So recently two of my besties have gotten stressed out about midterms and since they’re both serial procrastinators, their stress levels have reached heights that as their friend, got me really worried for their mental health. Thus, I wanted to help them out with some advice, and it also might help you, my lovely followers (1000! Wow!) I know I’m not perfect, because no one is, and I don’t follow a very strict, regulated study regimen. I also am writing this from the perspective of someone who’s taken a lot of college level science classes, so I’m sorry if this doesn’t help for high schoolers or any other subjects. But hopefully this might help you!
1. Studying for a test begins by reviewing your notes after class.
The first mistake many students make is taking notes in class, but never actually looking over them until the day before the test. My chemistry professor used to harp on us all the time for never reading our notes and then asking questions about things in the notes, so for me it first evolved as a defense mechanism, and then a studying habit. Always reread your notes, or even rewrite them like I do well before the test. You can make them pretty if you’d like, but that isn’t a requirement. Rewriting and rereading well ahead of time forces you to review the material well before the test, making your brain automatically absorb the material so that it’s familiar to you in the homework, later class periods, and then eventually on the test. Feeling comfortable with the subject is incredibly important, because if you feel overwhelmed right before the test and start cramming, the information will not stay in your head and you won’t do as well as you’d like.
2. Studying for a test begins by consistently doing the homework ahead of time, and doing it multiple times.
In high school homework is usually useless busy work, but in college, it is essential. My chemistry professor had us rework her homework three times: once for understanding, twice for accuracy, and thrice for speed. This is true of most other math and science subjects, because then you are able to build muscle memory and an eye for key terms you would miss if you didn’t do the homework. After doing the homework, you’ve seen everything; professors normally aren’t out to get you, so the test problems tend to be similar, but not exactly like the homework questions. Doing the homework again confirms you are comfortable with the material ahead of time and able to do it an appropriate speed. Try not to repeat doing the homework more than once a day; I like to space it out so that you do it once well before the test, right when the material’s fresh, twice about a week before to review, and thrice about one or two days before the test for speed.
3. Studying for a test should be a gradual process that eventually intensifies as you go.
While doing the homework and going over your notes is a good start, you really have to kick it into gear about a week before a big midterm. The soonest I’d recommend without significant amounts of stress is five days, because anything less will not give you a chance to be comfortable with the material unless you’re convinced it’s an easy subject. If you have multiple tests in one week, I don’t recommend focusing your attention on one and then winging the other one. As someone who has tried that multiple times, that doesn’t work too well. Studying for both, switching between one and the other when you tire of a subject, allows you to turn on a new light in your head. It (this isn’t scientific, but) activates different parts of your memory, and if you’re learning two intertwined topics (psychology and biology, for example) it will help you make lots of connections that will help your overall understanding of the material. The more times you cover material, the less likely you’ll forget it.
I don’t give myself time limits (i.e., study for this for this many hours) because I study until I know the material. This is why I start ahead of time. You want to be able to pull your knowledge out of nowhere and be prepared for everything the professor might throw at you.
The day before the test should be devoted mostly to studying, interrupted by short breaks, and the night before should be devoted to self-care. It isn’t healthy to study the night before and get no sleep, because the material just won’t stay in your brain, and knowledge is actually more solidified when you get more REM sleep. Sleep a decent nine hours. Eat a good dinner and a good breakfast the following day. Pet your cat. Take a hot shower or bath, whatever your preference is. Do what makes you feel relaxed, and rest. You don’t want to be nervous before the test.
4. Studying for a test should be in a controlled environment.
When you’re just getting trivial work done, you can and should study with friends. Friends and study groups may help you review notes and check homework, solidifying material early on. However, friends are a distraction when you have to kick your studying into high gear. When I go to the library, I go by myself, so I won’t be tempted to talk to my friends if they’re sitting near me. Don’t cut your friends out of your life before tests—that’s really unhealthy—but allot a certain time to hang out and get outside (I usually meet up over lunch or dinner). It doesn’t matter where you study, but you need to be able to get work done there. I prefer the library because it’s a relatively controlled environment, but if you work better in a café or your dorm—I have a friend who likes the ambience of fast food restaurants to get his work done—then go for it.
Personally, I don’t eat while I study, because I’ll always end up eating first. I like having healthy finger food, like fruit or vegetables to snack on, if I’m feeling hungry. I usually end up drinking water or tea as well. Coffee isn’t for me, frankly—I like the taste, but it makes my heart jump too much, and you want something that will keep you calm.
Make sure to study in an area with good light, and fresh air is always nice if you can study outside. Studying in a dark area can make you feel unmotivated and gloomy, particularly when it rains. DO NOT STUDY IN BED. YOU WILL FALL ASLEEP.
5. Other random tips
It helps to make lists ahead of time of what you need to study and focus on. Scheduling may help if you’re the sort of person who sticks to them, but making a checklist for ideas you struggle on ahead of time will help with both time management and just feeling less overwhelmed. It’s always good to have a visual confirmation that you’ve finished something. Hunting around on studyblrs will get you lots of printables that may help you; I personally use @emmastudies to do lists and revision packs because I like the format.
Keep all your notes, homework, and old tests if you have access to them, because mistakes you made on a previous test may come back to haunt you on an upcoming one. It’s particularly important to keep everything for the final.
If you’re taking a math or science course, practice on the same calculator you’ll use on the test when you do the homework. It’ll make test day go a lot smoother, especially when you’re not hunting for buttons.
I hope this helps you guys and good luck on your future exams! ❤️
