Wednesday 18 December 2013

How to Study for Final Exams in College

Everyone in school has to take them – final exams, that is. But, not everyone knows how to study for final exams, and college is where things get tricky. Exams in college are much different than they are in high school. Likely, in high school, you received a study guide, or an explicit list of information to know for your final exam. In college, you may not get anything at all, so you'll need to study in a very different way. Here are a few tips for how to study for final exams in college. Use them to your very best advantage!
How to study for any test

1. Identify the Type of Exam

scantronGetty Images
Some professors or adjuncts will give you an essay exam at the end of the semester. Just think of it – tons and tons of information crammed into a three-hour essay. Sounds fabulous, doesn't it? Some teachers stick strictly to short answer questions, while others will give you a multiple-choice exam or a combination of sorts. I've known profs who have allowed notes, while others have not. It's imperative that you find out the type of exam you'll be receiving and whether or not you'll be able to use your notes. Multiple-choice final exams are a whole different ball of wax than essay final exams, and as such, must be studied for in quite a different way! Ask, if your teacher isn't forthcoming.
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2. Divide and Conquer

PlannerGetty Images | Nick M Do
So, you have a semester's worth of material to remember for the big day. How do you manage to learn it all? Some of the stuff you were taught at the beginning of the first nine weeks has gone right out of your head! Divvy up the material you have to learn according to the number of days prior to the day before the test. (You need an overall review day before the final). Then, divide the material accordingly. If you have fourteen days before the exam, and you want to start studying, then chop the semester into fourteen equal parts and study a section on each day. That way, you won't get overwhelmed with the enormity of the task.

3. Schedule Time

BusyGetty Images | Henrik Sorenson
As you know if you're a college student, it's not only important to learn how to study for final exams, it's important to find the time to do it! You're busy – I get that. You have work, and classes, and extracurriculars and sports and fitness and yadda yadda yadda. You must carve out an hour or so a day to fit studying into your schedule. It will not present itself – you'll have to sacrifice some things to get it done. Check out my time management chart and fill in all the responsibilities/appointments/etc. you have for one week and see where you might be able to cut back to make sure you're ready for test day.

4. Learn Your Learning Style

Getty Images | Jessica Boone
You may be a kinesthetic learner and not even realize it. Take a learning styles quiz and figure it out prior to studying – your solo, sit-at-a-desk study session may not be doing you any favors at all! Or, you might be a group study person. Have you given it a shot? Sometimes, students study the best for final exams with others. Or, maybe you're into studying solo. That's great! But figure out if it's better for you to study with music or without, and choose the best study spot for you - a crowded coffee shop with white noise may be less distracting for you than the library. Everyone is different! In college, it's imperative that you figure out how you learn best, as you'll have little guidance. At this stage of the game, professors assume you know what you're doing. Make sure that you do!

5. Review Session – Yes, Please!

Math on chalkboardGetty Images | Jack Hollingsworth
More than likely, your professor or TA will host a review session before the final exam. By all means, attend the darn thing. If you fail to go to this class, then you're really in big trouble! This is "How to study for final exams" 101! In it, you'll learn things like the type of exam it is, what kind of information you'll be expected to showcase, and if it's an essay exam, you'll probably get a selection of topics you may see on test day. Whatever you do, don't miss it!

1, 2, and 3 Month Study Schedule

Study Schedule For A Standardized Test

If you’re preparing for a standardized test like the SAT, GRE, LSAT, etc., you need a study schedule that encompasses months, not weeks or days! Below, I’ve listed a one-month, two-month, and three-month study schedule to help you prepare for your major test.

One Month Study Schedule

Getty Images | Bally Scanlon
If you only have one month to prepare for your exam, you have to remember that your individual study sessions will be longer, despite the fact that your study schedule is shorter. So if your days are packed full of things to do, then consider increasing your time frame so your daily study time is reduced.
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Two Month Study Schedule

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Expanding your study schedule to include another month will help you considerably. You’ll be able to squeeze in an additional practice test, and evaluate your scores after each to make corrections and truly learn from your mistakes.

Three Month Study Schedule

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Ideally, I’d recommend using the three-month study schedule. Here, you’ll be able to spread out your learning, so your brain has time to soak it all in. In addition, your weakest subject will get more attention, and often, that can make or break your score.

