Five Study Tips to Help You Get That ‘A’

Five Study Tips to Help You Get That “A”

Taking a test can often be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you have a lot riding on your score. After all, test results can determine whether or not you’re accepted into your top choice college or receive military college scholarships.

Fortunately, most people agree that the more prepared you feel for exam, the less stressed you’ll be on test day. Here are five tips to help you prepare for your big test.

1) Start way in advance

You should start preparing for a big exam before you even know the test date. The worst thing you can do is wait until the last minute.

Learning the material little by little will save you a lot of time and stress during test week. The further in advance you learn the material, the more chances you’ll have to review it. Each time you cover a new chapter in class, pretend you’ll be tested on it in a few days. Read everything over carefully and take note of what you think is important. These notes will be your lifeline when you approach test day.

2) Make a game plan

You should begin intense preparation for a major exam about a week before the test date. Figure out which areas you’ll need to review most. Don’t neglect any of the material, even if you think it’s easier than the rest. The section you study least could be the section covered most heavily on the exam.

Make yourself some study tools. Many students love flash cards because you can load them with information and take them wherever you go. Others prefer typed-up notes. The brain loves color, so investing in colored pens or highlighters for studying is a great idea.

3) Repeat daily

Ever have trouble remembering a new friend’s name or face? The brain needs to view new information several times before it really remembers it. A daily study regimen is best to make sure you’ll know all the information on test day.

Also be sure to vary the way you study. If you usually start at the beginning of your notes, change it up and start at the middle. That way you won’t be thrown off by the test, which will most likely ask things out of order.

4) Quiz yourself

A great way to prepare for the test is to practice taking it. When you feel you know the material well, quiz yourself. This is really where flash cards can come in handy. Many students like to put a term on one side of the flash card and a definition on the other, so that they can test themselves later.

If you can get a friend to quiz you on the material, that’s even better. Having another person test your knowledge helps simulate the actual test-taking. You can also give yourself practice essay questions or math problems depending on the type of test you have.

5) Relax

Last minute cramming is one of the worst things you can do a few hours before the exam. You’ll just stress your brain out and make it easy to forget the answers to easy questions.

When you reach test day, calmly read over your notes one last time. You can do a practice question or two as a refresher, but don’t overdo it. You’ll do more bad than good if you’re too stressed out.

About the Author

Guest post contributed by Carly Fierro. Passionate about education tips and tricks, she loves to write about everything from the most common grammar mistakes to the best ways to get a military college scholarship.