Sometimes, the process of test-taking can almost illustrate an exhilarating adventure: the announcement of an assessment, the inciting event that begins your journey; the time you spend studying, your descent into the unknown; the moments before your evaluation, the period before your final battle; and lastly, the results that you achieve, the treasure trove at the end of your quest. But, of course, life isn’t a fairytale, and the aforementioned treasures may not always be what you had hoped for. It can be frustrating to work so hard, to endeavour so much, to trek through the unknown with all your might, only to end up with a result that is less than satisfactory — I know. That’s why this article will act as an adventure guide of some sort, equipping you with the study strategies necessary to guarantee a triumphant, successful campaign. There are a variety of different strategies that you can employ, but your bread and butter mainly boil down to:
By learning and honing the strategies above, you will not only become a confident test-taker, but you will also increase your chances of emerging from your adventures victorious!
One of the main obstacles that you will have to face along your journey is distractions. These obstacles can appear in a variety of forms, ranging from social media apps to video games, but at the end of the day, they all have one common goal: to switch your focus from one thing to another and, therefore, minimize your study time.
In order to surpass this boulder and continue onwards, your primary goal should be to rid your study area of any distractions. This may mean putting your phone in a different room, closing your gaming applications, signing out of your social media pages, or even hiding resources that aren’t related to your area of study. You may also find productivity apps, such as Forest, Headspace, My Study Life, and Circle, useful if you truly cannot refrain from grabbing a distractive device, as they are designed to prevent you from accessing certain applications during designated study periods. Uninstalling applications or handing devices over to someone trustworthy can help as well, since doing so leaves you with only your studies to focus on.
Lyrical music, surprisingly, can also be considered as a distraction, especially when you’re studying for assessments that require a lot of memorization. That’s why you should try listening to some tranquil, instrumental music instead.
Rather than throwing out your past tests, whether they’re formative or summative, or stashing them in the depths of your bag, never to be touched again, storing them in a safe location will allow you to look back on them and use them as effective study tools. After all, if there’s anything I’ve learned in school, it’s that most teachers will take questions from previous evaluations, change a few numbers or words, and then reuse them for future tests. That’s why it’s so important to copy down the correct answers to any questions that you’ve gotten wrong and review them in the future — don’t repeat your past mistakes!
It’s also important to note that reflecting on your academic errors can help you pinpoint what you’re struggling with and, therefore, what you should focus on. It can also shine a spotlight on the concepts you’re nailing, thus helping you figure out what you can spend less time on.
3. Following an effective study schedule
Just as a map leads adventurers to treasure, an organized study schedule guides students to academic success. The main reasons for this stem from the fact that making a schedule can greatly reduce your stress levels, help you manage your workload, and ensure that you do not fall behind in your studies.
One of the most effective ways of creating a schedule is to take a blank calendar and mark it with the topics that you’re going to study each day. Then, highlight the marked topics so that they are colour-coded based on your priorities. If you feel the need to immerse yourself in a specific math unit, for instance, highlight that unit in red; however, if you think that you’ll be able to blow that unit away on a test or exam, highlight it in green. Keep in mind that this colour-coded system would also work with agendas, so don’t be afraid to try it out!
Have you ever heard of the saying, “Study smarter, not harder”? It’s such a short phrase; yet, in just a few words, it’s able to present one of the most crucial components of academic success: active studying.
When you study actively, you’re essentially training your mind, whipping it back into shape and building up its strength until you’re ready to face the ultimate battle ahead. You can’t skim over some information once and call it “active studying,” nor can you expect to reach a glorious conclusion by rereading chapters without writing anything down. You actually have to understand the given material by making and reviewing your own **notes multiple times, creating cue cards for yourself, reciting information, annotating textbooks, and highlighting key points, all while testing yourself on the studied concepts as you move from one topic to the next. If you wish to acquire a firm grasp on the knowledge you’re absorbing, you must engage in active studying!