MindWiper

Study Skills | Ways to Study For Exams Effectively

Ashim Sarmah

Study skills are strategies & approaches to learning effectively, these skills are essential for scoring good grade as well as these are useful throughout one’s life

.In this article, you can find how to study for exams through effective utilization of study skills., and these skills are set of the following attributes;

  • To identify one’s learning styles
  • Preparing the environment and resources for study
  • Considering effective time management strategy to acquire, process or retain information
  • Dealing with assessment
  • Taking revision or rehearsal for the examination.

Find out the study skills and tips mentioned below for effective learning and productive preparation for exams;

Time Management

Time management is setting priorities and goals, scheduling the priorities and taking action according to priorities and goals.
Here is the to-do list for effective time management;

  • Read the syllabus and make a plan for it
  • Set weekly/ monthly priorities and goals
  • Schedule your study time and avoid wasting the planned time-slot
  • Identify a spot to avoid distraction
  • Use calendar or planner
  • Get up early to get stuff done
  • Set aside you class time
  • Review your plan frequently to make changes wherever necessary

Reading & Note-Taking

Depending upon the learning styles, reading and note taking can be done simultaneously or sequentially. The best sequence of note taking is read-analyze-understand-take note.

Global learners, intuitive learners and sequential learners may prefer to read first to analyze & understand the concept and then they start taking notes. Identify your learning style and start practicing the best suitable options for you from the following to-do list,

  • Read more than once
  • Read and understand captions, concepts and figure
  • Highlight and make notes
  • Paraphrase professor’s word
  • Take space as needed
  • Make margin notes
  • Make glossary of terms
  • Review after reading and taking notes
  • Review your notes every night

Revision & Rehearsal

Relying on last-minute preparation for the exam will definitely lead to anxiety and disappointing result, here are the few strategies to revise well for the examination

  • Know what is expected from each unit
  • Identify your problem areas
  • Try remembering the big picture of the course
  • Rewrite/revise notes
  • Read the book once again
  • Revise your notes every night  and after every class
  • Create a weekly topic summary
  • Work with sample question and practice mock test
  • From a study group
  • Check verbally, tell and discuss with friends
  • Revise and list down formulas daily
  • Don’t forgot to make short notes (preferably 1 page) of the big picture of that course

Test Preparation

Test preparation timeline and strategies varies according to situation, target, obstacles and preference of a particular student. Don’t wait for the last moment and make sure you’re well prepared.

  • Know the test format
  • Practice mock test
  • Rewrite/revise books or notes
  • Identify your weakness
  • Take advantage of extra credit
  • Avoid anxiety, divert your thought to something else when anxiety attack you
  • Verbalize what you know by telling or teaching your friend
  • Don’t forgot to revise the big picture of that course

Improving Concentration

Due to extrinsic distraction such as mobile phone, surrounding noises, or excessive use of social media and intrinsic distraction such as unconscious thought, stress, anxiety, or depression; students have the probability to practice distraction and tend to lose concentration while studying.

Here are the few strategies to improve concentration; you also can read full explanation – how to concentrate on studies

  • Identify a spot to avoid surrounding noises
  • Keep your smartphone off/silent while studying
  • Minimize use of social media, scrolling different types of picture, video or status divert your thought in different direction and helps losing concentration
  • Observe how your attention get distraction
  • When your attention goes away, bring it back; practice it and make it a habit
  • When thought of anxiety, stress or depression attack you, think the opposite, divert your attention to study again, practice it and make, it a habit

Recommended Reading

Apart from these skills, you should start improving your cognitive skills & cognitive learning abilities for effective learning. Cognitive learning is an approach of thinking to learn; use of effective remembering techniques; and well utilization of deductive reasoning, hypothetical thinking or abstract knowledge.