The following are some study tips compiled from “The Premier Guide to College Survival” that can help you as you prepare for an exam.
General Tips
- Find out information about the exam before it even starts. What type of test will it be? (multiple choice, essay, etc.) How much of your grade will it be worth? What will be covered?
- When studying, gather all your materials (handouts, notes, books) and organize them by topic.
- Make a study schedule. Remember that several shorter review periods help more than one night-before study session.
- Try different study strategies. Turn textbook headings into questions, and then answer them out loud. Practice defining or explaining things in your own words. Highlight key facts in your notes, using different colors for different types of facts.
- Get a good night's sleep. Students tend to do worse on an exam when they are tired or hungry.
Memory Manager
The following are keys for storing and retrieving your “mental files.”
- Learn information well in the first place. Make sure you really understand the material, and then reinforce it by reviewing your notes or re-skimming the information.
- Give yourself time. Review information the same day you learn it. Spend five or ten minutes making sure that you understand the new concepts. After that, regularly review the information to store it in your long-term memory.
- Review, recite, and repeat. After reading a section of information, quickly summarize what you've read, either in writing or out loud.
For additional resources on study skills and testing please visit The Learning Centers.