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By Arya Learning to prepare for exams is one of the most difficult tasks for students. Students have to dedicate themselves to understanding the topics of the exam, which if not done well results in bad scores. Personally, it has taken me years to figure out how to properly and efficiently study for exams to see the results I want to see.
There are many ways to learn to prepare for an exam effectively, such as:
Personally, I never had to study before high school. During both elementary school and middle school, I was able to get away without studying for any exams — school came easy to me. However, that all changed when I began high school. The workload, the content and the exams were a whole other level than what I was used to. This was a bit of a slap in the face to me, as school was never something I worried about too much. I was taking AP (Advanced Placement) Biology, in my first year of high school. This was the first college-level class I had ever taken, and I didn’t realize how much work and effort I needed to put into the class. I very quickly realized that I needed to learn how to study, which is kind of ironic — the fact that I needed to learn how to study. Learning to study was a long journey. At first, I would just read over my notes, which was completely useless and did not help me learn at all. I realized that I needed to practice more and that I needed to take notes on the topics I was learning about. When I began to do this, I realized my exam scores began to rise. From there, I began to learn how to study — by watching videos, making a plan to start studying days before the exam, taking notes, and doing a lot of practice problems. Over my two and a half years of high school, I have finally learned how to study correctly! Over the years, I have researched many ways to study more effectively, but not all of them will work for everyone — find what works for you. For me, only certain things work like:
I would encourage everyone to try out different methods of studying to figure out what works best for you! Preparing for exams requires the skill of time management. You can fit in everything if you space out your time and get things done on schedule. Depending on the last day before the exam to prepare is not going to work, due to the practice, repetition, and time our brain needs to learn. The last day is solely meant for revision and going through the major topics once again. And the most important thing before an exam is to have a good night of sleep so that your mind is fresh and energetic on the day of the exam.
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By Meghna Revision. The mention of this word can send shivers down the spines of teenagers everywhere. It's that time of year when textbooks become our closest companions, and every spare moment is spent poring over notes and practice questions. But not to fear, your trusted advisor is here! Anyway, after that cringe line, I want to let you know that with the right approach, revision doesn't have to be a hard task. In this guide, I’ll help break down the revision process into easy-to-understand steps to help you navigate through this important period with ease.
STEP 1: The first step in any revision process is setting clear and achievable goals. Keyword: achievable. If you started early on your revision, good for you! But I know most of you haven't, so take your time and understand what is important and what you don’t need to review. Because although this task should be easy, you are in a time crunch. Now these goals can range from improving your grades, mastering a particular subject/topic, or simply feeling more assured in your knowledge, setting specific goals will give you a sense of direction. STEP 2: Now that you have your goals in mind, it's time to create a revision schedule that works for you. Consider your daily routine, extracurricular activities, and other commitments, and allocate dedicated study time accordingly. Whether you're a morning person or a night owl, find a study schedule that aligns with your preferences. STEP 2.5: Now the most important thing that everyone always forgets, when making this schedule, allocate time for breaks, for your mind to recharge, and process the material you just stuffed into it. Also, you might feel as though you don’t have time for breaks, but between every subject, try to stick a break in between, where you rest and relax, before you get up and start a new topic STEP 3: A cluttered study space can lead to a cluttered mind, so take some time to organize your study materials. This helps your mind to clear up, focus and concentrate on a task, allowing the transition to studying to become easier. This means gathering your notes, textbooks, and any other resources you'll need for your revision process. Keep this in mind: you can consider using folders, binders, or digital stuff to keep everything neat and accessible. STEP 4: To truly understand your topics, utilize active learning techniques that activate your brain. For example, try summarizing key concepts in your own words, teaching others what you've learned, or using flashcards to test your knowledge. Keep trying out new things until you see a positive reflection on your work, then you’ll know that you have found a study technique that works for you! STEP 5: Revision is not just about memorizing facts; it's about understanding and applying what you've learned. Regular review and practice are essential for reinforcing your knowledge. Now, for all the people who aren’t feeling that time crunch, set aside time each week/day to review previous material and test yourself with practice questions or quizzes. STEP 6: Don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you're struggling with a particular concept. Your teachers, peers, and online resources are valuable sources of guidance. Don't be afraid to ask questions or seek clarification when needed. Email them, if you don’t want to go in person, , because trust me, they only want the best for your education and future! Also, check out different online resources to help grow your knowledge to a broader field. Even if you are starting the week or a day before your test, the revision process is something that requires proper planning and dedication. I hope that, by breaking down this process, I helped you study for all those upcoming tests and exams. So, what are you doing? Get right to work now! Figuring out how to best study and prepare yourself for assessments can be tedious and stressful. How are you supposed to study for a math test without any notes? How do you prepare for an essay whose prompt you don’t know yet? And, sometimes even more frustrating, how do you study for a test that is going to include multiple units? Finding how to study can be almost as stressful as the test itself, and if you don’t know where to start, it can seem overwhelming.
