun. If you are a creative and visual learner, Mind Maps are a fun way to simplify, as well as helping you to get a better understanding of the material. For the auditory learner, gets group study session going. You can relay the information to your group and try to teach them what you learned. If they think that they learned something, then you’re on the right track. For the hands on learner, building a model or going out on an adventure to actually be a part of what you are learning are some ways to help make the information more real and meaningful to your life. If it includes an excursion to a new place, then you can say that you learned something, while also crossing it off of your bucket list.

Meet With Your Teachers.

I know that meeting with your teachers isn’t cool. It is a pain in the butt to stay after when you could be at home eating and watching Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. But this is probably the most effective way to get all of the information you need because they are the ones who make the exam. Go through the information with them and make sure that you didn’t miss anything while you were taking notes. They can clarify any questions you have, but the most important thing to remember is to come prepared. Not just with a pencil, but a list of questions to ask them so they are not starting the lesson cold again with no knowledge of what you already know.

Use Study Breaks.

It is important to remember that study breaks are energy boosters - not a time to catch up on your shows, exercise, go shopping, or do all of those other time-consuming activities you would probably much rather be doing than studying. Your study sessions should be about 25- 30 minutes with a 5-10 minute break in between. You could make a cup of tea, stretch your legs or make a snack. If you are one of those people that still use email, you can check your email or your text messages if you had the willpower to put your phone away while studying. Ideally, just get up and away from your desk. Do things that don’t take a lot of time. I also find it helpful to set reminders to let me know when I can take a break, but also to let me know when I have to get back to studying. And you can’t hit snooze on this alarm.

Just Chill.

Study breaks are nice, but those are only short periods of time to recharge your brain. It is important to take some time for yourself. Exams and tests are really stressful, but do not put excessive amounts of pressure on yourself. You don’t need to shut yourself in a study cave in the weeks leading up to your exam. They are just ways for your teachers to see what you know.

Even though the pressure of exams may be over, that does not mean that your studying should stop. Always refresh what you know, and review what you don’t. Make it fun and something you look forward to doing.

Photo Credit: Emily Harrison