How to Study When Time Is Short

“This year, I am going to study consistently so that I don’t have too much before the test.”

Do you know this kind of resolution? Sure you do, it is something all of us say, but no one ever fulfills. There is too much distraction for that, too much of urgent work that needs to be done. Here are some of the tips what to do when the test time is approaching.

1. Quit the computer

Seriously, this is not the time computer is least useful. And there are no excuses to use it – everything you need to know is in your textbook.

2. Get a paper and write down what you need to know

This will not only help you focus on what you really NEED to know, but it will also give you an overview of how much work you have left and it will get you thinking about those topics. It usually acts also as motivation, which we tend to lose towards the end of our studying, since you can see how much is left.

3. Make notes and then make a test for yourself

Notes are great! I believe in writing things down (by HAND). But it often gets boring and sometimes I stop thinking about what I am writing – which is exactly what we want to avoid. Making tests is a great tool because you process the information, you think about what kind of questions there could possibly be in the test, you make notes in a creative way AND you can use it to test yourself in the end (which I never do, because by the time I am done there is usually no time, but in theory, you could).

4. Make a spider diagram

After you make notes and test make a spider diagram, there is not either or. You need to do all the steps, because what you are essentially doing is repeating the information you need for the test over and over. By the time you are done studying you should have repeated it at least 7 times. Spider diagrams are very useful because once again you process information instead of just mechanically copying it down and you make connection which help you remember the information.

5. Read your notes aloud and pretend to explain it to somebody

Preferably do this point when you are alone because people might consider you being insane. The reason why this works is that you can only explain something that you understand. And if you do not understand something, you stop and you try to figure out what it means. Which makes you understand it in the end.

6. Rewrite your notes to have a clean copy

If you are like me, everything above is messy and unreadable. So make a final copy of your notes that looks pretty. You can throw all the other paper away and keep only this one to read through one last time before giving the exam. And possibly to keep for future in case you will have to write IB or Matura exam from it

7. Get some sleep

Never, before a test, should you sleep less than 9 hours. So even if you did not go through all the material, it does not matter. Go to sleep. Those methods are always 100% successful. As I am an international student, I get to do differentiating exams in my homeland. One year I found out about having to do an exam from subject that I did not study at all, only week before the actual exam. During this week I was busy so I got to get down to the actual studying the day before test. I covered whole year’s material (most of this was memorizing) and scored more than expected.


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