This semester, I’m gonna pull myself togeteher! I’ll attend lectures, take detailed notes, highlight the most important things, and above all, I’ll plan studying, so I’ll be chilled for the exam period.” And suddenly POOF – you don’t know where all these months went, and you wake up the day before the exam with an empty mind. Now what?
First of all, chill – stress is your worst enemy. As long as you are before the exam, all is not lost, and you could still pass it. Take a deep breath, make yourself your favorite tea (possibly get a coffee, leave an energy drink as the last resort), and get to it! Where to start?
Ask your friends for the notes
If you have your own notes, that’s great. However, it won’t hurt to also use materials of other students from the group. For a good wine or chocolate, many people will share their notes with you, where you’ll surely find additional information needed for the exam.
Besides, reading others’ notes helps memorize the material better. It’s a new text, so the brain focuses more on familiarizing itself with the information. Just don’t overdo it on the amount of notes. You simply need 1-2 sets.
It is also worth asking colleagues from the year above if they have any ready questions for the exam. Let’s not pretend to be saints – student groups often deal tests from previous years. They may not match 100% of what you will find in the exam, but there is a good chance that many of them will repeat themselves. Even so, at least you’ll know what kind of questions to expect, and that’s a big advantage.
Ensure energy and rest
On the day before the exam, the most important thing is the plan and implementation time. So do not delay your studying. As soon as you wake up, deal with the issue while your brain is fresh and rested. Turn off any distractions – the world won’t really collapse when you check out the new TikTok uploads the day after. Yes, this also applies to study breaks!
Speaking of breaks… Make sure you plan them! For example, the Pomodoro technique will work great here. It assumes work in blocks of 25 minutes – 5 minutes break. After 4 such sets, you take a longer, approx. 15–20-minute break. Each time, try to move around during – it will do your body good and allow your brain to rest.
Also, remember to give yourself a good kick of energy. However, don’t do this with energy boosters. Better plan a wholesome meal and drink plenty of water. A well-nourished and hydrated body is a cooperative brain that, instead of focusing on the deficiencies in the body, will begin to absorb new information better. This also applies to sleep, so try not to pull an all-nighter.
Use effective studying methods
Highlight the most important information
The brain doesn’t like monotony. When it sees a wall of text, it slips up. Therefore, to make the assimilation of information a bit more pleasant, circle the most important points in your notes. You can also draw patterns or small drawings. This will be a good starting point for remembering where the required information was located.
Create a mind map
It is one of the most effective methods based on association. How does it work? To create a mind map, write the topic you want to work on in the center of the page in capital letters. Then write around it in the form of a “tree” all associations, elements, subgroups of issues, definitions, quotes from lectures or excerpts from the textbook that are related to the selected topic. Use printed letters, colors, drawings, arrows, and anything else that will make it easier for you to remember it all. The more ornaments, the better!
Create a cheat sheet!
When plan A fails, prepare plan B early on. Writing cheat sheets is also an excellent studying method through topic repetition. Nobody said that you have to use them, but being aware of having study aids will surely give you confidence during the exam.
And if you want to… the Forbidden Pen ® will help you with that! Check out our offer and stock up effectively for the exam.
Sources:
https://interviewme.pl/blog/technika-pomodoro
https://elingwista.com/skuteczne-metody-nauczania-mapa-mysli/
