Whether you are in high school or university, learning how to study efficiently and maximize your time is valuable! Keep reading for some tips on how to study like a pro…
Keep an agenda
School gets busy… fast. It is important to keep track of all the tasks you need to get done. One way to do this is to keep an agenda. Some students like to use notebook planners, while others like to write down notes and important dates on their phones or computers. Personally, I like to write down everything I need to do on a whiteboard – kind of like a to-do list. If you like schedules, you should try planning out how to budget your study time for the week. Also, try to keep your agenda organized… I always like to colour-code different items by course and priority.
Space out study sessions
Studies have shown that spacing out your studying will help you do better on tests and retain information for longer. For every course, I like to spend some time after class reviewing the material and doing some practice problems to test my understanding. At the end of each week, I again go over all the material I learned during the week to refresh my memory. When there’s just a week or two left before the exam, I am already familiar with the content and I am simply reviewing my notes and doing more practice questions. If you space out your study sessions, you’ll find that you will be more prepared and confident for your exam.
Review your old exams
In university, I find that it is really helpful do go in during office hours and review any midterms or tests you may have written. This helps you find out the concepts you don’t understand so that you can brush up on them before the final exam. I highly suggest attending the exam review sessions even if you do well on an exam. It still gives you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the marking scheme so that as you’re preparing for the final exam, you know what to expect.
If you are in high school and have a big test or exam coming up, I would suggest going over any graded projects and assignments you may have. As you are preparing for the test or exam, re-do all your old tests and go over the feedback from your teacher as well as your own notes. Use your old tests as a guide to figure out what you need more practice on.
I encourage you to try out these study tips. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try out new study techniques to find out what works best for you!