Only you know how long it takes you to study, so you are the best judge of when to start studying. If the class material is especially difficult for you, start studying early. Give yourself enough time to truly grasp the material, practice it and then review it. Get a full night’s sleep before the exam. Your brain needs time to subconsciously digest everything you’ve put into it, so start early so you don’t have to stay up all night. [2] X Research source
If you only have five pages of notes, but your friend has twenty, then you probably missed some important information. Compare your notes to your friend’s to see where the holes are in your notes.
Your teacher most likely won’t tell you exactly what is on the test, but he or she might give you some pointers by handing you a study guide, or simply announcing what the exam will cover.
Ask yourself, who, what, where, when for each theme/subject matter that you are supposed to know for the test. You can look up information online to study from, but the best information to study from is the information presented to the class because the answers will be derived from your classroom materials. Sometimes information on the internet can vary from the information that you are presented in class. If you are planning to study from information provided on the internet, stick with sources that end with . edu or . gov.
Break down complex subjects into steps or parts. For instance, if you are trying to learn the order of historical events, list out each event that happened in the order they happened. For instance, first Linus Pauling discovered DNA, then he was awarded a prize. Write down the time frame and the events that influenced each happening. Knowing these side notes should help you to recall information because they increase your level of understanding.
Some teachers write down the page numbers or chapters that each section of the syllabus pertains to in your book. Take note of those pages because you should definitely review them.
You might be able to find a study guide online for the material that you are studying if you are not able to get one from your teacher.
Note the chapter titles and section titles as you read. They are a dead give away to the major concepts that are covered in those sections.
For instance, if the statement is Linus Pauling was one of the discoverers of DNA, then write on the flash card the question, who was one of the main discoverers of DNA? Write the question on one side, and the answer on the other. [8] X Research source Sometimes a question will spark an idea for a follow-up question. When you’re making flashcards, often you’ll be able to see how you may have forgotten to study something. For instance, who were the other discoverers of DNA? This question springs from the Linus Pauling statement because the word “main” reminds you that there were other people involved in DNA’s discovery. If you don’t know the answer to follow-up questions, then you should research the information and make flashcards for those questions too. Start making flashcards for the information that you are having trouble remembering or grasping. This is the information that you need to review the most. Then, move on to information that you already know pretty well. Making physical copies of flashcards is recommended because you have to write down the questions and answers, which is a repetitive process that will help you remember the information. Also, you can carry the flashcards around and use them at anytime. However, there are websites such as cram. com that allow you to make online flash cards.
If you keep getting certain questions wrong, review your notes and textbook again to see if there is something you’re not understanding.
If you still have more time before your exam, ask for assistance either from a teacher or a friend.
Although reviewing past exams might not give you the exact questions that will appear on your test, it will give you an idea of how the information will be tested. It also will tell you how the test will be scored. You’ll know if you should give long detailed answers or if your answers should be straight to the point. If you are able to review a test with answers on it, pay attention to answers that were given high marks and those that weren’t. Also, pay attention to any notes in the margins that the teacher may have written explaining why points were taken off.
If you understand the format of the test, you know what information to pull out and how detailed or open-ended it might be. You’ll also be able to assess the distribution of points. Is the essay worth much more than the multiple choice? With the past test to review, you can assess what you’ve already studied and re-assess.
