I have never been a good test-taker in my opinion.
I have crippling anxiety whenever I'd see the paper placed on my desk. I would be worried about the time limit, trick questions, and, worst of all, the thought that I didn't prepare well enough or my memory would fail me. Up until 8th grade I had the worst study habits. In fact, the problem was the lack of studying, despite the absence of time constraints, aside from being an athlete, at the time. I would get Bs, Cs, and the occasional A but only because I knew the best way I learn. Even then though, it was only a small factor of an equation that I needed to make the grades I desired. Fortunately, after talking to a few friends who made those grades, I discovered that studying is not this bland, prolonging process I thought it would be. In fact, it almost seemed artistic in a way. My friends sparked my curiosity and I researched different tips and methods that people use to study. I put them to practice my first semester of my freshman year in college and received all As and two Bs; humorously one of them was because I overslept through a PE final so I had my grade dropped one letter grade. Keep in mind you will have to earn the grade you want, but these tips and methods will certainly make it a whole lot easier for you to achieve it. Enjoy and watch your grades skyrocket as you apply these tips and make studying easier. Here are six easy ways to improve your study habits and get the grade:
1. Two Is Better Than One
Having multiple study sessions with small time increments, such as 30 minutes, is far more effective than one large, crammed study session. Your brain is better at encoding information in short and repeated sessions as opposed to one large one. Manage your time well and you can avoid a lot of stress and the pesky headaches that accompany it.
2. Study In Your Sleep
Although late-night cramming is not recommended, reviewing right before bed can have a surprisingly large effect. While asleep the brain strengthens new memories. Because of this, there's a good chance you will remember what you reviewed right before bed pretty vividly. Just remember a text book is probably not a good pillow so don't take the "right before bed" too literally.
3. Flashcards
We have been making them since elementary school. And if you have parents like mine, you were advised to make them every time you had a test coming up. Though I may find it tedious, they are extraordinarily helpful. Make flashcards instead of highlighting specific information since it is proven to be selective. Highlighting draws attention away from other details, thus making it difficult to create a collective concept of all you may need to know. Flashcards are more effective since they are known for being a good memory enforcement tool. Plus they are extremely convenient and portable so you can study or review wherever you are.
4. Trade Shoes With Your Teacher
Since the most effective way of learning is through semantic learning, or learning focused on meaning and logic, it should be top priority. Instead of preparing to be tested on the material, prepare as if you were going to have to teach the material to someone. This mindset helps you focus on studying the material through semantic learning. The rule of thumb is: If you can't explain it simply, then you don't know the material well enough.
5. Headphones on, Focus off
Music is awesome. There's a playlist you can make for anything you want to do and sing along to. Studying though is the exception. It is not prime while studying and we certainly do not recommend performing your personal concert in the library.
Although it is almost common knowledge that classical music is good for studying, there are recent studies indicating that no music at all is more helpful. This is because even classical music has a distracting effect that decreases focus during a study session.
7. Tell a Story