How to Form and Study With a Study Group

Study Group Dynamics

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Sometimes it’s tough to study all alone, so forming a study group is a great idea if you do it correctly. Here are a few tips for forming and studying with a study group
More Study Skills of Successful Students

How to Form a Study Group

Forming a study group is just as important as what you do when you’re in the group. For maximum success, keep the following things in mind.
  • Choose 4-6 good members: Approach people you’d choose as study partners - you know, the good students, focused individuals, people who actually take notes. Choose wisely, so you’re not stuck carrying the entire study load on your shoulders.
  • Choose a study format: What kind of study group are you going to form? Will one person ask questions and everyone else answer? Will everyone have a task? Will you break into pairs and regroup? Choose what you’ll do ahead of time, so you don’t waste precious study time arguing about what you’re going to do.
  • Find an appropriate study place: You can’t form a study group in the middle of your dorm or lunchroom. Choose a quiet place to study like the library, or a place with ambient noise, like a bookstore or coffee shop. If you’re required to study in your classroom, then choose a spot near a wall, so you can limit your distractions.

How to Study With Your Study Group

  • Assign study group roles: Your first order of business should be to assign roles to your study group if you’re using that method. Choose from roles like the leader, a note-taker, a time manager, a researcher and someone to make sure everyone participates. You’ll help your group out immensely if everyone has a responsibility.
  • Set a timer: Choose the length of time for your study session, and get out your phone or watch and time yourselves. Make sure the time manager keeps track of how long you have left and gives warnings so you use your time the most effectively.
  • Work through all of the material: Be sure to systematically go through every bit of information covered on the test. Review former quiz questions, questions in the text, and lecture notes. Compare information to see if you truly understand the material.
  • Review: Quiz at the end of the study session with everyone’s notes closed. Take turns asking and answering questions.

    5 Things To Do the Day of the Test

    What To Do the Day of the Test in School

    Everyone has those nervous butterflies zipping around in their insides the day of the test, but when you have just minutes before your teacher, professor, or proctor distributes the test, what else can you do? It's already the day of the test! Sure, it's probably too late to learn Quantitative Reasoning strategies for the GRE, but the day of the test is not too late to engage in some helpful activities that will increase your score on a test in school.
    15 Things NOT To Do the Day of A Standardized Exam Like the SAT, GRE, and More

    1. Prepare Physically.

    Getty Images | Peter Dazeley
    On the day of the test, head to the bathroom before you get to class. Get a drink of water. Eat a breakfast that involves brain food! Exercise. Prepare yourself physically before you take your exam, so your body isn't zing-zonging messages to your brain that will distract you. Nothing says, "Poor score" like a hungry belly growling during testing time, or restless legs itching to get up and move.
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    2. Review.

    Getty Images | Anne Cutting
    Go through your review sheet or flashcards one last time. Your eyes may glimpse some small fact that will show up on the test, and that last look will help you remember it.

    3. Calm down.

    Getty Images | Mark Lewis
    Overcome your test anxiety. Getting anxious about your exam will not help you score your highest! So take some calming breaths and relax. You'll be fine.

    4. Flex.

    Getty Images | Paul Conrath
    Yes, I do mean flex your muscles. No, you don't have to do the whole, "Which way to the gym?" bicep flex. Just clench and unclench your fists, calf muscles, quads. Anything you can flex and unflex sitting down. By bunching and releasing your muscles, you'll rid yourself of any remaining anxiety leftover from your calming activities before.

    5. Chat

    Getty Images | Jack Hollingsworth
    Unless you're specifically told not to, chat up the people sitting next to you the day of the test. What did they think was important to remember? Someone may bring up a fact you never went over. Pick their brains and see if you find anything worth remembering. If you like, quiz each other to test your memories even better.

