Studying Tips & Tricks

It's the middle of September, which means that teachers are starting to give tests (if they haven't already) and I don't know about you, but I like being prepared for my tests. I generally like learning, but having to study one subject for hours just doesn't sound like fun. So, never fear! Here are some of my favorite studying tips and tricks that help me preform decently on tests. Feel free to adapt them to however best fits you and how you learn.

Note Cards

Pretty self-explanatory. I think note cards work best with vocabulary, but you can copy anything on them. Note cards are nice because you can physically hold them and point to them. It's also very easy to quiz yourself with them. Making note cards can be time consuming, so you can either focus really hard on the terms, perhaps saying it aloud as you write, or be like me and make them while you watch I Love Lucy reruns.

Quizlet

Quizlet is amazing. In case you haven't heard of it, Quizlet is a website that allows you to make virtual note cards. Quizlet also generates games that you can play from the note cards and it creates practice tests for you. You can chose whether you want the tests to be matching, multiple choice, true/false, or fill in the blank, so you can personalize it based upon how you think you're real test will be set up.

There is also a Quizlet app. I use this app so much; it's so nice to have all my note cards on hand so I can study them on the go. The app also has a game that you can play, and it has other helpful studying tools.

Pretty Notes

When I take notes in class they are hardly legible, so I can't read them, much less study from them.  So I like to make pretty notes. "Pretty notes," as I call them, is my current favorite way of studying. Basically what you do is rewrite your notes onto printer paper (or your preferred type of paper) with colored pens or markers. By doing this, you ingrain the information into your head by rewriting it, and you now have visually pleasing giant note cards. (All of the different colors also help me remember the information better.)

Teaching Someone

Some people say that you haven't really learned something until you can teach it. So grab a family member, a roommate, a pillow, Minnie Mouse, whatever you have near and explain your notes to it. I promise that this will help your information stick.

Reading 

Read your material out loud and then repeat it without looking. Keep doing this until you can consistently explain all the material correctly without sneaking a peak. Doing this helps you because you're seeing the words, reading the words, and hearing the words, so your brain is doing three different things with the information at once.

Have someone quiz you

Self-explanatory again. Basically give your notes from class, your note cards, your pretty notes, or anything else you have, to someone and ask them to quiz you on the information so that you can check to see how much you know.

Drawing pictures of your information

I think this works best for vocab words, but you can do it for anything your little heart desires. The drawings can be as detailed or as simple as you like.

Make up a song

Songs stick with us. So pick a catchy tune and replace the lyrics with the words from your notes.

Or, if you're not really the creative type. . .

Find a song on YouTube

Such as this one. Just search "Songs about the Constitutional Amendments" or whatever you need to learn about.

YouTube tutorials

This is how I made a good grade in Anatomy last year. If you don't understand the material, and/or your teacher doesn't offer tutoring (or you can't go to the tutoring sessions), just look up the topic on YouTube.

Dry Erase board

If you don't have a dry erase board, you can use pencil and paper- just make sure you write lightly. Basically, what you do is write out the information and then read it out loud. Then erase a few words from what you had written, and then read it again, recalling the erased words from memory. Continue this process until you are saying the entire thing by memory. I use this technique mainly when I'm memorizing Bible verses, but it could work for anything.

Write material again and again

Just that: write the material over and over again until you know it. Use different colors. Use different hand-writings. Do anything that helps to drill the info into your head.

Some additional tips:

• Only study in groups if the group is actually serious about studying. Often the "study" group turns into a "lets talk about anything besides this subject" group, and if you have a big test coming up, you don't want that. So be very picky about the people you study with. 
• If you get invited to study with a group that you know won't focus, and you really want to go hang out with them, that's fine. Just know that you may not get very much actual studying done.
• Also, know what size group works best for you. I prefer studying with 1-4 other people, but some people like bigger groups. It just depends on what environment you learn best in.
• Don't be afraid to ask your teacher or another classmate to explain something you don't understand!
• Find out what time of day works best for you to study during. Are you more awake in the morning? Right after class ends? Evening? Before bed?
• Study in different locations. Study in your room. Study in the kitchen. Study outside. If you don't drive to school, study in the car. Just switching up your location several times and reviewing your notes each time can help you better recall the information.
• If you have a big test coming up DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE TO STUDY!! Even starting to study two days in advance can help. I prefer to start studying for a big test at least a week in advance, but sometimes life happens and that doesn't work out. That's okay. Just strive not to leave it for the last minute.
• Study in small increments of time. Study for 30 minutes and then take a 10 minute break. Or, study for 15 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. This helps you stay focused and alert. It also helps you stay off of social media sites, texting, and other things during your study time if you know that you'll have a chance to be distracted by that stuff later.
• Reverse your notes and study them end to start. Then start in the middle and proceed from there. Whenever I study my notes from start to finish every time, I find that I remember the first things I review, but as I near the middle and end of my notes my concentration fades and I don't remember those things as well. Switching up the order helps me solve this problem.