With finals approaching I thought it would be worthwhile to provide some tips that I have seen work for other students.
The first thing is to plan out your study time. There is a lot of research that supports studying a little each day is better than cramming the night before the exam.
For example, if I was studying for the AP micro exam I might dedicate 30 minutes a day. The first day I would take the biggest unit and spend the entire 30 minutes using some of the techniques below. The next day I would spend 25 minutes on the next unit and then use five minutes to go over the first unit. As you continue to study a new unit remember to go back and review the previously studied units. This allows you to continue to reinforce the concepts of the biggest unit.
Secondly, develop a list of all the terms that you will need to know. This list can be provided for you by your teacher or you can go through your notes and textbook to develop this list.
Once you have developed this list one of the best methods of studying is retrieval practice. Using simple flash cards with the concepts on the front and the answers on the back is extremely effective. If there are certain concepts that give you trouble I would put them in a pile so that you can go over them again the next day.
One of the things that I find effective is to take a concept and then build on it. So, for example I might be thinking about Average Total Cost and then I work to see how many other concepts I can link to Average Total Cost. Immediately I would think about average variable cost, average fixed cost, productively efficient, economic profit, exit, shutdown, supply curve, fair return etc. When I connect these concepts to each other it allows me to recall them better but also increases my understanding of the concepts.
Thirdly, as you go through the concepts try to find examples that are relevant to you. Whenever you can provide an example that relates to your own life you have a better chance to recall it later. As you go through your day think about thinks that happened which might relate to the material that you are studying.
If you have been provided practice questions by your teacher this is a great way to study. If not than you can make up your own practice questions. When you take these practices, questions do not use your notes or textbook. At the end of the practice session see which ones you did not get correct and go back to your notes so that you can understand your mistake.
I am confident that if you stick to your study schedule and use some of the methods above that you will improve your results.
I find that the source of cramming for exams comes from last weeks topic where our attention becomes diverted from the books or we, as students, just don't feel like studying. I have heard since my freshman year, that if you study the material for a little while each night until the exam, you will do better. I understand there is some secret to this method, but personally, I have never tried it so I might have to give it a shot. But, I have been using flashcards since elementary school and they have always worked. Finally, even if there is cramming involved, study schedules help the most with organization so you can plan your day/week.
ReplyDeleteMichael Berg
DeleteYour second and third methods to improve studying have helped in my own personal experience. I better understand individual concepts when they are tied together to form an underlying idea. It stands in for pure memorization and helps me remember things during tests without purely memorizing the information. The application of the class to real life also improves my performance on tests. This is because it allows me to interpret the use of the theories and principles I learn. I believe both of the previous studying principles help provide a frame of reference for truly understanding the topic.
ReplyDelete-Nick Boehl
With all the responsibilities we tackle throughout the week, studying for exams can become the most inconvenient. Last week's topic of time management really comes into play in the eyes of exam time. Everyone - or at least the people that I know, desire for the shining grade on their tests. And of course everyone feels entitled, or like they deserved a good grade. The fact of the matter is though most of us fail to study in ways that are specifically curated for us. I am not more inclined to read over lecture notes rather I write out important details and reworking problems to memory. My strategies previously assisted me in taking an AP Physics midterm. My take on studying is: as a student, you should be responsible in knowing your weakness and with that you must study in a way that is more efficient for you and your goals
ReplyDelete-Amondo Lemmon
I have always been a good test taker but this definitely isn't the only thing I need to do for an exam. For 4 years I have planned out my study time for my subjects and it really has helped me greatly for the exams. I have always done pretty well on my exams (not always as well as I hoped however). Nevertheless, planning out your study time truly does help. I always studied more on the subjects I struggled more in and it really makes a difference.
ReplyDelete-- Will Cook
As I read this in depth description of different study habits, I found myself thinking about what I do to study, and I never found anything specific. I think that studying is important, and its always good to change up the study habits so studying doesn't become tedious. I think that understanding a topic has to start with enjoyment and curiosity. Studying enhances that. So I think that studying should be made as kind of fun way to enhance that enjoyment.
ReplyDelete-Ben Hooper
One thing that I struggle with is the first study tip with planning time to study. The main reason being that I do not quite know how to plan my time. The other two tips I generally do. The main way I study is by making a quizlet with a bunch of terms and it helps me out. I also like to use the study guides that teachers sometimes provide and use questions from previous tests to help study. I spend the most time with the test I did the worst on and I also study the questions I got wrong more than the other ones.
ReplyDelete~ Nick Bush
One of the greatest study strategies taught to me by LaSalle was studying over extended periods of time. One of the most productive that was taught was to pup recognition questions in my notes the night after a lecture. Instead of not looking over my notes for a month at a time i got a little remembrance of what was taught the night after to solidify it in my brain so it was not entirely lost. Another i have found very helpful is to highlight, underline and bold my notes after a lecture to get a micro review each time reading while also gaining formatting ease. This combined with quizlet has help me massive amounts with studying for quizzes, tests, and exams.
ReplyDelete- Henry Jones
I really appreciate this tip (even though I don't plan on taking this year's final exams) because it is something I will need in the future and it would probably fix a problem that I often exhibit in my exams. I often remember myself going over a specific topic or problem but forgetting how to do it on the spot of the exam. Of course, some of that forgetfulness may be attributed to being nervous at the time of the exam, but I believe this technique will help me to overcome this mistake at least slightly. The second tip I'm glad you mentioned because that is actually a skill that I usually do, so it's a bit reassuring to see you agree with that idea. My biggest problem is making and sticking to my practice schedule, I'm sure if I practice composure when studying, I would do a lot better.
ReplyDelete- Izzy Nnadozie
DeleteThank you for the tip. Personally for me studying for exams over the past 4 years has not been hard. However the one thing I greatly struggle with is organization. I have been working to improve this problem with a few teachers and feel that finally as a senior I feel prepared to go to college and take exams efficiently.
ReplyDelete- Andrew Guidi
As a very lazy student, I can confirm that you can make it through Calvert Hall with studying minimally and being a good guesser. However, there are times where I have fully prepared for a test or quiz and have reaped the benefits. I definitely need to improve on my organization skills and studying habits. I also need to go to the doctors to get treatment for my terminal senioritis.
ReplyDeletekowalczyk
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