    How to Cram for a Test

    How to Study if You Only Have Minutes

    How to Cram for a Test Flickr user gotplaid?
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    How to study for any test

    How to Cram

    You've been there, right? You forgot about a test (or procrastinated) and realized that you had less than an hour to cram in as much knowledge as you could. In that situation, some people would rely on a cheat sheet, which is never a good idea. You, on the other hand, don't have to do that. Learn how to cram for a test efficiently, and study for your test even if you only have minutes.
    NOTE: These techniques will not work for tests like the SAT, PSAT, or ACT. If you need study help with those, check here.
    1. Go somewhere quiet.
    Head to the library if you're in school. If you're studying at home right before the test, turn off the TV, shut off your cell, power down the computer. Tell your friends to leave you alone. You have less than an hour to cram, so you're going to need 100% of your focus.
    2. Learn your study guide.
    Most teachers pass out study guides for a major test. If your teacher is one of them, use it now. If you have to cram for a test, it is the only resource you have time to use. Memorize everything on it, using mnemonic devices like acronyms or a song. Don't bother making flashcards at this point – you'll just be wasting time if you only have minutes.
    3. Crack the book
    If you misplaced your study guide, then head to the book. Read the first two pages of every chapter that's being covered on the test, looking for major ideas, vocabulary, and concepts. Read the last page of every chapter, too, answering the review questions in your head. If you can't find an answer to a review question, then look it up in the book. It's probably a question on the test.
    If you still have time…
    4. Review your notes/quizzes/assignments
    Your teacher probably created your exam based on the notes, quizzes and assignments he or she gave out during the unit. Read through everything you can, memorizing the info on the pages.
    If you still have time…
    5. Quiz yourself.
    Now is not the time to hunt down your best friend and have him or her quiz you. This is a cram session! You'll waste time! Cover up the answers on the study guide and quiz yourself, instead.

    Cram Tips

    1. If you can't find any of your study materials, find the smartest kid in the class and ask to borrow his or her study guide. Bonus points if you can get him or her to study with you.
    2. Write down your mnemonic devices on your test as soon as the teacher gives it to you before you forget your acronyms and phrases you created to remember the material. Once you start testing, you may forget them!
    3. Ask the teacher for help if you get stuck on something. Teachers will often lead you in the right direction if you're struggling.

      Conquer Time Management Once and For All

      5 Steps For Conquering Time Management

      Conquer Time Management Once and For All flickr user laffy4k
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      Time Management Intro

      Are you one of those people who shows up ten minutes late to class or works with assignments either missing or disorganized? Do you feel stressed because you can't seem to figure out this whole "time management" thing and are always spending extra money buying meals on the run or re-purchasing things you can't find in your cluttered house? Are you feeling guilty for not fitting in the gym, time with your kids, spouse, or friends?
      Time management is key to working efficiently. If you use the following steps, they'll help get you feel less stressed and become more productive.
    4. Figure out where your time goes. Print two copies of the "Where Do I Spend My Time" spreadsheet pdf at the bottom of this page. One chart is for your typical weekly routine right now. The other is for your new, organized routine. Fill out the first chart with your current weekly routine, and fill out the second chart with your absolute imperatives (work and sleep.)
    5. Reconsider the time drains.Take a look at your chart and see what your time drains are - the useless portions of the day that are unimportant to you where you're spinning your wheels and accomplishing next to nothing. Did you find that you spend three hours watching TV at night? Or messing with Facebook or Twitter? Are you running up to the store three days a week because you haven't taken the time to make a list? That's a time drain!
      On your new chart, reevaluate your time drains. Where could you cut back to free some hours for other, more important things? You'll gain more hours than you even realize if you cut out just a few of the time drains.
    6. Schedule productivity. After you've freed up some time by banishing the time drains, mark some "productivity" time into your schedule. Physically set an appointment with yourself every day to manage your life, and things won't pile up all at once. If you gain an extra hour in the evening by cutting back your Facebook time, then spend it catching up with what you've been leaving out – plan some meals at home, manage your bills, reorganize the closet, fix the leaky faucet, go through the mail, make a grocery list.
      On your new chart, schedule some productivity time right now.
    7. Schedule leisure. It might sound silly to plan free time, but if you don't do it, you'll take it anyway, and it typically cuts into the productivity time. So plan some fun, relaxing things to do in your week. Make them a priority by getting rid of time drains to do it. You'll be surprised how truly relaxing it feels to have scheduled leisure time because there's no guilt; you've taken care of everything else you needed to do, so you've earned it!
      On your new chart, schedule some leisure time right now.
    8. Plan for setbacks. You'll never be able to stop that railroad crossing from pushing you off schedule. Your kids will inevitably throw a temper tantrum as you're trying to get them off to school. But if you plan for the occasional disastrous day, it's easy to recover.
      On your new chart, leave several hours open during your week for "setback recovery." These are the hours you can spend writing thank-you notes, shopping for a last-minute gift, rescheduling missed appointments, etc. If you have the time scheduled in your week, those disastrous moments won't leave you asking yourself, "Where am I going to find the time to fix that blown tire?" You'll already have it scheduled. And having that extra time is imperative to time management.
    See? Time management isn't so hard; it just requires a little bit of planning. And yes, you can do it. Take the time right now – RIGHT NOW – and print the charts. Put them in your purse or pocket and get organized tonight. Your sanity, wallet, and loved ones are counting on it!

