The last couple of weeks be-

fore the semester ends are

usually when students take

their final exams, and unfor-

tunately, may also be when

they BEGIN studying for

their final exams. If you

want to ace your exams, here

are some things to keep in

1.You Should Plan for Exams

On Day ONE.

Yep, the first day of the semester.

How do you plan on the first day?

Your professors spend a lot time

planning and creating a syllabus that

details the assignments and exams

that make up the course. They will

also include dates as to when those

assignments are due and when those

exams will take place.

So, it would be smart to

highlight those dates or

transfer them to a student

planner so you refer to it of-

ten to know when you have

an assignment due and when

an exam is.

2.Save All of Your Material.

Typically, students like to toss

homework assignments or articles

out after they have finished them.

This is not smart to do because you

never know if you need that infor-

mation again or if that information

will be included on an exam!

3.DON’T CRAM! My Students

Will Admit That They cram; it

doesn’t usually work.

It also puts a lot of unnecessary stress

and anxiety on your body. Begin stud-

ying for an exam at least 2 weeks be-

fore the exam is scheduled. Each day,

plan to spend about 2 hours reviewing

material you’ve learned throughout

the semester.

Don’t study for 2 hours straight

though; instead, plan to study

for half an hour, and then take a

break. Then come back and

study for another half an hour,

and then take another break.

4.Study When You Are The

If you are a morning person, try waking up a

half hour before you need to in order to get

in some studying time, as you will naturally

have the energy to focus on your studies.

This goes the same if you are a night owl.

Instead of playing video games until 4a.m.

(Grand Theft Auto CAN wait!), study ahead

for your exams. Study at a place where you

know you can perform the best.

The library is the best place as

it is quiet. Don’t bring your

cellphone with you either, as

that is bound to distract you

from studying. If you prefer

to study in your dorm room,

just shut your door so your

friends don’t come barging in.

5.Study the Most Difficult or Bor-

ing Subjects First.

When you sit down to actually study,

you naturally have high energy, are

alert, and are motivated. Because of

this, you should put all of that energy

and motivation into the difficult or

boring subjects first. You don’t need

much energy or motivation for easy

and interesting courses. That will just

come naturally anyways.

6.Form A Study Group.

As I tell my students, two brains are

smarter than one brain (hopefully).

Try forming a study group for diffi-

cult courses and for exams you know

will struggle with. Choose a couple

people (preferably not friends as they

will just distract you) who want to do

well just like you and get together

outside of class.

Share any notes you have taken in

class, your ideas on the key

points, your predictions about

what might be on the exam, and

concepts/information that confuse

you. Work through the content

with each other and be each oth-

er’s support system. Trust me,

study groups can go a long way.

They worked for me and you get

to make new friends!

7.Use Flashcards.

For Math, Science, and foreign

language courses, flashcards can

be very helpful. Use them to

help you remember formulas,

key concepts, and vocabulary

words. But put some humor in-

to them so they are memorable.

8.Read and reread.

If you have a chapter or a textbook

for a course and you know material

from it will be included on the test,

go back and read the chapter(s) over

again. And again and again. Do

this every day until the exam. When

you reread you are constantly re-

viewing material and the material

will most likely remain in your long-

term memory.

9.Use Memory Strategies.

When you have to remember many

different concepts, information in a

particular order, or just a lot of infor-

mation, memory strategies come in

handy. Use mnemonic devices to help

you. Try creating a song, a rap, a rid-

dle, a rhyme, or a story that helps you

remember material.

An important point is to in-

clude humor. For example, if

you use flashcards, put funny

pictures on them. Research

has shown that we remember

30% more when we use humor

when we are trying to remem-

ber something.

10.Read your material out loud and

teach it to someone else.

Research also has shown that a really good

way to know we understand something is to

try teaching it to someone else. If the per-

son gets what you are trying to teach them,

you definitely grasp the concepts. If not,

you need to go back and study some more.

Reading out loud requires you to use more

of your brain, thus making it easier to put

your information into long-term memory.

11.Listen to instrumental, jazz, or classical music.

11.Listen to instrumental, jazz,

or classical music.

When you listen to music with words in

it, your brain naturally diverts attention

to the words, thus causing you to lose fo-

cus. However, when we listen to music

without words, particularly classical or

jazz music, our brain actually focuses

MORE. So, if you feel you must listen to

music to help you pay attention to study-

ing, try listening to jazz or classical mu-

sic.

To earn a good grade on your

exams, start studying NOW

for a little bit each day.

Trust me, it will feel wonder-

ful to not have to cram for 8

hours.

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