Hey guys, as promised here is my blog on all the best tips for studying. Now, obviously I am no genius and everyone has their own ways of learning, that being said these are the tips that I found work best for me and help me get those A's that I wanted to share with you all! I hope that you'd try some of these tips and that they will be helpful!
Note-taking
My first tip has to do with note-taking. There is nothing worse than trying to study, looking back at your notes, and not being able to understand a thing. So my first tip is to write legibly. Next, take notes on what the professor says, not only the things that are on the board or powerpoint. Often times, the way the professor is explaining things can make a lot more sense than the textbook or slides, so writing down those examples and explanations can help you later on.
I love writing in different colored pens. My favorite brand is Paper Mate Flair, they have the best colors that don't bleed through pages and last forever.
Lately, I've used a new way to take notes. I use the column on the left to write down headings and questions and my notes go on the right. When its time to study, I can read the questions on the side and try to answer before looking at my notes. It's a great way to organize my notes because I can easily see the main points on the page and test myself just by reading my notebook.
Flashcards
Flashcards are a great way to learn vocabulary, the process of making them is also great for studying because you have to go through your notes and textbook and find the most important terms.
Other great tool to use is Quizlet. I love using Quizlet because I have the app on my phone and can go through my terms anytime and anywhere. I've been using Quizlet for several years and I can attest that they are the reason I get 100 on vocabulary.
Practice Tests!
I swear by this study tip! Here's how I use and make my own practice tests to study for exams.
1. Make your practice test at least a week before the exam. To make the test, I go through all my notes, homework, worksheets, and any posted practice problems and combine them into one big test. 2. Put questions on your test that you think you already know the answer to, often times we forget the simple details or vocabulary that we did know because we stopped studying them.
3. Go through your practice test with no distractions, no notes or help, try to answer as many questions as you can. 4. Go over your answers, compare them to your notes and textbook. Look up the questions that you missed. Let some time pass then go back to the unanswered questions and try to answer them. Repeat until you feel confident answering every question. 5. When it's final time, you can reprint all your practice test and review all the information!
Best technique for study subjects that cover a lot of material
Why this works:
This method is the best way to see what I know and what I need to continue studying. I make my own practice tests because I ask myself questions on everything that was covered, rather than only rely on the provided practice or past exams that usually ask the amount of questions that would be on the test.
The provided exams are a great way to see the style in which questions might be asked, the test you make is a great way to make sure you know all the material.
Start Early & Review
People say this tip all the time but I had to stress it once more because its so important! Trying to cram all the material right before the test is never a good idea, a good goal to be done studying about two days before the exam and to just review the day before. If you're still learning material right before the exam that will stress you out and not make you feel confident to take the test. So as much as possible try to start studying earlier than later.
Following up on this tip is to review information as you learn it. Go over your notes from each week's lecture. I also like to create review sheets for each chapter after we cover it which highlight important information and key concepts. This comes in handy for exam time and final time!
Weekly review time is a great time to realize what concepts you don't understand to get help early on
Review Sheet for Chemistry
Don't wait for finals to come around....
and then start going over the problems you never understood. Start reviewing now and after each exam, reflect on what you did wrong and figure out the right answer. That same question could show up again!
Form Study Groups
Here's a tip that I wish I would have done earlier on in college! I've really started forming study groups this semester and its great because your peers can be great resources!
I like to do a mixture of studying alone and studying in a group. I think forming connections with others is great because they will be there when you need help and you can help them when they need it...we're all in this together!
Some people are simply not able to study in a group, try it out and see whether it works for you.
Use Available Resources
The great thing about being on a college campus is that there are so many resources available to you. The first is of course your professors, going to the office hours is a great idea and they are very welcoming to answer your questions. There are also many programs and places on campus that can provide help. There are also online resources, I love watching Crash Course to hear the material explained in a different way and review. For math, Khan Academy videos are great and super helpful.
Here are some resources at the University of Maryland:
Math Success Program (Oakland Hall)
The Writing Center (1205 Tawes Hall)
The Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education -(1101 Hornbake Library)
GSS Sessions for many courses
Find What Works For You
As I mentioned before, we all learn in different ways. You might need to be more visual with your studying and watch videos, maybe you work best when you're studying in your dorm or maybe you can only concentrate in the library. I shared the tips that have proven themselves to work for me, I encourage you to try them and find study methods that suit you.
Have a tip that I didn't mention? Leave a comment and share, we can all learn from each other.
Want to read more tips? Click here to read "How to Stay Organized" and here for "How to Stay Motivated"
Hope you enjoyed,
xoxo
Kye