The time to start preparing is now. Here are some tips:
- Have a positive attitude. Positivity leads to success.
- Begin early and space out your studying.
- If you start 10 days before and study ½ hour a day that is 5 hours of preparations
- Create summaries of your study sessions
- Develop a realistic study schedule
- Determine available study time, blocks of time for specific tasks including sleep, meals, and (some) down time.
- Have specific goals for each study session. Keeps you focused.
- Organize your study materials before you start the session. Helps with distractions.
- Pay attention to concepts the instructor focused upon in class or in homework, quizzes, problem sets, and other assignments.
- Focus on main principles, themes, and concepts first, then look for evidence (details, examples) supporting and explaining them.
- Stand up and stretch every 15 minutes. It gives your brain time to absorb the material you have just studied.
- Consider where your weaknesses are. Which problems or concepts you commonly struggle with, etc.
- Review course materials
- Redo quizzes, problems, etc.
- Predict exam topic questions and outline your answers in preparation.
- Explain concepts to someone else.
- Create your own study materials.
- Mnemonic devices, etc.
- Reading summaries that capture main points of texts and relate them to course themes.
- Tables of key ideas, concepts, or principles rewritten in your own words.
- A course blueprint that organizes main themes and concepts of the course.
- Problem packets in which you collate similar problems from the course and their solutions to study with.
- Use Technology. Quizlet, Youtube, publisher’s practice questions, Khan Academy, etc.
- Take advantage of Campus Resources. Tutors, Writing Center, Professors, CAP Specialists.
- Find a study buddy.
- Eat Healthy. Not too much and not too little.
- Rest. Consistent rest helps the brain to preform .