    Study for an Exam in Two Days

    How to Study for an Exam in Two Days

    Study for an Exam in Two Days Carltons
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    How to study for any test
    Your teacher has given you the warning, "Study for an exam coming up!" weeks ago, but you didn't listen. You've given yourself just two days to study for an exam. Should you be worried? Maybe not. Not if you learn how to study for an exam properly. Sure, your time management skills may not be all they're cracked up to be, but at least you didn't resort to studying the night before the test, or worse – cramming.
    So here is a schedule to help you study for an exam in two days. Read on!

    Study for an Exam Day 1: Ask, Organize and Review

    In School:
    1. Ask your teacher what type of exam it will be. Multiple choice? Essay? That'll make a difference in how you prepare
    2. Ask your teacher for a review sheet if he/she hasn't already given you one. (i.e. test content)
    3. Get a study partner set up for tomorrow night if possible – even via phone/facebook/Skype.
    4. Take home your notes, old quizzes, textbook, assignments and handouts from the unit being tested.
    At Home:
    1. Organize your notes. Rewrite or type them up so they're legible. Organize your handouts according to dates. Make note of anything you're missing. (Where's the vocab quiz from chapter 2?)
    2. Review the material you have. Go through the review sheet to find out what you're supposed to know. Read through your quizzes/handouts/notes, highlighting anything you'll be tested on. Go through your book's chapters, rereading sections that were confusing to you/unclear/not memorable. Ask yourself the questions from the back of each chapter covered by the exam. Stay focused!

    Study for An Exam Day 2: Memorize and Quiz

    In School:
    1. Clarify anything you didn't totally understand with your teacher. Ask for missing items (that vocab quiz from chapter 2).
    2. Teachers often review the day before an exam, so if he or she is reviewing, pay close attention and write down anything you didn't read the night before. If the teacher mentions it today – it's on the exam, guaranteed!
    3. Confirm study date with a friend for this evening.
    At Home:
    1. Set a timer for 45 minutes, and memorize everything on the review sheet that you don't already know using mnemonic devices like acronyms or singing a song. Take a five-minute break when the timer goes off, and get started again for another 45-minutes. Repeat until your study partner arrives.
    2. Quiz. When your study partner arrives (or you mom finally concedes to quizzing you), take turns asking possible exam questions to each other. Make sure each of you has a turn asking and answering because you'll learn the material best by doing both.

      How to Study the Night Before a Test

      How to Study if You Only Have Hours

      How to Study the Night Before a Test Getty Images | Jack Hollingsworth
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      How to study for any test
      Some people would call it "cramming" if you study the night before a test. I do not. If you study the night before a test, you still have hours, not minutes to prepare. Hours! The things you can learn (if short-term) in hours!
      So, do not feel frightened if you've procrastinated until the night before a test to study, although your time management skills do leave something to be desired. You can still learn something to pass the test, even if you're just studying the night before.

