As a prospective university student, university midterms and exams can seem incredibly intimidating! However, I’m here to ease your worries, and let you know that with the right studying technique, your university exams will be no more difficult than your high school exams. I’ve found that every student studies differently, and retains information in different ways, but I’m here to share with you the tips that have worked best for my friends and myself thus far.
1. Summarize your notes!
Over the 6-12 weeks leading up to your midterm or exam, you will probably have taken a rather large number of notes. However, not all of the information from all of your notes will be relevant, so it is important to summarize them as concisely as you can. I’ve found that this consolidates the amount you need to study, making it feel more manageable to understand, as well as helping you study as you make these revisions.
2. Plan your exam study schedule in advance!
With at least 5 classes each semester, you will almost always have multiple exams to study for at a time, and some of these exams may even be back-to-back. Allocating specific time slots to study for different classes can be extremely helpful in keeping yourself organized, as well as allowing you to prioritize studying time for exams that you anticipate to be more difficult or need more time to study for. You can do this in an agenda, a calendar, or even the notes app on your phone or computer.
3. Try to understand topics, don’t just memorize!
Although there are some classes that only require memorization, most classes you will take require an understanding of the topics in order to apply them to certain scenarios. For example, when trying to do a math problem, you could have the formula you need to use memorized, but if you don’t understand what it is used for, you will not know how to answer the question correctly. Additionally, actually understanding topics for midterms is especially important since many classes build upon the material covered in the first half of the semester, so if you don’t understand the foundational information, you will not be able to build upon this knowledge in the second half of the semester.
4. Take breaks!
When studying for exams, it can sometimes be easy to lose track of the time you’ve spent. Although this can be beneficial for some, I know that for many students, including myself, this can sometimes lead to a burnout. If you put all of your time and energy into one thing without a break, you may end up burning out and losing motivation much quicker than you would if you allow yourself breaks once in a while. For example, you could always go for a walk or a quick workout session, watch an episode of your favourite TV show, or even take a quick nap if you feel like it!
5. Take care of yourself!
Sometimes you may get caught up in all of your studying that you may start to neglect some of your needs… Try not to let this happen! Personally, I used to alter my sleep schedule during exam periods quite drastically, because I thought I needed to study all day and all night. However, I soon realized that with not enough sleep each night, I was no longer as productive during the day and could not retain the information as well while studying. Therefore, making sure to get enough sleep every night is crucial to success in studying. Additionally, make sure you are feeding yourself enough throughout the day, and although treats may be a nice reward for a hard day of studying, try to ensure that you are maintaining a healthy diet most of the time, as it will improve your brain function, and help maximize your studying potential!
There are so many more tips that can help students study for exams, but the most important thing is figuring out what works best for you! Hopefully these tips can help you as they have helped me, and good luck on all of your future exams!