How to study for an exam when you really don’t know how to start
Clean your room/space, tidy your desk, make your space feel neat and focused. The space we are in means a lot, don’t confine yourself to a messy space.
Make sure you also feel ready. Freshly showered, has a good meal, did some movement-based activity. You can’t focus as easily if you feel all messy and uncomfy.
Put your work in order, what is most important? If you’re taking an exam over a specific topic i.e Biology, look for the most mentioned topics. Those will be what you study most. When I took AP Psych, I found the outline online that said what percentage of the test would be what topic, and studied those flashcards, notes, and videos.
Likewise, figure out how much you need to do every day to get done in time. If you have 20 chapters left in a book and each one is 15 pages then take 300 pages divided by how many days left (say 40) leaving 7.5 pages a day minimum.
Block out time to study. Make sure you have no distractions, phone on silent, friends know you’re unavailable. This is its own test, a test of focus!
Go to review days if you have them Your instructor should explain what’s on the exam and what is expected of you, and if you miss out on important details you’ll really notice later. It may seem like skipping gives you more time to study, but you’ll be at a disadvantage in the end.
If you feel yourself getting distracted, reading the passage with no recollection of the content, or about to slam your head into the table, take a break. Go for a short walk, get a snack, stretch, get a glass of water, have a little dance party. Breaks count as being productive, self-care is important.
Feel free to switch up your studying methods. Taking notes every day or reading chapter after chapter of a subject gets boring. Do flashcards, Draw or make a diagram. Studying the brain? Draw and label it. Use funky pens sticky notes. Varying your methods of study will not only help you grasp the material better, but it’ll keep you from getting bored.
Find a friend or join a study group. There are a lot at different universities or even just create your own with like-minded folks. You can even do one online like I do. There are many discords for this. I’m in one and it’s great to hold each other accountable and share goals.
You can also switch up your space. Everyone has a different type of place they work best. Maybe a library, cafe, park, bedroom, couch, restaurant. Don’t stay couped up.
Use apps like Tide, Forest, Flora, Quizlet and more. I seriously use these every day. Tide is my favorite, it incorporates white noise and nature sounds with a Pomodoro timer, as well as three settings for Focus, Relax, and Sleep.
Make studying aesthetically pleasing. Studyblrs are on to something here! You don’t need to have expensive things or show them off but have pens you like, fun highlighter and sticky notes. Pick out playlists of music that makes you feel focused.
Affirm and trust yourself! When you get that flashcard right? Heck yeah! You did it holy crap! Celebrate! Be proud of yourself. You worked hard, you deserve to feel good. Your best is good enough, and your best may vary day-to-day.