      How to Study the Night Before a Test

      Eat some brain food.
      And brain food is definitely not Cocoa Puffs. Scramble up some eggs for dinner, followed by a few bites of dark chocolate. Boost your brain's workability by giving it what it needs to function properly. Plus, by eating something before you begin studying, you'll be less tempted to get hungry (and distracted) and quit studying early.
      Prepare for other physical needs.
      Go to the bathroom. Get a beverage. Dress comfortably, but not too cozily (you don't want to end up falling asleep.) Get all the ants out of your pants by running down the street and back. I'm serious. Prepare your body as much as you can for the sit-down study session ahead of you, so you have no excuses to get up and go somewhere.
      Organize your study materials.
      Get all the materials that relate to the test you're taking – notes, handouts, quizzes, book, projects – and lay them neatly out on your desk, floor, or bed, so you can see what you have to work with.
      Set a timer for 45 minutes.
      You're going to study in 45-minute increments followed by 5-minute breaks. If you try to study indefinitely for hours and hours, your brain will overload and you'll have to work to regain your focus on studying. It's better to have smaller goals with mini-rewards (the breaks) so you can last as long as is necessary to learn the material. So, set a timer for 45 minutes and get going.
      Follow your study guide.
      If your teacher gave you study guide, then start learning as much as possible on it. Refer to your notes, handouts, quizzes, book, etc. when you're unfamiliar with an item on the guide. Memorize everything on it, using mnemonic devices like acronyms or a song.
      If you didn't get a study guide
      then refer to your notes, handouts, quizzes, and book to look for things that may be on the test. Teachers create exams from material already presented to you in class, so your lecture notes are invaluable. Memorize the notes with the mnemonic devices. Didn't take too many notes? Look at the last two pages of each chapter covered on the test, and ask yourself the review questions. Look at the first two pages of each chapter, and learn the basic information about each subtitle. Memorize quiz questions, and items handed to you in class.
      Get a study partner to quiz you.
      Go get your mom/best friend/brother/anyone and have him or her quiz you on the material. Have them fire questions at you and answer quickly, making a list of anything you get stuck on or can't remember. Once you've been quizzed, take your list and study that material over until you've got it.
      Make a quick review list.
      Write down all your mnemonic devices, important dates, and quick facts on one sheet of paper, so you can refer to it tomorrow morning before the big test.
      Get some sleep.
      Nothing will make you do worse on a test than pulling an all-nighter. Trust me on this. You may be tempted to stay up all night and cram in as much as is possible, but by all means, get some sleep the night before. When it comes to testing time, you won't be able to recall all the info you learned because your brain will be functioning in survival mode.
      Sneak peeks at your review list
      throughout the day until testing time comes around – when you're going to your locker, when you're waiting for the teacher to start talking, on your way to lunch, etc. PUT THE REVIEW SHEET AWAY before the test. You don't want to risk getting a zero for cheating after all the time you put into studying!

      Study for an Exam in Two Days

      How to Study for an Exam in Two Days

      Study for an Exam in Two Days Carltons
      Ads
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      How to study for any test
      Your teacher has given you the warning, "Study for an exam coming up!" weeks ago, but you didn't listen. You've given yourself just two days to study for an exam. Should you be worried? Maybe not. Not if you learn how to study for an exam properly. Sure, your time management skills may not be all they're cracked up to be, but at least you didn't resort to studying the night before the test, or worse – cramming.
      So here is a schedule to help you study for an exam in two days. Read on!

      Study for an Exam Day 1: Ask, Organize and Review

      In School:
    3. Ask your teacher what type of exam it will be. Multiple choice? Essay? That'll make a difference in how you prepare
    4. Ask your teacher for a review sheet if he/she hasn't already given you one. (i.e. test content)
    5. Get a study partner set up for tomorrow night if possible – even via phone/facebook/Skype.
    6. Take home your notes, old quizzes, textbook, assignments and handouts from the unit being tested.
    At Home:
    1. Organize your notes. Rewrite or type them up so they're legible. Organize your handouts according to dates. Make note of anything you're missing. (Where's the vocab quiz from chapter 2?)
    2. Review the material you have. Go through the review sheet to find out what you're supposed to know. Read through your quizzes/handouts/notes, highlighting anything you'll be tested on. Go through your book's chapters, rereading sections that were confusing to you/unclear/not memorable. Ask yourself the questions from the back of each chapter covered by the exam. Stay focused!

