You have put in a lot of effort to get into your dream university and now, you are having a hard time meeting unrealistic deadlines for assignments. Presentations, quizzes, mid-term exams, class participation, group projects, and final exams might take a toll on your mental and physical health.
But, what you need to keep in mind is that you must overcome all the above-mentioned challenges to pass your final exams. Your study routine can either improve your grades or cause you to perform in a disgracefully bad way. Poor study methods during exam season can lead to anxiety, sleepless nights, and not to mention poor health.
Whether you are enrolled in a psychology course or accounting course, if you use certain techniques to study and approach exams calmly and confidently, you will end up achieving your academic goals. Here are some top-notch study habits that you could adopt to ace your exams like never before.
Enhance Your Focus
Whether you are studying in class or in your study room, you must resist the temptation to look at irrelevant stuff on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Keep in mind that your social media notifications can wait but your exams won’t wait for you. Your favorite bloggers’ makeup tutorials will still be there when you are free. Your family and friends will understand that your exams are around the corner that’s why you have your books open in front of you.
Just make sure that you don’t let anything interfere with your studying. Even if you are attending a lecture, you need to make sure that you listen to the professor carefully. Also, try your best to get through your academic tasks when you are in your own study space. You cannot afford to get distracted in any way.
Take Notes and Do Revise Them
It may be obvious, but relying completely on the reading material provided by the professor is not enough. Taking hand-written notes is the best way to understand the lecture better. If you don’t want to take handwritten notes, then you can leverage note-taking apps using high-speed cable internet. To create great notes via an app, visit now.
Even if you have the habit of taking notes in your class, how often do you manage to go through them? In case you don’t review them, you should consider taking the time to keep up with the readings. Make sure you review your notes every once in a while. When you do so, studying can relatively become a stress-free process.
Rather than cramming a few days before the exam approach, adopt a good study approach to reviewing your class notes on a regular basis. Consider adding summaries, charts, keywords, idea maps, and discussion points where applicable. It is beyond impossible to make neat and clean notes so what you can do instead is organize your notes after class. Spending 30-60 minutes on reviewing your notes is better than pulling an all-nighter.
Keep Your Study Space Clean
Do you know that studying in a messy or chaotic space can affect your productivity in a negative way? You need to understand that the messier your desk is, the more difficult it will be for you to find your study material.
So, it is important to take time to remove the clutter on your desk. If you have too many handouts, books, and notes, try placing them in an organized manner. When every reading material is right there when you need it, your productivity is likely to improve in no time.
Eat Healthy Breakfast
When you starve, you are less likely to concentrate on studying. Eating a healthy breakfast is, without a doubt, the right way to start your day. If you don’t know what kind of breakfast you need to have in the morning, then here are some ideas for you!
- Try eating something that contains protein and some carbs. This is how you can get long-lasting energy to keep going all day. Porridge, oats, yogurt and an omelet with bread would be good choices.
- If your final exam is in the evening, make sure you munch on something healthy at lunchtime too. Mixed nuts or salad can keep your energy level high throughout the day.
- If you feel you might get hungry during exam time, make sure to have a little snack beforehand. For example, you could munch on some nuts before you take the exam.
Join a Study Group
A majority of people complain that study groups are nothing but noisy and distracting and they end up doing nothing ever. But less do people realize that study groups can be quite beneficial if you focus. When you join a group of hardworking and determined students, you are likely to grasp information faster.
When you team up with someone who’s in your class or preparing for the same exam, you and your peers will be able to solve complex problems together. And you’ll be able to remember everything you learned with them because teamwork helps with effective learning. When you are a part of a study group, you could also come up with unique and memorable ways to remember a variety of concepts or ideas.
If you are too shy to ask questions in class, then study groups will certainly make it easier to discuss certain topics and get all your queries satisfied. Even you can take each other’s quizzes as you study, and make an effort to explain things to each other if there is something you don’t understand. However, it is never a good idea to choose a friend who will goof around instead of help you study!
In case, you are unable to find anyone from your class to team up with, you can reach out to a family member or other friend to quiz you. This way, you will be able to complete your preparation before exams arrive.