It took me a long time to figure out how best to study, especially for math which didn’t have the notes that the other classes had. Throughout middle school and the beginning of high school, I always struggled with how to study for my upcoming assessments. That stress did nothing to help my anxiety about the assessment itself, and I would always get overwhelmed when I would try to study. Usually, I would just end up rereading old notes or skimming through the study guide to see if there was anything that sounded unfamiliar. It was worse for math; I would only look over old problems before calling it quits. It wasn’t until my second year of high school that I sat myself down to really figure out how to study to give myself the best chance on my tests. I went through a lot of trial and error with different studying types before I finally figured out what works best for me. And the way I study varies for the different subjects, even different classes within the same subject. I still get anxious while studying and during the test, but I know going into my assessments that I’ve studied the best way I can. Here are studying tips that I stand by and that work the best for me:
Not all of these tips may work for you, but I’ve found that they work best for me. You may find that rewriting your notes is too tedious and frustrating, and in that case, you could try making a Quizlet out of your notes. I’ve also tried finding Kahoots or other online practice quizzes on the internet and playing those. Try new ways of testing yourself like explaining concepts to other friends who are in the class so that they can help correct you if you miss something, and give yourself the time needed to figure out what works the best for you. ~Madeline The ACT and SAT are created by The College Board - the people who create the heartbreaking AP exams - and The ACT, respectively. These exams test your knowledge obtained in grade school overall, but the scores do not define you. Many colleges use scores for admission, but colleges also take in account of GPA, activities on-school/after-school and more to determine if you are granted admission. Not everyone is a good test taker and that is okay. The ACT has more areas like science and social studies and does not rely on math or english that much, but rather reading.The breakdown for the ACT: a 35-minute reading test, 45-minute English test, 60-minute math section and 35-minute science test. The SAT is more math and english: grammar orientated. The breakdown for the SAT: 65 minutes reading test, a 35-minute writing and language test and an 80-minute math section. The math section in the SAT is divided in two: one with a calculator and another with no calculator. Both are timed around equal times but the cool thing is that there is no punishment for guessing on these tests. It is better to mark down an answer if you don’t have one since you have a ¼ chance of it being right. The ACT and the SAT are both stressful since you are timed, for each question you have about 1 minute and sometimes second, but there are some strengths to both of the tests that might help you. I actually took the ACT in 7th grade and the PSAT in my 8-10 grade so I have taken these exams for the last 3-4 years. The PSAT is a smaller version of the SAT that many Americans take throughout high school. If you like the PSAT, then the SAT is the right choice for you. Additionally, the SAT may be your best bet if you are good at math or you could take the ACT if you are not math oriented and more of a science-based person. For either one, I recommend studying and taking practice tests a couple months before and not on the day of the test. Procrastination is not the key for trying to do well on your college admission tests. You can decide which score to give your college if the first time wasn’t your best score. Both tests have essays but it is up to your future college if you need to take it. Plus you have resources to actually practice and prepare yourself. It is good to see how you do on a practice test to give you a heads up on your mistakes and problems before-hand. Take time to pick your exam and maybe even take both to see for yourself if you just do not know. The differences allow for students to have different experiences with each exam like me. You got this! Here are resources to practice the ACT and/or SAT. https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/sat-practice-test-1.pdf https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat/full-length-sat-1 https://blog.prepscholar.com/complete-official-act-practice-tests-free-links https://uniontestprep.com/act/practice-test 319.337. 1270. ACT Helpline if you have more questions 1 (866) 630-9305. SAT Helpline if you have more questions 1 (800) 273-8439 Princeton Review. For help on both exams
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