    Study for An Exam Day 2: Memorize and Quiz

    In School:
    1. Clarify anything you didn't totally understand with your teacher. Ask for missing items (that vocab quiz from chapter 2).
    2. Teachers often review the day before an exam, so if he or she is reviewing, pay close attention and write down anything you didn't read the night before. If the teacher mentions it today – it's on the exam, guaranteed!
    3. Confirm study date with a friend for this evening.
    At Home:
    1. Set a timer for 45 minutes, and memorize everything on the review sheet that you don't already know using mnemonic devices like acronyms or singing a song. Take a five-minute break when the timer goes off, and get started again for another 45-minutes. Repeat until your study partner arrives.
    2. Quiz. When your study partner arrives (or you mom finally concedes to quizzing you), take turns asking possible exam questions to each other. Make sure each of you has a turn asking and answering because you'll learn the material best by doing both.

      How to Study for an Essay Test

      How to Study for an Essay Test
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      How to study for any test
      On an essay test, you'll have to go beyond rote memorization of facts. You need to understand the topic 100%, analyze different aspects of the topic, and describe your knowledge coherently. Sounds easy, right? Maybe not, but you CAN do it, so here's what you need to do:
      Difficulty: Easy
      Time Required: Increments of 45 minutes

      Here's How:

    3. Ask for the essay's required length.
      When your teacher tells you it's an essay test, ask these two questions:
      1. Will there be one essay topic or more than one?
      2. What is the approximate length of the response or responses (if more than one)
      Some teachers give essay tests and require one long essay in response to one prompt. Others give essay tests and give two or three (or more) prompts. You'll need to know more facts and details to support your answer/s if your teacher is requiring a long response, so find out.
    4. Ask for the topic.
      Some teachers will tell you what the topic is going to be about to help you prepare. It never hurts to ask! If he or she does tell you the essay topic, then reread the sections in the textbook and notes that coincide with it, underlining anything you don't understand or need to refresh your memory about.
      If you don't know the essay topic beforehand, possible ideas can come from the titles and subtitles of the chapter or chapters you're being tested over. It might be a good idea to make flashcards of the titles/subtitles, listing the title on the front, and important facts and details on the back.
    5. Start studying early.
      It's best to start studying for a test like this in advance. Create a study schedule based on the number of days you have before the test, so you can prepare the most efficiently.
    6. Use mnemonic devices.
      Read through your notes and memorize the details, using mnemonic devices like drawing pictures or creating a song. Some people also find it helpful to rewrite their notes, reorganize their notes, or type them up.
    7. Get a study partner to quiz you.
      To test your knowledge, get someone to ask you random open-ended questions from the textbook or review questions from the end of the chapter. Explain the answers aloud without looking at the text, giving as much detail and support as possible.
    8. Study in 45-minute increments.
      Do not spend three hours studying for a test in a row. Bad, bad, bad. Your mind will overload, and you'll start daydreaming, doodling, or otherwise disengaging from the material. Instead, set a timer for 45 minutes and take a five-ten minute break when it goes off. Head back to studying after the break, though!.
    9. Review the steps for writing an essay if you're required to write a long response, to make sure you don't lose points for clarity issues.

    Tips:

    1. Learn what an essay question might look like. Here are a few examples:
      • Compare and contrast the portrayal of women in Shakespeare's Hamlet and Othello.
      • Explain the parts and functioning of the digestive system
      • Analyze Albert Einstein's theory of relativity
      • Evaluate the contribution of photographers to the artistic world in the 1920's.
      • Describe the power hierarchy of the major Greek gods, beginning with Cronus.

    What You Need

    How to Study For a Test...

    In other words, spend your time learning, not just hacking through the words on the page until they blur into a giant mass of indecipherable grayish figures.

    Effective Reading Strategies For Learning a Chapter

    As I said before, your teacher doesn't care if you read the whole chapter. He or she does care if you know the material. Here's how to minimize your reading and maximize your learning when you read a textbook. Just PEEK, ASK, ANSWER and QUIZ.
    1. Peek. Effective reading starts with dedicating the first part of your reading time to peeking through the chapter - look at chapter headings, view pictures, read the intro and conclusion, and browse through the study questions at the end.
    2. Ask Questions. On a sheet of paper, transform your chapter headings into questions, leaving spaces underneath. Change “Early Romantic Poets” into “Who were the Early Romantic Poets?” Change “The Lithograph” into “What is The Lithograph?” And on and on. Do this for every heading and subheading.
    3. Answer Questions. Read through the chapter to answer the questions you just created. Put the answers in your own words underneath the questions you’ve written on your paper. Paraphrasing what the book says is imperative because you'll remember your own words much longer than someone else's.
    4. Quiz. When you’ve found the answers to all of the questions, read back through your notes with the answers covered to see if you can answer the questions from memory. If not, reread your notes until you can.

