4 Tips for Success When Studying for Exams

In college, a single exam may be worth 50% or even more of your grade. When it comes to studying this poses students with the question, where do I start? Such a large test may seem overwhelming, but here are four tips and tricks to studying that will help you ace that upcoming exam.

1. Blurting Method

This is a technique where you close your notes, and then write down as much as you can remember about a given topic on a whiteboard or piece of paper in an allotted amount of time. Once the time is up you go through what you wrote and analyze it, and compare your notes to see what you may have missed. This method is effective because it uses a technique called active recall, which will help to store information in your long-term memory. It can also help you to pinpoint your areas of weakness, to see what you need to work on in future study sessions.

2. Leitner Tech

The Leitner Technique uses spaced repetition to move information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory, which is pretty much the goal of studying. The Leitner Technique is based on the way our brains work. Our brains remember concepts better if they are repeated over a certain length of time. Using the Answer AI app you take pictures of your notes or textbooks to more quickly make the flashcards necessary for this technique. Once you have your flashcards you make three boxes. Box one is studying every day, box two is every other day and box three is once a week. If you answer a question in box one correctly, move it up to box two. And if you answer a question in box two correctly, substantially move it to box three. If you get this question wrong you just move it back to box one. It is important to use this method regularly given that this method relies on frequency. This can make studying more efficient and is seen as a more active approach.

3. Utilize Practice Tests and Questions

Practice tests and questions are helpful tools in studying for big tests. They can help you to determine the concepts that you actually know, the stuff you have never heard of, and most importantly the material that you think you know but not really. It’s that last category that can be your biggest downfall. If you think you know something you aren’t going to study it, and that blindspot could easily be your biggest problem heading into a test. If your teacher does not provide you with questions, Anwer AI can build you helpful mock exercises based on past questions, subject concepts, or questions provided for refer

4. The Pomodoro Technique

This method is helpful if you have a difficult time focusing for longer periods. The Pomodoro technique is simply a structured way to break up studying, which makes it more effective. The Promodo technique consists of setting a timer for 25 minutes, and studying your material for the allotted amount of time. It may be helpful to leave your phone in another room to reduce distractions. Once those 25 minutes are up you take a 5-minute break, it is helpful to take a walk around or stand up during this break, as opposed to turning to your phone. Once you complete 4 intervals, you take a 15-30 minute break. You can repeat this process until you are done with your study session and feel confident in the material.