Retaining Information
Make flashcards. Create flashcards by hand or online. Whatever method you use, however, make sure that you create your own flashcards. Creating your own flashcards creates neural pathways. These neural pathways will help you retrieve the important information you learned at a later date. Study your flashcards in small 15 to 20-minute sessions. Make your flashcards by writing down key concepts and ideas on one side, and the answers on the other side. Mix pictures with words on your flashcards. You can use sites like Quizlet, Adobe Spark, or Cram to make flashcards online.
Use mnemonic devices. Acronyms and mnemonic devices are a great way to memorize difficult information. String together words to make a memorable phrase or sentence. Each word in the phrase should start with the letter of the piece of information you are trying to remember. For example, the phrase, “Never eat shredded wheat” is used by students to remember the order north, east, south, and west appear on a compass.
Quiz yourself. Test your knowledge by reviewing the practice quizzes at the end of each chapter of your textbook. Review the information that you got wrong on the practice quizzes. Re-take the practice quizzes until you get every answer correct If your textbook doesn’t provide practice quizzes, then create your own. Create open-ended questions based off of your notes and the textbook. Open-ended questions will force you to write out your answers, which will help you retrieve and apply your knowledge during the quiz. Alternatively, have a friend create a practice quiz for you.
Using Effective Study Methods
Review your study materials. Don’t just go over your study materials once, but 3 or 4 times. Repetition is key here. Review the information until you have grasped the important concepts. For example, if you made flashcards, review these once a day for a week before your quiz day. As you review your flashcards, repeat important concepts and dates out loud.
Study in advance. Try not to wait until the last minute to study for your quiz. If possible, study at least 1 week in advance. This way, you have enough time to review your notes and flashcards more than once. It will also give you time to ask your teacher questions to clarify concepts you don’t fully understand. For example, if you have a quiz on Tuesday, begin reviewing your notes and creating flash cards the Tuesday before. If the quiz is announced last-minute, or if you’ve simply been procrastinating, you can still cram in some studying. Review your study materials and rewrite your notes, focusing on the most important concepts, terms, equations, or dates.
Find out the structure or format of the quiz. If possible, you should find out how the quiz will be structured so you know how best to study. Ask your instructor about the format of the quiz in advance. You would want to study for a multiple choice test differently than you would for an essay exam, for instance.
Discuss the information. Discuss the information you are learning with friends or family members. Storytelling can be very useful here. By presenting the information to your friends in the form of a story, you will connect the information with visual imagery. This will help you recall important information during the quiz. If you need to learn about an important person for your quiz, for example, then tell your friends an exciting story about the person.
Studying in an Appropriate Setting
Find a quiet place. Investigate multiple places to see if they suit your studying needs. The area you choose should be in a quiet place, and away from loud, central gathering areas, like the kitchen table or living room. Finding a study area that you can rely on is also important because studying in the same place every day will improve your concentration. Developing the habit of studying in the same, quiet place at the same time every day will improve your concentration significantly.
Eliminate distractions. Playing games online, surfing the web, texting, and checking your social media accounts are distractions that have nothing to do with studying. Put unnecessary materials, like phones and computers, away when studying for your quiz. Only bring your basic studying materials with you, like your notes, textbook, flash cards, paper, and pens. If you take notes on your computer, print out your notes before you begin studying.
Review your material before sleeping. Before lying down to sleep, review the toughest material the night before the quiz. This will make it easier to recall the information the next day during the quiz. Try to get a good night’s rest, as well. Make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep the night before the quiz.
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