Regardless of whether you’re starting months, weeks, or days before your exam, you need to have some plan of action to succeed.
For starters, map out the amount of material you have to study, as well as the number of days you have left till the exam. You’ll be able to see how much studying you can cover during that period.
Also, determine which topics to focus on studying. Prioritise topics that are more important or you feel weak. Plan all this out with FreeHour’s Task & Assignments Section!
Checklists are your best friend for keeping organised. It also gives you a sense of satisfaction when you cross off a task once it’s done.
As chaotic as exam season might be, it’s also quite beneficial if you keep your desk or study space organised too. Having a cleared & decluttered space will help you remain focused while also minimising distractions.
Finally, trying to power through studying in one long strength isn’t 100% beneficial to retaining memory & focus. Taking frequent breaks will help you switch off a little & keep you sane.
If you’re a visual learner, think of ways you can make your notes more visual. If you re-write your notes, use highlighters or different coloured pens to mark important details so they stand out.
Turning information into graphs, diagrams, or even pictures will make it easier to retain that knowledge if you can picture it visually.
Mind-maps are also very useful, as they can help you visually organise information, while also creating some sort of hierarchy & showing relationships between key concepts or ideas.
You can also be an auditory learner, which means you process information best by listening.
Things like reading your notes aloud or recording your lectures & listening back to them could actually help you remember information better. Trying to explain a concept in your own words might also be useful.
If you’re actually able to remain focused, you can also organise study sessions with friends. Discussing topics with each other can actually help with storing information in your brain.
There isn’t one superior way to study, so find the system that works best for you & stick with it.
During exam season, make sure you’re still eating well & getting enough sleep, as both these factors will affect your focus & ability to remember information for exam day.
And at the end of the day, exams aren’t the end-all & be all. It’s a stressful time, but don’t let that stress get in the way of you actually doing well. It’s a combination of mind over matter while also actually taking the time to revise & study.
