Studying For College Exams
Everyone tells you it’s going to be different than studying for high school exams. I’m here to tell you, in my experience, this is one of the truest statements I ever heard. Especially since I transitioned from a small high school to a four-year college. I went into my first year of college thinking that how I studied for exams was already perfect, and I would not have to change a thing. I continued to think this way up until I received my first exam. Did not go super well. In high school, I always made notecards and overstudied for exams. It didn’t matter what the class was, this method always worked. So here are 5 tips on how I adapted to college exams.
1. Notecards are NOT always the answer. Trust me. As a student who made notecards for every single thing, it is only an effective measure if the exam is more of a vocabulary based exam. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t make notecards, but don’t make them if you’re going to spend more time making them than actually reviewing them (guilty of this).
2. Study guides are not typically given to you anymore, SO MAKE YOUR OWN!! This became the #1 best method for me by the end of my undergraduate career. Take your notes, lecture notes, homework, and book notes and combine them all. Whether I wrote it all out on paper or typed it up, this method 100% worked for me. It is important to remember that not every detil belongs on a study guide, just the main points. When I make my study guides I usually try to keep the study guide less than 6 pages long. It mostly depends on the amount of notes though. That’s why I started typing my study guides, print them out, and write any details I thought was important enough.
3. Highlighters and colored pens are great, but overusing them will hurt you more than benefit you. This was a hard pill for me to swallow. I love highlighters and my papermate pens/markers. However, they can take away from your material and be distracting. Try setting up a method to the color madness. A certain color for titles, main points, etc. Just try not to mark everything because not everything is important.
4. Planners will become your best friend. I never really used a planner in high school. I didn’t really need one. When I got to college, I quickly realized I needed a planner just to make sure I kept up with all of my due dates, exams, homework, papers, etc. With a planner, I was able to plan out my day and find time to study. Also, I found time to not focus on school (which is a must!!) **Bullet journals are pretty great too. I had one for a year, and I loved it.
5. Every class is different and requires a different amount of studying. For one class, you may have to study a whole week before the exam just to make sure you understand the material. For another, you might can review your notes one day before the exam and be fine. Find out early on what each class needs from you. Don’t feel bad for not studying more or less than you need.
Classes start soon so good luck you guys!