Finals week is just around the corner and high school and college students everywhere are scouring the interwebs for study tips. In my opinion, studying techniques are unique to everyone, so my study tips may or may not work for you the way they work for me. Nevertheless, I'm positive this article will benefit you somehow. You'll notice a lot of my tips are based on organization, which is because I believe an organized study space will lead to organized thoughts. So, without further adieu, here are Madeline McKissick's tried and true studying advice and tips!
1. Planner (or should I say, my second brain).
If I don't write something down in my planner, I will literally forget it exists, so I tend to keep it as organized as possible to prevent any confusion. I've been using this adorable 2016-2017 planner from Walmart religiously all semester. It provides a month-at-a-glance view as well as a week-at-a-glance view. On the month-at-a-glance pages, I only write big events, like my dance concerts, exams and due dates for papers. On my week-at-a-glance pages, I write the fine details, like my homework and rehearsals for each day, as well as meetings and the big events from my month-at-a-glance page. I'm also very careful to write down all of my exams and due dates for every single class. I often flip through my planner before class to refresh my memory, and it helps to have that reminder of a paper that's due next week. Then I can write in my planner to get started, get finished or anywhere in between. Some people need a planner that's a little more in-depth than what I use, and others don't need as many reminders. Regardless, planners are an awesome way to not only manage time, but also to stay on top of your assignments. Oh, did I mention I color-code my planner? Let me elaborate on that.
2. Color Coding
I'll admit, I do color code partially for aesthetic reasons, but it has proven very successful in my hectic life to associate aspects of it with a specific color. Take my planner for example. I write down my color key at the beginning of every month because it varies, slightly, from time to time; like when I begin a new rehearsal schedule. At a glance, it helps me to see without thoroughly reading my planner how much homework I have, or how many rehearsals I have each day. Just in case I forget about an exam, I can find a day without a lot of rehearsals so I can focus on studying. I also color code the notebooks, colored pens and highlighters I use for each subject. When I'm studying, it helps me stay focused knowing that although I have a lot going on, I'm only focusing on Intro to Dance (pink) at this particular time. Once I'm in my pink state of mind, there's no getting through to me until I'm prepared for my exam. Also, this might be just me, but when your work is aesthetically appealing, you'll feel more compelled to get the work done.
3. Time Management
I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you that time management is a biggie. Luckily, I learned how to manage my time my freshman year of high school. (Story Time) For four years, I would have school, then musical rehearsal, then either go home for dinner, or eat a packed dinner at dance, where I would take or teach class, sometimes until 10:00 p.m. By the way, I would have homework and tests to study for in between all of that. This may sound overwhelming, but it actually prepared me for college. I'm still squeezing in homework between classes and rehearsals, but when I do find the time to study, I make the most of what little time I have. Even the smallest crevice of time can be an impromptu study session.
4. Note Cards
Note cards are nifty little things with many uses. I'm currently working on two research papers, thank goodness I had to write one every year of high school because it was great practice. I like to use note cards to write down quotations that I find in my sources. When I'm typing my research paper, I find that it's a lot easier to pull out a note card when I need a quotation instead of searching through a book or journal. Another way I use note cards is for making flashcards. I just had an Intro to Dance exam on various dance genres ranging from court ballet to musical theater. To study, I made flashcards based on my notes (because I take way too many) and the study guide that my professor uploaded. Making flashcards was a great way to organize all the information, and differentiate between different techniques and dancers. The beauty of flashcards is you're studying when you make them and while you use them. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
5. Study Guides
Whether they're provided by a kind-hearted professor, or you have the willpower to make them yourself, a study guide will be your Bible to any exam. I define a study guide as everything and anything that could be on the test all in one place. As I mentioned before, my Intro to Dance professor uploads a study guide prior to every exam. I pull it up on my laptop and write out answers to every question in my notebook. From there, I have all the material to put on my flashcards. It's a lot of writing, but I tend to remember material better when I write it down instead of just reading over it a few times.
Even though everyone studies differently, trying out a few of these tips would surely benefit anyone's study habits. I hope this article was helpful to you, dear reader! Happy studying, and good luck on all your finals!
