Let’s get down to business…to defeat…the test!
Okay, Disney musical references aside, preparing well for your exams is a crucial part of your success.
Knowing both what to study and how to study can make all the difference.
Whether you’re studying on your own or brushing up on your skills in a prep class, you are ultimately the person most responsible for your success – it won’t happen on its own!
This means that you need to know how to break down the material you encounter into information that you can absorb, how to balance new and old material, and how to pace yourself.
How to Break Down Information
Acing your exam is all about showing that you can translate what you’ve been taught into insights of your own.
Does the exam subject seem daunting? Start by dividing the concepts up into those that are more familiar to you and those that are less.
You’ll know that areas you are weaker in will need more study time.
Pick a topic and dive into your textbook or study material.
Ask yourself: what is this section’s main idea? Write it down!
Then ask yourself what the supporting concepts are.
Test your knowledge by explaining the concept to a friend or relative, or write it out for yourself.
The more you can reiterate the concept using different wording or in different ways, the better grasp you’ll have of the subject.
Balancing New and Old Material
It’s natural to want to spend all your time on the tricky concepts, but don’t forget to review both those you are strong in and those that you mastered during your study process.
Sometimes overconfidence is a killer! Leave yourself enough time to go over the foundations and to figure out the more difficult sections as well.
Pacing Yourself
Besides deciding what proportion of your time to spend on each topic, you’ll need to find out what study rhythm works the best for you.
It’s tempting to leave everything till crunch time, but starting the study process early and leaving yourself breaks both leaves you with less stress and allows your brain time to absorb the new material and form connections with previously-learned concepts.
There’s nothing like a good crunch session, though: make sure to cover your bases so that in the days leading up to the test, you know what you still need to focus on.
In the end, you know yourself best, but here are a few tried-and-true strategies to help you prepare, courtesy of our friends at Intelligent.com:
Creating an Effective Study Plan: https://www.intelligent.com/create-a-study-plan/
Studying Smart Before Exams: https://www.intelligent.com/study-smart-before-exams/
Taking Effective Notes: https://www.intelligent.com/take-effective-notes/
Managing Stress: https://www.intelligent.com/manage-your-stress/
Utilizing Test-Taking Strategies: https://www.intelligent.com/use-test-taking-strategies-on-exam-day/
Best of luck!