    Effective Reading Summary

    If you practice these effective reading strategies, your test/quiz/and exam study time will decrease DRAMATICALLY because you will have learned the material as you go instead of cramming for your test right before exam time

    How to Focus On Studying in 6 Steps

    How to Focus On Studying in 6 Steps
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    We've all been there: Sitting at a desk or table studying intently, and then…Wham! Thoughts from all over the place invade our brains and we get distracted. If it's not our thoughts, it's our roommates. Or neighbors. Or kids.
    These study intruders take over, causing us to lose focus. And focus, friends, is what you need to be able to study for any of the big tests, from the LSAT and MCAT to the SAT and ACT to just your average test in school.
    So how do you focus? These five steps will show you how to regain focus if you get distracted, and how to set yourself up for focus success before your study session ever begins.
    Already lost your focus? Check out 5 ways to get back on track if your focus is already gone.
    Difficulty: Average
    Time Required: 1-2 hours

    Here's How:

    1. Get Rid of Obvious Distractions
      It's not smart to study with your cell phone on, even if it's set to vibrate. As soon as you get a text, you're going to look. You're human! You can't focus on studying if you're chatting with someone else, too. So the cell phone is off limits.
      Turn off the home phone, too, along with the computer (unless you're prepping on it) and any music with vocals. Study music should be lyric-free! Post a sign on your door for people to stay away. If you have kids, find a babysitter for an hour. If you have roommates, head out of the house to the least popular spot in the library. For that one study session, make yourself inaccessible to people and other external study distractions, so you don't lose focus when someone wants to chat.
    2. Anticipate Your Physical Needs
      If you're studying intently, you're going to get thirsty. Grab a beverage before you open the book. You may even need a power snack while you're working, so grab some brain food, too. Use the bathroom, put on comfortable clothes (but not cozy), set the air/heat to best suit you. If you anticipate your physical needs before you start studying, you'll be less likely to need to get out of your seat and lose the focus you worked hard to gain.
    3. Choose an Appropriate Time
      If you're a morning person, choose the a.m. for your study session; if you're a night owl, choose the evening. You know yourself better than anyone else, so choose the time when you're at the height of your brain power and the least tired. It'll be much more difficult to focus if you're battling fatigue, too.
    4. Answer Your Internal Questions
      Sometimes the distractions aren't coming from the external – they're invading from within! We've all sat down to study and had worries and other internal distractions invade our brains. "When is she going to call me? When am I going to get a raise?"
      When these distracting questions invade, accept them, then push them aside with a logical answer:
      1. "When am I going to get a raise?" Answer: "I don't know the answer to that question right now, so I'm going to focus on what I do know right now."
      2. "When is she going to call me?" Answer: "Who knows? Who cares. I need to learn this material to get the best score I can right now. I will think about her call only after I've learned this."
      It seems silly, but if you answer your own internal questions, you'll focus your mind back where you want it to go. If necessary, write the the worry down, solve it in a simplistic manner and move on.
    5. Get Physical
      Some people are just antsy. They need to be doing something, and their bodies don't make the connection that they are doing something during studying. Sound familiar? If you're one of these kinesthetic learners, get out a few things to anticipate an "ants in your pants" issue: a pen, a rubber band, and a ball.
      1. Pen: Underline words when you read. Cross off incorrect answers when you're taking a practice test. Moving just your hand may be enough to shake off the jitters. If it's not...
      2. Rubber band. Stretch it. Wrap it around your pen. Play with the rubber band while you're answering questions. Still feeling jumpy?
      3. Ball. Read a question sitting down, and then stand and bounce the ball against the floor as you think of an answer. Still can't focus?
      4. Jump. Read a question sitting down, then stand and do ten jumping jacks. Sit back down and answer the question.
    6. Get Rid of the Negativity
      It's impossible to focus on studying if you have all sorts of negative ideas about studying. If you're one of those people who say, "I hate studying!" or "I'm too upset/tired/sick/whatever to study, then you must learn how to flip those negative statements into positive ones, so you don't automatically shut down when you open up your notes. It's amazing how quickly studying can become an awful burden with just a poor frame of mind. Here are the top three negative statements people make about studying, and a quick, easy way to fix each one of them.

