Tell me HOW to revise for an exam/test.

[DreamGlimpse]

With about only 1 week away from my end-year exams, I am slumped on study ideas. Usually what I do is study the day before the first day, for every year of my previous years. But now, I want a difference. Can you give me some tips on 'a-week-away' revising and memorising? And while you're on that, some ways and ideas on how to get your brain to stop putting off reading that pile of notes? I'm gonna have to do that next year.

[Bayside]

Can you give me some tips on 'a-week-away' revising and memorising? Break everything down into sections, don't try to memorize entire paragraphs of information or whatever. Take it sentence by sentence. Something that really helps here is to get some cue cards, and write down what you feel are some of the most important things you're going to need. Writing it cue cards helps make things look more condensed, and it really is a help mentally to look at a bunch of cue cards than a bunch of full sized sheets of paper of info. Also, it'll help you lay out your most important facts, and leave out the "filler" information which isn't as necessary. And while you're on that, some ways and ideas on how to get your brain to stop putting off reading that pile of notes? I'm gonna have to do that next year. For this, there's not really anything to it, but to do it. Just try to think of it this way, firstly, it means much less work for you later, secondly, it means you're going to do much better because you're going to be comfortable with the material as it comes, instead of cramming it all in near the end. Thirdly, you might as well do it with your free time. It's more productive than something such as say playing a game, or posting on the internet. Also, set goals for yourself, I know I really had this problem last year, and my marks suffered horribly for it. This year, I'm really aiming high. I've set goals for myself, I've started shooting for that eighty to ninety percent instead of the forty or fifty I've been getting. Really find a way to motivate yourself into wanting those good marks, and you'll have that energy backing you and you can change the lame studying into more of a competitive challenge of some sort. Oh, and finally. Don't try to study straight up until the exam, it's best to get all your studying done by the night before, this way you can just review quickly the next day. Personally, I know that if I try to study just before the exam or test, I get into the room and blank, and so does everyone I know. You should take the day of the exam to just relax, quickly review what you know, and just mentally prepare yourself for the exam. If you're studying right up until the moment you walk in the room, you probably will blank. Give your mind a few hours at least to process everything so that it all sinks in.

[ninja9578]

Permanent memories are stored during dreams and dreams tend to be largely composed on what you do right before bed. Study before bed, but don't stay up too late, make sure that you get 8 hours of sleep. Relaxation is key to doing well on a test so meditate or listen to soothing music while studying.

[Shift]

This is my method for success in college: Outline the chapter. Do this by reading one section at a time. After reading the section, walk yourself through it so you understand what you just read. Keep it to small sections, so you don't get confused and then leave yourself behind. Then, reread the section again, picking out the concepts (that you now understand), and writing them down in your own words. The moment you find that you are copying things word for word out of a book, you've ruined it. Go back, and translate it into your own words. Use inside jokes or metaphors that make sense to you. Draw doodles to help concepts stick out. Draw out diagrams. I'm a biology student so this is mostly the topic I use these study techniques for. And to study, I draw out all the important diagrams. I make up color coding schemes that are easy to remember. I'm also a very visual person, so drawing it out gives me something to remember on the exam (Oh, yea, the yellow arrow pointed from ____ to _____, so you must need ____ to do that). Always study in the same place. It gets you in the mind frame of- I am here, this is where I study, that means that now that I am here, it is time to study. Don't bring your laptop, if you have one. Use ear plugs, not headphones. Music will distract you. The only time I prefer to listen to music while studying is at 5 am when I need it to keep me pumped and awake. Give yourself breaks after each good 75 minute study period. Make sure that you always get at least 4-5 hours of sleep before an exam. Don't stay up all night studying. You will most likely just waste your time. Being tired on an exam can cause you to completely bomb it. Make sure to get the rest you need. Ideally, you should have read the chapters, understood and outlined them, and now have some lovely notes. Before the exam, sit by yourself, and just read through your study guide over and over. If it's the sort of class that you need to be doing practice problems, make sure that you understand them and have worked them at least 3 times. If you have the time, which you should since you didn't procrastinate, draw out some concept maps. These are a ridiculously huge help because they show that you understand your stuff. If you can't concept map something, you don't know it.