Exam week can surely be, hands down, the most stressful week of your year. However, if you use my advice, we may be able to make your week a little less stressful and a little more easy! I will cover some helpful study tips for preparing for your exams (including how to overcome procrastination) and some tips to keep in mind for the day of your exam. So let’s begin!
Study Tips
1. Highlight
If your teacher gives you a study guide with definitions or people you must memorize, I strongly recommend highlighting key words. This technique helps you to focus on the main aspects that are important to remember.
2. Catchy Phrases
If you get stuck on a word/definition/person that you just can’t remember, try to come up with a creative way to remember it. For example, to remember the converging chart for physics, I remembered the following sentence: King(kilo) Henry(hecto) Died(deca) By(base unit) Drinking(deci) Chocolate(centi) Milk(mili).
3. Make Flashcards
Sometimes writing flashcards can seem like too much of a hassle, but if you manage your time, they can be very helpful! I usually write all of my flashcards the weekend before exams. (I do mine with a question on the front and the answer on the back.)
Sometimes when you have a lot of flashcards, things can get overwhelming when you’re trying to study. Take them a section at a time, only doing about 10–20. As you quiz yourself, put the ones you get correct off to the side in a separate pile and the ones you get wrong in the back of the small stack in your hand. Do this process until all of the cards from that small section are in the correct pile. Then, pick up another small stack of ten or more and continue the process until you are through with all of your flashcards for that subject. Then, go through the entire stack one more time, and once you have all of those flashcards in the correct pile, you should feel extremely prepared — that is, if your flashcards have been done correctly and on the right material.
4. Watch a Video
Sometimes you may learn better by watching a video or hearing someone talk about it. This simply means that you are a visual/auditory learner. This technique may help you, but you don’t know until you try! For example, John Green has some awesome AP US History Crash Course videos on YouTube that I watch in order to help me prepare for my AP exams.
Avoiding Procrastination
1. Take Breaks
Studying can get tiring and can affect us physically and emotionally. After a while your brain gets to a point where it doesn’t even retain information any longer, so give it a break! Take a 15–30 minute break (eat, watch TV, etc.) once you’ve completed a subject or have reached a halfway point. This also helps avoid procrastination. When you’re sitting there staring at your book about to quit studying, push yourself, knowing that there’s a break right ahead where you can do whatever you want once you finish what you need to get done.
2. Power Off Electronics
Not only power them off, but put them on the other side of the room where you would have to physically get up to get them. Electronics are only a temptation to procrastinate! I know you want to check and see what Germ Magazine has been posting and who’s been texting you, but it can all wait till your breaks!
3. Motivate Yourself!
Just think, the quicker you get it done, the quicker you can do what you actually want to be doing! Just get it done and over with. I promise you aren’t missing that much on social media, and it’ll still be there when you’re done.
4. Prioritize
Studying for your exams is pretty important, and I can’t think of much else — besides maybe eating — that would be more important during exam week. Make a list of things you need/want to do, important at the top and unimportant at the bottom. Once you’ve completed your important tasks (…studying!) you can move on to your unimportant tasks (taking a nap, checking Twitter, watching PLL, etc.).
TEST DAY… AHHHH
1. Wake Up Early
No one wants to wake up late on test day; that simply adds more stress to your day. Get some coffee or an energy drink or whatever you need in order to get up early enough so you have time to review a little before your exam.
2. Eat Breakfast
If you’re hungry, your brain will focus on that instead of your exam. Even if you’re not hungry, you still need to eat. It will help give your body the energy it needs to think and get through your exams.
3. Try Your Best
If you’ve studied hard and feel as though there’s nothing more you could’ve done, then just know that you’ve tried your best. It’s okay (and normal) to not know a few questions, but just make the best educated guess you can. Look for key words, and if it’s a multiple choice math problem… try plugging in the answer choices. (You’re Welcome)
Well that’s about it! Get a good nights sleep the night before and don’t give up. I know you have it in you! Good Luck!