Hey Guys, Welcome back!
With less than a month of school left, summer is peering around the corner, and although those sun-soaked beaches and ice cold popsicles are almost in reach, the dread of finals needs to be acknowledged before even discussing summer plans. Finals can be a stressful time for everyone, especially with the fear of juggling every bit of information you’ve learned in the last 11 months (give or take), and attempting to retain every math equation to every vocabulary word. In dodging any study methods that threaten the enjoyability of the last few weeks of school, students turn to the predetermined notion that studying immense amounts of information in a short time period is the best way to ace your final. With so much material to cover and so many classes to stress about, it’s understandable to become overwhelmed when approaching studying habits, and immediately relying on the well sought out “cram sessions,” but this now transparent facade is undeniably a ‘broken system.’
After 2 years of miserable attempts not living up to their triumphant reputation, I realized staying up for hours on ends just to get an average score on my test wasn’t seeming worth it anymore. I needed to try out versions that were mentally adequate, especially in terms of my health, as well as successful, so I decided to, as many say, “study smarter not harder.” I strongly recommend you ditch the last minute cramming, and save your brain the aches and pains by following these simple and manageable studying tips I apply as finals come into view.
Tip 1: Leave a solid amount of time to study
Setting up a well thought out schedule helps you manage your time in a productive way without overwhelming your brain. As long as you stay organized and keep aware of the time remaining until your test, you will be able to get down all the information in a way that will relieve stress and reduce chances of staying up painfully late. A tip I like to use to my advantage is the reminder app on my phone that can alert me as well as provide the topic I should be studying that particular day.
Tip 2: Study Guide
Compiling a document that has all the information you will need is a tip that has yet to fail me my past 3 years of high school. Instead of wasting precious time scouring through your notebook, you’ll have 11 months of information sitting right in front of your nose with easy access. Having an outlet that summarizes the content, and focusses in on the main attributes of your test, will be less overwhelming and seem abundantly more manageable.
Tip 3: Write it Down
While you are reviewing your well thought out study guide, it helps to write down, say out loud, or highlight key information as it strategically engrains the facts in your brain and makes memorizing the material somewhat easier. The most important sections will seem to stick out when re-reading the study guide for the hundredth time.
Tip 4: Study Groups
Studying with friends opens the door to tips and tricks you couldn’t necessarily access alone. Not only can they help test you, but also bring new facts to the table or discuss ways to perceive information in a way that you might not have been exposed to without them. For example, I enjoy creating mnemonic devices, a technique designed to aid the memory through word sequences that replicate a somewhat acrostic composition such as PEMDAS (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally). Overall, being with your friends will lower your stress levels, and make for a process that’s slightly more fun (emphasis on slightly).
Tip 5: Pace yourself
Before you rush off to your next section of studying, it’s important to give yourself a break in order to rest your brain and allow it time to process what you’ve learned prior. It’s also more enjoyable to set up a reward system, making the studying less tedious and draining. You can reward yourself with food, breaks, phone time, or whatever you see fit each time you successfully have memorized a section.
Tip 8: Good Rest & Good Breakfast
Getting a good amount of rest is pertinent the night before the exam. I know you will probably think the best way to increase your chances of success would be to stay up and study through un-godly hours of the night, but it actually stresses and overwhelms your brain, making it harder to absorb information. Eating a hearty, healthy breakfast is also a key attribute in this process as its not only the most important meal of the day, but will give you the energy you need to take the test and pass with flying colors!
Simply Kiele 