Study Secrets: Avoid Screwing Yourself
You told yourself two weeks ago that you were going to review a chapter and lecture per day so that come tomorrow, you would be efficiently and calmly prepared for your midterm. You even wrote it down in your planner and highlighted the chapters.
All that effort put into planning when and how you would begin to study…but somehow the exam is tomorrow and the only thing you can recall is that you drank a quart of tequila this weekend downtown and that three seasons of The Sopranos takes a day and a half to watch…Thank goodness you took Dave’s tips on catching a cab or else you would have never made it home.
Ok, so back to being screwed…
Use this moment to reflect on why it shouldn’t happen again. A midterm or exam worth at least 15-20% of your mark should not be left to the last minute. Some people (like myself) used to believe that ‘stress’ helps you study. I would intentionally procrastinate until the last possible second to start studying or writing a paper with the belief that working under the clock generates the best work. While this is a nice thought – it is most certainly wrong.
Retention is your friend!
Casually studying for a few hours (even one) per day ads up to this thing called RETENTION that most students don’t experience until about 3rd or 4th year….sometimes 5th year. Retention is best achieved by writing things down repetitively; in other words, repetition leads to retention. For example, when we learn a foreign word, most people require a repetition within 1-10 days to ensure 95% retention.
Don’t PP all over yourself.
Another aspect of studying that you should beware of is the habit of ‘productive procrastination (PP)’. This is when you aimlessly begin to highlight what is already summed up for you in the columns of the textbook.
HINT: Most multiple choice questions come from the text before and after that highlighted sentence – Profs aren’t that nice. Aimlessly staring at your notes and flipping pages while chatting on msn or browsing facebook every 10 minutes does not constitute as studying.
Another form of PP occurs when you convince yourself that it’s a good time to say, clean your room or go to the gym. Being tidy and healthy are things your momma would certainly be proud of…but they are not something to begin doing to avoid studying.
WARNING: these chores will become more attractive during study mode, so have the will power to say, “No”.
NOTE: exercising regularly is recommended to keep you sane, fit and looking damn sexy – reviewing your notes during cardio is always a fun thing to try. Physical exercise not only boosts memory but also helps you think faster. A combination of mental and physical activities can protect your memory and help keep you alert.
PP also occurs quite often around the end of the semester – this is when you begin to calculate your mark on a “what if” basis:
“So, I have an 82% right now in the class. Final is worth 40%. That means that I have 49.2% of my mark so far. So if I want to keep an 80, I have to get…77% – easy enough”.
Then, 5 hours later, you realize exactly how screwed you are and you calculate…
“well – ok, if I get 50% on the final, that means that I end up with a grade of 69.2%……I can deal with that”.
Then at 3am, just before you give up, you calculate exactly how much you need to get to pass the course …”let’s see here, all I need is 0.8% to pass … that’s 2% on the exam – PEANUTS! I can’t believe I even wasted time studying…ppfffttt” and you rest your precious little head down on the pillow (or table, or floor) peacefully.
This awful sequence of events took you from a hard earned 82% to a flat 50%. Sad, but it happens..a lot…especially on the 4th floor of the library…
Where everybody knows your name
The 4th floor of the libs is like Cheers for commerce students – where everybody knows your name and upon exiting the elevators, you can almost guarantee that you will run into a table of your buddies. This floor is great (and made) for group work. If you are the type of person who learns best in a social environment, then I would suggest joining some sort of group study program. Start one up with friends, classmates, or through the library’s resources. Even if you like to study alone, it’s a good idea to study with others a few days in advance to the examination to cover grounds that you might have overlooked. Discussing concepts and coming up with examples is a great way to remember things.
DO NOT however visit the 4th floor anytime 48 hours before an exam. These vital hours should be reserved to oneself to reflect upon what you’ve studied in the past week or so (either at home or somewhere pin-dropping quiet like the 5th and 6th floors of the libs). Students like to compare what if marks in herds on the 4th floor.
The PP sequence mentioned earlier is exercised at it’s fullest potential when just one student gives up and aims for the 50% mark; all the cool kids follow along and brag about how they only need 1% to pass…some don’t even need to write the exam to pass – lucky eh? (sense the sarcasm). Next thing you know, you’re enjoying some non-alcoholic drinks at the Brass Taps.
Work out your routine
The night before an exam should consist of light reviewing and a good night’s sleep. The following morning should include a hearty breakfast to feed the brain; the best way to protect your memory is to eat plenty of antioxidants and nutrients commonly found in fruits and vegetables – blueberries and blackberries contain the most potent antioxidants.
If you attempt to avoid all possible variations of PP and exercise your will power to sit down and study (try LEARNING the material rather than merely MEMORIZING it) you should find yourself less stressed when it comes to examinations and more pleased with your results.
Furthermore, everyone has their own special way of learning…and as paradoxical as it sounds, some students have to learn how they learn before they can do anything beyond that.
Stick with what works
Take the time to figure yourself out. I figured out that I learn best if I write out the material on Q-cards and read the facts aloud as if it were a script. It’s also more convenient to carry around sectioned Q-cards than piles of notes and you find yourself more organized when it comes time to prep for the final (Caution: don’t spend more time MAKING the Q-cards than you do reviewing them; it’s smart to make the cards throughout the semester on a weekly basis).
I give you permission to try my method out free of charge. Go ahead, get dirty.
