Ace your midterms with these study tips
If your blood pressure rises when midterms draw near, then it’s probably time to start studying. That’s because performing well on exams isn’t just a matter of being smart. It’s also a matter of being prepared. Ace your midterms with these study tips:
1. Start studying as early as you can.
Don’t cram all night immediately before exams. Instead, study for shorter periods of time on a more regular basis over time. This encourages long-term data retention instead of temporary memorization.
2. Study often.
As suggested above, studying more frequently is better than studying for longer periods of time. Learning, after all, is an exercise in repetition: the more times you visit the material, the better you’re able to remember it.
3. Study during the day.
Doing it at night means you’re probably doing it tired. Tired people don’t focus well or retain as much. Even if you’re not tired when you study, you’ll probably be tired the next day as a result of studying, which limits the usefulness of follow-up study sessions.
4. Exercise first.
Take a jog, ride a bike, run up and down the stairs, hit the gym, or just do some jumping jacks in your dorm room. The movement will increase blood flow to your brain. Now, a little science for you: brains with increased blood flow work better, remember more, and have an easier time recalling information.
5. Study in different places.
According to The New York Times, just switching study spots each time you study increases data retention, so it pays to come up with what you might call a “location rotation.” Hit the library, the coffee shop, your dorm room, study lounges around campus—anywhere and everywhere that’s suitable for studying. The point here: variety is the spice of life and studying.
6. Know your ideal environment.
If you study best in a group, find one. If you like your silence, skip the aforementioned coffee shop. Know how your brain works, where you can and can’t focus, and make the extra effort to find conditions you excel under. Then seek them out.
7. Make sure you have your books.
Don’t think that going to class in enough. You need your textbooks! Buy or rent your books with ValoreBooks, to save up to 90% off list price. Plus, once the semester is over, you can sell those textbooks back for cash!