    Tips:

    1. Don't be afraid to ask for a little quiet if you're studying in a public place. Here are four polite ways to get people to pipe down when you're trying to study.
    2. Use a good pen like the Pilot Dr. Grip. Sometimes a leaky or uncomfortable pen can undermine your study session.
    3. Wear comfortable, not cozy clothes. Your mind will associate relaxing with sweatpants or pj's. Choose something you'd wear to school or a movie.
    4. Tell yourself something positive in case you get distracted despite following the steps above: "I know I lost focus, but I'm going to try again and make sure I'm successful this time." Positive encouragement goes a long way even if it's coming from you.
    5. Drink your favorite beverage while studying as a reward for your ability to stay focused. Keep it non-alcoholic!

    What You Need

    • A good pen
    • A prep book
    • Scrap paper
    • Lyric-free music
    • Your favorite beverage
    • Brain Food
    • A rubber band
    • A tennis ball

      Mnemonic Devices

      Memory Tricks to Prep for that Test

      Mnemonic devices are memory tricks used to help you learn anything from SAT vocab to your regular old Civil War battles. Most people are familiar with verbal devices like acronyms, but there are many types of mnemonic devices from spatial to auditory to kinesthetic to help you remember important information for tests.
      Here are some types of mnemonic devices you may or may not have heard of. Feel free to use profligately!

      1. Acronyms

      Getty Images | Aaron Fielding
      "Roy G. Biv" is a popular acronym used to remember the colors of the rainbow.
      If you have a long list to remember in sequence, try taking the first letter from each item in the sequence and creating a word or several words from those letters. Corporations and organizations do this all the time so customers will remember their business, even if the title is complicated. (NAACP, USDA, FEMA, etc.)
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      2. Phrases

      Getty Images | BMT Media
      "My very elegant mother just served us nine pizzas"
      Create a phrase, even if it's silly, to remember a sequence of items, such as the phrase above which is used to remember the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
      The more you associate the phrase to something you know, the better!

      3. Poems

      "Thirty days has September, April, June and November. Of twenty-eight there is but one, and all the rest have thirty-one." If you're clever, you may be able to create a poem to memorize information you need to know. Trust me, rhymes are difficult to get out of your head, so if you're memorizing vocabulary words, try putting the definition into a rhyming phrase to help it stick.

      4. Songs

      Getty Images | BME Images
      Long lists of things to remember (like the Periodic Table of the elements for instance) go really well put to music. I can still sing the Periodic Table, because I set it to the song, "One little, two little, three little Indians" "Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium" So if you have to memorize all the states and capitols, sing them to your favorite tune. You'll be surprised how many years later you can still remember them.

      5. Drawings

      Copyright Flickr user jlyiesnew
      Your mind will remember a picture much longer than it will a word. So, for instance, instead of memorizing, "20 ways to conserve energy" in list format, you could draw a picture next to each idea, say a light bulb for "Turn off the lights" and the recycling symbol for "Recycle." This also works really well for remembering characters in novels/plays. Draw a stick figure of each character with one unique feature (beard, glasses, cane) next to the character's name so you remember who is who.

      6. Physical Spaces

      Getty Images | BME Images
      It's easy to remember the bones of the body because each bone has a place – a physical place you can point to and associate the word. It would be much more difficult to learn the bones as a list of items. It's easy to remember things spatially, which is why babies learn their body parts very early, before they can even talk.
      Try assigning a piece of information to a body part, or a location you're very familiar with. If you're memorizing the presidents: maybe Washington goes on your forehead, Adams on your nose, Jefferson on your chin, etc. Or, you could put them in your kitchen. Washington leaning against the door, Adams sitting at the table, Jefferson raiding the cookie jar, etc.
      If you arrange things spatially, you can visualize it in your head on test day, and you'll remember more, guaranteed.
    • A quiet place to study
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