While all students have a various array of study habits and routines that they use to be successful, I have found throughout my first semester the study days that work the best for me. In high school, I studied about an hour the night before the test and came out confident and usually with an A. Once I got to college, I knew that I would have to put a lot more effort into my studies if I wanted to keep up the A's that my parents expected and that I wanted.
When studying for my first Biology test, I stayed up all night the night before going over processes and equations of Photosynthesis. I created a large quizlet and went over the flashcards over and over, but I still did not seem to know the information like I knew I needed to in order to pass. I finally went to sleep so I would not die the next day. I did not have class until 12:30 the day of the test, so I went to the library pretty early and began studying again. This time around, I took the time to go over each topic and watch videos and explain it to myself in my head. I am sure I looked like a crazy person with my hand motions and mouth moving while sitting in the corner bench alone, but it worked. I came out of the test confident and received an A.
I realized how much I liked this study process, so I continued to study during the day harder than I studied at night. At night, I am too tired to put in extreme amounts of effort that I need, so I can never obtain and fully understand the information. When cramming at night, I can memorize the information, but there is a chance of me forgetting the information come test time. If I study the entire day before and night and then the day of, I can teach myself the information and be able to apply it to the test.
My new routine still does not start in extreme advance just because I cannot make myself put in immense amounts of effort when I know a test is a week away. I usually make a quizlet a few days before and fill it out. Then I begin to read through until I know most of the simple things. I have to add slides here and there to make sure I have every piece of the chapters I need. After that, I star the ones I am iffy on and research them more. I usually watch crash course videos or use History.com, depending on the subject I have a test in.
My favorite part of studying is the day of the test. I go to the library, listen to my favorite music, and find my corner in the library. I study for about an hour and a half and then take a break by getting a bagel sandwich from Einstein Bros with a coffee.
While this process may not work for everyone, it is something to try if you are struggling with your study habits. Keep working hard and testing things out until you are successful!
