Updated: 06/05/2024
Around the exam period time, many students are searching for studying tips. We are here to provide you with clear guidelines too.
Many students are struggling with the same things. The most important thing for most is that ‘everything’ is more fun than studying, so how can you study as efficiently and successfully as possible for the coming eams? Here are the very best studying tips :
1. Planning
The most important tip is to prepare a concrete schedule. If you know how many pages you can process per hour (in a thorough way, depending on the subject), you can also prepare a realistic schedule. A student can process an average of five pages per hour. This can be faster or slower depending on the difficulty of the course. If you translate this into eight hours of study, this means that you can study 40 pages per day.
Organize your day in this way: for example, "Today I study from biology pages 40 to 80". You will notice that it will delay you less than when you say: "Today I will do biology". The vaguer the plan, the easier it is to postpone. "Oh, just this episode" or "I still have some time to do my shopping", are easy arguments to postpone. The episode and groceries can be fine as a break.
The ratio that you best use while studying is 50 minutes of study versus 10 minutes of pause. Studying for a shorter or longer period is no problem, but adjust your break accordingly. Also, try not to do the same course for days in a row. Studies show that spreading is really very important. Try to do a certain course for a day, then alternate and start your third day by recalling the knowledge you gained the first day.
2. Structure, analyze and ask questions
The amount of subject matter is often very large. If you started a little late, it’s hard to catch up. You then tend to just read the material to have gone through everything. However, reading alone is not an efficient method to really master your course. Compare it with a long route following the GPS. You will be fine for the first time. Take the GPS away and it is getting a lot harder. The reason for this is that when we read for the first time our brains construct ‘a path’ between pieces of information. However, this is a walking path and what you need for an exam is a motorway.
The only way to get that motorway is to really structure your substance thoroughly, analyze it and constantly ask yourself questions. If you really had to build a road, you would do this too. When you first read, make sure that you add structure to your course and that you have thought about this structure. You don’t have to learn everything you understand from the outside. Analytical reading is the message! Constantly ask yourself questions such as: "What is actually written here?", "How does this relate to the course?", "Do I know anything about this and, if so, what?"
To handle a course you don’t have to build one highway, but several. You want to create an entire network so that you can get the information you need in the quickest and easiest way. Make use of the knowledge that you already have. It is harder to learn something completely new than to connect something with the knowledge that is already in your head.
3. Repeat and check
Thirdly, we notice that students do not repeat themselves in an efficient way or check themselves. If you have followed a route with the GPS, you will recognize the area a second time, but will you also get there yourself? You want to test this beforehand by solving exam questions from previous years (bonus: questions often come back!), Come up with questions yourself or answer questions from others.
The central theme is the questions because an exam only consists of questions. The more you solve it, the greater the chance that you have mastered the material sufficiently to be able to do it at the exam. A good way to solve knowledge questions is to go over your table of contents and ask yourself what you still know about those specific parts. Don’t you know anything? No problem, just look it up. This activity is very useful for detecting and supplementing gaps in your knowledge. You can prepare insight questions yourself while going through the course. Consider comparing topics with each other, coming up with examples yourself or being able to list the advantages and disadvantages of a certain method.
4. Be positive
Stress is a logical phenomenon during exams. We want to do well and our body responds to the pressure we feel. A little stress is not a problem, it ensures that you function better. Unfortunately, many students experience too much stress, which leads to mental and physical complaints. This is often caused by uncertainty about your preparation. You can already tackle this with your planning.
In addition, it is important to maintain a positive approach when studying. It is more motivating to say to yourself "I only have three chapters!" Then "I have three more chapters …". Also focusing on the ‘here and now’ helps. Worry often consists of worries about the future and tomorrow. If you decide to do your best right now and you choose to focus on the current piece, you can already turn off this worrying behavior. To counteract physical stress, you can do relaxation exercises. You can find more information online for this.
5. Sleep
Finally, we want to emphasize the importance of good sleep. Your brain needs time to consolidate the information you have acquired. See this as curing the road. If you don’t give your brain time for this, it’s not going to be a solid motorway. Spending the night is often not a good idea. At the exam, you are less alert and you make mistakes because you are tired.
The ideal moment to study can change from person to person. It is possible that you are a night person earlier and you can concentrate better in the evening. Try to adjust your study pattern to this from the beginning of the block by starting later and ending later. Conversely, if you are a morning person, it is best to get up early to be able to start when you are still fresh. Extra tip: If you have a dip, go for a walk in the outdoors. This gives you a fresh head again.
We hereby summarize all the tips :
Make a concrete schedule and be realistic. Also, pause regularly.
Structure and analyze your course and ask yourself questions to gain more insight. You don’t have to learn what you understand from the outside.
Check yourself by asking yourself on the basis of the table of contents. Also, solve exam questions from previous years.
Use a positive approach and focus on the here and now.
Make sure you get enough sleep and adjust your study rhythm to the moments in the day when you can best concentrate.
For last-minute exams preparation, you may also consider looking for a home tutor to help you with the study. Visit Tuition Domain.
